Chapter 11
Serena’s POV
I’m gasping for breath, sprawled on the hard concrete. My eyelids are clamped shut, trembling slightly. Every inch of my body throbs with the pain from the impact. The shock starts to fade, and I carefully open my eyes.
As my eyes finally adjust, the blurry scene comes into focus. Bill’s lying face down on the ground, not moving. His clothes are drenched in blood making my heart thump so fiercely it feels like it might burst out of my chest. Seeing him so lifeless sends chills all over my body.
“Bill!” My voice breaks the silence as I call out his name, but he remains unresponsive. I shake him gently, hoping for him to wake up. But all I’m met with is silence. Tears begin to stream down my face, a part of me desperately wishing this was just a bad Chapter
dream.
Fumbling for my phone in my purse, I notice blood splatters on the pink fabric. My fingers tremble as I dial trying to steady my shaking hands. 911,
“Hello, I-I need an ambulance, quickly! “I stammered into the phone, my voice breaking with each word.
“Calm down, ma’am. What’s your location?” the operator responds.
“I’m in front of Richardson Global Enterprises headquarters. Please hurry, it’s my ex-husband, he’s hurt badly. He’s not moving and there’s so much blood,” I blurt out.
“An ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me more about his condition? Is he breathing?” the operator asks.
“I-I don’t know. I can’t tell. Please, just hurry!” Chapter
The ambulance arrives within minutes, its sirens cutting through the tense silence. Paramedics spring into action, swiftly assessing Bill’s condition. They carefully lift him onto a stretcher and secure his body with straps to stabilize him.
After the paramedics wheel Bill towards the ambulance, I follow closely behind and climb in. I sit near the front, my eyes fixed on Bill’s face. His face, usually so full of expression, now lies still. A gash extends across his forehead, the edges red and swollen. Bruises are starting to form under his eyes, and there’s a small cut on his lip.
“Why on earth would you do that, Bill? Are you stupid?” I mutter to myself in my head, half angry, half in shock. Tears roll down my cheeks as I struggle to believe he jumped in front of that motorcycle to save me.
My emotions are all over the place. Bill Chapter
and I just got divorced, and after years of him not really caring about me, I decided to put myself first for a change. Is that too much to ask?
But deep down, I still care for him. Seeing him hurt like this makes me feel guilty, and I can’t help but wonder if I did the right thing. Plus, we’re having a baby…. Oh no, I think, my fall might have hurt the baby. I was so upset I didn’t even check. Now, all I can do is start praying quietly, really hoping that both Bill and our baby are okay.
As we arrive at the hospital, Bill is swiftly rushed to the emergency room. I find myself standing in the sterile white corridor, feeling uneasy as my eyes trace the endless rows of doors. The faint smell of antiseptic lingers in the air, intertwining with my escalating anxiety. A doctor, dressed in blue scrubs, walks towards me, with a clipboard in his hand. Chapter
“Are you family?” Doctor Henderson asks. “Bill is in a critical condition. He needs to undergo an operation urgently. 11
I hesitate but say, “I’m his wife,” even though we’re divorced. It’s my responsibility to make sure Bill gets immediate care because his life is in danger.
“I see. Please sign the consent forms for the surgery,” the doctor continues, extending the clipboard towards me.
Instinctively, I take the pen and sign my name. The doctor retrieves the clipboard, offering a nod of appreciation. “Thank you,” he expresses sincerely. “We’ll do everything we can for him.”
Realizing that I shouldn’t be the one making decisions for Bill, I swiftly pull out my phone and call Calvin, the only family member I’m on good terms Chapter
with.
“Calvin, Bill’s in the hospital. He needs surgery. I’ve signed the papers, but you should be here,” I explain hastily.
“Oh my God, is he okay?” Calvin asks.
“I don’t know,” I reply, my voice shaking. “They’re taking him to surgery. Please hurry.”
“Hey, calm down, I’m on my way,” Calvin reassures me through the phone, his voice steady. “Just hang in there, I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
Hearing frantic footsteps, I first assume it’s Calvin. However, my initial relief shifts to concern when I see Elena, my ex-mother-in-law, approaching with a look of deep worry on her face. Following closely is Bill’s aunt, Claire, whose expression is more angry than worried. Chapter
With tears in her eyes, Elena grabs my arm tightly. “What have you done to my son?” she demands.
Feeling the tight grip of Elena’s hand on my arm, I respond, “Elena, I didn’t do anything. Bill got hurt trying to protect me. I’m worried about him too.”
“I just know it’s all your fault. Like always, you fail as a wife,” she says, trying to hurt me with her words.
I break free from Elena’s grip and say, 11 But I’m not his wife anymore.” I swiftly retrieve the signed divorce papers and hand them to her. As she reads them, her brows furrow in surprise. “You have no right to call me a failure,” I emphasize, standing up for myself.
“The nerve of you!” Claire exclaims angrily. “How dare you bring up divorce when Bill’s fighting for his life? You’re just after his money.”
“Bullshit!” I let out a curse, not holding Chapter
back. “This is your problem, Claire. You’re always poking your nose into other people’s business,” I say firmly.
“Just so you know, I didn’t ask for a single penny from Bill,” I emphasize.
“I don’t believe a word you just said, ” Claire says sharply. “We all know what you really are, Serena… A social- climbing bitch!”
I let out a mocking laugh. “Really Claire?” I say with a smirk. “And what about you? Well, maybe if you weren’t such a nagging bitch, your husband wouldn’t cheat on you so much!”
Claire and Elena look at me as if they have seen a ghost. Their eyes widen in shock as I defend myself, “That’s right! I know all about the dirty little secrets in your family.”
“Are you blackmailing us?” Claire demands. “How dare you!” Chapter
Claire raises her hand swiftly, ready to deliver a slap. I tense up and close my eyes, bracing myself for the impact.
Out of nowhere, I hear Calvin’s voice. ” Enough of this!” he yells. I open my eyes to find him blocking Claire’s hand, preventing her from slapping me. “You two are acting like kids. Let’s focus on Bill, please,” he urges.
A heavy silence follows. “Is it true?” Calvin finally asks, his voice softer. ” Are you and Bill divorced?”
In response, I reach for the papers and hand them to Calvin, allowing him to examine the divorce documents for himself.
Calvin quickly scans through the papers, then sighs, saying, “Yeah, it’s true. They’re divorced. Can we please stop giving Serena a hard time now?”
Elena remains silent, looking down in contemplation. However, Claire is Chapter
persistent. “I don’t know how that woman could possibly brainwash you too, Calvin,” she insists.
Calvin’s patience wears thin, and he raises his voice. “Stop it, Claire!” he yells. “Serena didn’t ask for a settlement either. Quit accusing her of using Bill.”
Claire falls silent and shifts her attention to consoling the crying Elena, choosing to let go of the argument for the moment.
“Thanks for standing up for me,” I express my gratitude to Calvin for defending me against his half-sisters.
He reassures me with a warm smile, saying, “Serena, it’s because you did nothing wrong. I appreciate you taking Bill to the hospital so quickly.”
I shrug. “Anyone could have done what I did.” As we talk, I notice the signal light of the operating room going out. I can’t help but feel that Bill is going to be alright. My heart lifts with hope.
