Chapter 4
By the time Jerry got back from the hospital with Monica and Randall, Laurel was already asleep.
But her hand hurt so much that she kept tossing and turning, unable to really fall into a deep sleep.
The moment Jerry pushed the door open, she jolted awake.
Hearing Jerry rolling his wheelchair closer, Laurel's mind was a mess.
Right now, she really didn't want to be around Jerry at all. Just the thought of having to share a bed with him made her feel sick to her stomach.
Thankfully, Jerry stopped.
Monica called softly from the door, "Jerry, Randall seems to be having a nightmare."
That was all it took. Jerry didn't hesitate for a second. He turned and rolled out of the room.
The room fell silent again. But after a while, some weird sounds started coming from the next room.
Laurel didn't want to listen, but the night was so quiet and her hearing so sharp that she couldn't block out the woman's breathy moans and the man's heavy panting.
"Jerry, be gentle. Aren't you worried Laurel will catch us?" Monica murmured.
Jerry teased, "Then keep your voice down, Monica. Laurel's right next door. Doesn't that turn you on even more?"
Monica giggled. "Ugh, don't call me Monica right now, hubby."
Jerry teased, "Oh? You want me to call you honey? You're really wild tonight."
Monica shot back, "Well, you're the one who said Laurel is so stiff in bed, like a dead fish. What, you don't like me being this way?"
Jerry replied, "Of course I do. You're my favorite, babe."
Their shameless words kept drilling into Laurel's ears, no matter how hard she tried to block them out.
She never would have guessed that, with just a wall between them, she'd end up as a prop in their twisted flirting. And judging by their words, this definitely wasn't the first time.
Laurel remembered how Jerry kept insisting he was just "taking care" of Monica, and she found it absurd.
'Taking care of his widowed sister-in-law, right into her bed. He really isn't afraid of his brother catching him red-handed in the middle of the night,' Laurel thought.
Laurel felt her stomach churn as she realized how many nights they had been hooking up under the pretense of "looking after Randall." She stumbled to the bathroom and threw up.
Hearing the noise, Jerry hurried out of Monica's room.
There was still a hint of heat in his eyes, but he sounded genuinely concerned.
He asked, "Laurel, are you okay? Did you not eat tonight? Is your stomach acting up because you're hungry?"
Jerry came over and gently patted Laurel on the back.
It was as if he hadn't just slapped her for Randall or been messing around with Monica next door.
Jerry was always like this. He'd hit Laurel one moment, then toss her a few crumbs of affection the next.
He'd make her miserable over and over, and every time, Laurel'd end up wondering if he really did love her after all.
But now, all she felt was pure disgust, like she was about to throw up even bile.
Her stomach was empty, and out of nowhere, her lower belly started to ache.
Laurel tried to get up and steady herself, wanting to put some distance between her and Jerry. But the moment she stood, everything went black.
Just before she lost consciousness, she heard Jerry frantically calling her name. "Laurel, wake up!"
When Laurel woke up again, she was in the hospital.
She could smell the antiseptic in the air. Before she even opened her eyes, she heard Monica speaking in a hushed tone.
"Jerry, even though Randall cried several times after learning she's pregnant, that is your child. You don't always have to worry about us," Monica said.
She was a master at playing the whole "retreat to advance" trick.
Jerry's tone was cold and absolute. "No, we're not keeping this baby."
He added, "I'll tell Laurel the baby's got something wrong with it, so she'll get rid of it. Randall's already so anxious. I can't let him get upset."
He reassured Monica a bit, then turned and met Laurel's gaze.
A flicker of panic flashed across Jerry's face.
"Laurel, you... you're awake? When did you wake up? Why didn't you say anything?" Jerry asked nervously.
Laurel spoke, her voice a little hoarse. "Just now."