Chapter 2
Series 1 Chapter 2
When I opened my eyes again, the sharp scent of antiseptic filled my lungs.
Every inch of my body ached.
It felt as if I'd been run over by a truck.
Even breathing sent a dull pain through my chest.
My right leg was locked inside a heavy cast.
My right hand was wrapped in layers of gauze.
A thick bandage covered my forehead.
The hospital room was so quiet that all I could hear was the steady beep of the heart monitor.
My eyes drifted toward the door.
No one.
The chair beside my bed was empty.
I reached for my phone.
The screen was cracked almost in half.
The latest message was still the one Adrian had sent before we left yesterday.
Honey, have fun today.
8:16 a.m.
I stared at those words until my vision blurred.
The door opened.
A young nurse walked in.
"You're awake. Are you in a lot of pain?"
I gave a faint nod.
My voice came out rough.
"Where's my husband?"
She paused.
"Your husband?"
She flipped through my chart as if making sure she had the right patient.
"Oh... Mr. Adrian?"
I nodded quickly.
She hesitated before answering.
"He was here earlier."
"But he's been staying with the other woman who was injured."
My fingers tightened around the blanket.
"The other..."
"Mandy."
The nurse offered a sympathetic smile.
"She's been extremely emotional. Every time she wakes up, she starts crying."
"Mr. Adrian was worried she'd get too upset again, so he's been with her most of the time."
"But don't worry."
"Your surgery went very well."
"You're going to be okay."
You're going to be okay.
So...
That meant he didn't have to stay with me?
The nurse adjusted my IV.
"Your husband specifically asked us to take good care of you before he left."
I forced a smile.
"Thank you."
But somehow, it didn't make me feel any better.
The entire afternoon passed in silence.
No flowers.
No fruit.
Not even a single message asking how I was.
Only nurses came and went.
Changing my dressings.
Checking my temperature.
Adjusting my medication.
By evening, the doctor came to examine my injuries.
When he removed the bandage from my forehead, I sucked in a sharp breath.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"The cut was fairly deep."
"It will probably leave a scar."
I froze.
Almost instinctively, I reached up to touch my forehead.
Adrian had once promised he would recognize me in any crowd, even when we were old.
Now I wondered whether he would even notice the scar.
After the doctor left, I stared out the window as the sky slowly darkened.
The room was still empty.
At last, I picked up my phone and called Adrian.
The call rang.
No answer.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
On the third attempt, someone finally picked up.
But it wasn't Adrian.
It was Mandy.
"Evelyn..."
She sounded surprised.
Then I heard Adrian's familiar voice in the background.
"What's wrong?"
He spoke softly.
The same gentle voice someone would use to comfort a frightened child.
A second later, I heard Mandy sniffle.
"It's nothing..."
"I must've bumped it."
The line went dead.
I stared at the dark screen.
A heavy ache settled inside my chest.
Then it hit me.
Not once today...
Not once...
Had Adrian asked how I was doing.
That night, I couldn't fall asleep.
When a nurse came in to check on me, I asked quietly,
"Which room is Mandy in?"
She didn't think anything of it.
She gave me the room number.
Half an hour later, I pulled myself out of bed.
Using my IV pole for support, I slowly dragged my cast-covered leg into the hallway.
The corridor felt endless.
Every step sent pain shooting through my body.
Still...
I wanted to see Adrian.
Even if it was only to tell him one thing.
I was hurting.
I was really hurting.
Finally, I reached Mandy's room.
The door wasn't fully closed.
Her muffled sobs drifted into the hallway.
"This is all my fault..."
She cried between shaky breaths.
"If it weren't for me..."
"You wouldn't have..."
Silence filled the room.
Then Adrian spoke.
"This isn't your fault."
His voice was low.
Gentle.
So gentle that I barely recognized it.
Mandy asked quietly,
"Will she... blame you?"
Silence again.
A long moment passed before Adrian finally answered.
"I won't let her find out."
My breathing stopped.
Find out...
Find out what?
Before I could make sense of it, I heard a chair scrape softly across the floor.
Then Mandy spoke again through her tears.
"What if she discovers it?"
Adrian didn't answer.
At that exact moment, a startled voice came from behind me.
"Mrs. Carter?"
"What are you doing out of bed?"
Everything inside the room went silent.
The next second...
The door was pulled open.
Adrian and I locked eyes.