Chapter 10

Sarah

Mrs. Cornell sat in the passenger seat of her car, her face pale and her movements unsteady as we headed toward the hospital.

A voice of reason tugged at the corners of my mind, questioning the wisdom of my actions. Yet, despite enduring three years of her verbal abuse, I reminded myself that she was Philip's mother.

This would be the final act of kindness. Once she was safely at the hospital, I resolved to inform Philip through Alex instead.

Upon arrival, I reached out to support Mrs. Cornell as we made our way inside, my arm extended in an offer of assistance, which she seemed hesitant to accept. At the nurse's station, Mrs. Cornell inquired about Dr. Smith's whereabouts. Assuming she was familiar with the doctor's clinic, I refrained from questioning her and trailed behind.

However, my surprise mounted as we proceeded down a hallway marked for the OB-Gyn department.

"Um, Mrs. Cornell-" I began tentatively, only to be abruptly silenced.

"Shut up! Just follow me!" she snapped, cutting off any further attempts at communication.

Confusion gripped me as a whirlwind of questions stormed through my mind, leaving me disoriented in the unanticipated setting of the pregnancy specialist's hallway.

Is Mrs. Cornell pregnant? That's the foremost question that leaps to mind.

"I'm here for Dr. Smith," Mrs. Cornell announced to the two nurses stationed at the front desk, their mouths obscured by masks.

"She's expecting you, Madam Cornell!" one of the nurses replied.

With a sense of foreboding, they escorted me and my mother-in-law inside the clinic, where we were met by the imposing figure of a female doctor in her fifties.

"She's the one!" Mrs. Cornell declared with significance.

I struggled to grasp the situation, momentarily stunned as the two nurses restrained me.

"W-what is the meaning of this?" I stammered, my voice trembling with confusion and fear as I struggled against their unyielding hold. Despite my frantic attempts to break free, they inexorably steered me towards the nearby sonography table; their determination left me utterly powerless.

"Help me!" I cried out.

The doctor remained silent, leaving me to grapple with a flood of tears as I desperately tried to make sense of the unfolding events.

Consequently, she produced a syringe from her pocket and administered its contents into my arm. The effect was immediate, inducing dizziness and sapping my strength, dissuading my desire to leave the room.

"Why would you do this to me?" I interrogated Mrs. Cornell sharply, fixing her with a cold stare.

"I need to confirm if you're pregnant," she retorted. She snatched a piece of paper from her bag and flung it at my face, revealing she had taken the documents from the table earlier. Crossing her arms, she instructed the doctor firmly, "Proceed with the test!"

"This is wrong..." I murmured weakly, tears welling up in my eyes, but my protests fell on deaf ears as the staff obediently carried out Mrs. Cornell's orders.

Paralyzed by helplessness, they laid me on the sonology table, and my legs splayed apart as they conducted the test to confirm my alleged pregnancy.

And then, as the doctor injected the medication, darkness descended upon me like a voracious predator, swallowing me whole. The world slipped away, leaving me suspended in a void of oblivion, unaware of what awaited me beyond the veil of unconsciousness.

When I awoke, it felt like this moment could be the final unraveling of my sanity. The room around me was unfamiliar, filled with ominous devices on either side, and a profound sense of weakness gripped me.

Tears surged in my eyes while an agonizing pain seared through me from between my legs. Unable to contain it, I found myself convulsing with sobs.

What monstrous act had they inflicted upon me?

Suddenly, Mrs. Cornell swept into the room like a storm, her presence sending a chill down my spine. Despite the swirling dizziness that threatened to engulf me, I fought to raise myself upright. But at that moment, I was overwhelmed by uncertainty. Should I unleash my anger on her? Would that be enough?

"Why did you do this to me?" I managed to croak out to Mrs. Cornell, my voice barely audible.

She remained icily stoic, sitting upon the chair beside the hospital bed with her features a mask of indifference amidst the turmoil engulfing me.

"Because I don't like you," she retorted coldly, words slicing through the air like a blade of ice.

"That's your grandchild! That's Philip's and my unborn baby!" I shouted at her, my words choked by sorrow, tears streaming down my face. Yes... I had sensed that if she learned of my pregnancy, I knew she wasted no time in arranging the removal of that child from my womb. As a mother, the loss pierced me to the core.

With casual indifference, she retrieved a cigarette from her clutch bag, lighting it with practiced ease, and took a puff.

"Sarah, I need your undivided attention for what I'm about to say. Once this cigarette is extinguished, so is our conversation You made a grave mistake three years ago when you married Philip. Do you know why? Because I harbored immense aspirations for Philip, as any mother would."

She paused to inhale from her cigarette, the smoke swirling around her words.

"During my youth, I fought tooth and nail to break free from the grasp of my parents, who were nothing more than farmers. The mud was gross, the food was yucky, and the old clothes always reminded me of the tough life I had to endure. When I became pregnant with my husband's child, I saw an opportunity-a chance to conceive a son who would carry me away from that life. That son was Philip."

"Philip was my ticket to the world of the Cornells, a gateway to the life I craved. So, when you sought to enter our family through marriage, I saw through your intentions from the start. I understood your desire-to escape hardship and latch onto the wealth of the Cornells."

She gripped my cheeks firmly, her gaze piercing. "In our family, only one serpent is worthy, and I won't allow anyone else to claim my throne!"

Her eyes widened with such intensity that I barely recognized her at all.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks, drenching the pillow beneath my head in a pool of sorrow.

"And let me tell you this, my dear," she sneered. "Philip was fully aware of everything! He never wanted a child with someone like you, a gold-digging orphan! You're divorcing, aren't you? Do you honestly believe he'd stay with you because you're having a baby? Do you think that's enough to salvage your marriage?" She chuckled, a sound that grated against my shattered heart.

"My dear Sarah... I did the same tactic to my husband. Look at where my son is now-constantly showering me with wealth!"

The staggering realization that Philip participated in this cruel betrayal ripped through me like a hurricane, tearing apart what little semblance of trust and hope remained in my shattered heart. My fist, clenched with such ferocity, became numb to the point where I could no longer discern if it were a part of me or merely an extension of the anguish consuming my soul.

I feel like I'm losing my mind! How could Philip do this to our child?

"Listen, Sarah! I won't tolerate you hovering around my son and ruining the life and future I've built for Philip!" She blew a thick cloud of smoke into my face. "No one but Megan will capture my son's heart! They love each other and removing you from my family's lives is only right!"

Before I could respond, a knock echoed through the room. As the nurse entered, Megan followed, clad in a tight yellow dress.

"M-Mrs. Cornell!" Megan's eyes widened, disbelief painting her features as she struggled to comprehend the scene before her. There I lay, a mere shadow of myself, resembling nothing more than a wilted vegetable, drained of vitality and spirit, upon the bed.

"What happened to Sarah?" Fear tinged Megan's voice as she addressed Mrs. Cornell.

"Don't be overly sympathetic, Megan. Everything's under control now that the deed is done. We can focus on preparing for your life with Philip," Mrs. Cornell replied, her smile lacking genuine warmth as she exited the ward. It's as though her actions towards me meant nothing!

Alone with Megan, she glared at me, shaking her head in disdain. Her face twisted into a mask of scorn, stripping away the fake veneer of kindness she had previously worn.

"Sarah, I've said it before-every choice we make carries consequences. You're fortunate you didn't go through with your pregnancy. Poor girl... I warned you, didn't I? Philip belongs to me. If only you had listened to me... Don't worry; I'll care for Philip, so your sacrifice won't be vain. Understand?"

Both women seemed to have lost touch with reality, yet I sensed I might surpass their madness.

I was denied respect, devoid of love, and even the one I had trusted to cherish me had been callously taken from me.

Their actions reeked of heartlessness. The room reverberated with my unending sobs, a reflection of my sanity unraveling.