The Sick Wife, Lost Loretta [top 10 motivational books .TXT] 📗

machine caused so much harm to her body. How many weeks did he steal from her? How long was it necessary for her to be in a coma, and how long was she only there for his amusement? She must feel so violated.

“God,” Yvette says, clutching her abdomen. “It hurts so much. If they couldn’t schedule me for surgery today, I would want to grab a knife and cut this thing out of me right now.”

“Evie,” I say, moving closer and touching her leg.

“I’m fine. I just can’t wait for them to rip it out of me. Does Milla have a friend we can contact? What about that nurse who was always spending time with her, the one who wears a lot of pink?”

“Veronica? I think I saw her tagged in Milla’s Instagram post recently, I can try to contact her there…”

“Yes, please do that,” Yvette says, wincing in pain, but with venom and strength in her voice. “I want to bring this fucker down. He needs to lose his medical license and be put in prison for a very long time.”

Chapter 35

The doctor was very understanding about the ultrasound machine, considering the circumstances. They have insurance for that.

Sometimes when you find out your wife was impregnated by some creep while she was asleep… you just have to break whatever is nearby. It’s standard. But it’s also frustrating when the creep’s new wife is the person who was supposed to be your new wife. Fuck. I should have smashed that ultrasound machine some more. I’ve called Milla dozens of times and she won’t pick up. Is he touching her right now? Is he hurting her?

If so, it’s my fault. Because I didn’t have the courage to go into that church and stop this. Fuck me.

Yvette’s surgery went well, and it was fairly fast. They refused to tie her tubes at the same time, saying that the sexual assault was a traumatic experience that could be temporarily clouding her judgment. I called the police hours ago, and explained the situation, and asked them to check on Milla. There hasn’t been any news.

I contacted Veronica on Instagram and asked her to call me. I sent her some minor details so she would understand the urgency. But I haven’t heard from her yet—she’s probably busy at work.

I’ve also purchased plane tickets, and already taken my COVID test so they’ll let me on the plane.

“You’re going there?” Yvette says, as she steps into my office, behind me.

“Yes,” I tell her. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m coming with you,” she says. “Buy me some plane tickets too.”

I turn to look at her with surprise. “You just had surgery.”

“I’m perfectly fine, and I want to be there with you to deal with this. He hurt me too, you know. I want to punch that asshole in the fucking face.”

“I would prefer if you don’t go anywhere near him,” I tell her gently.

“It’s not your choice to make,” she says angrily. “Look at what he did to my body, Gabe. Look at me. I deserve to be there too, to see him brought down.”

“Okay,” I tell her, turning back to my computer to purchase the plane tickets.

She walks over slowly, using her cane shakily. She places a hand on my shoulder. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“What’s that, Evie?” I ask as I select her flight.

“This is going to sound really weird. But Gabe… when I was sick with COVID and thought I was going to die… I actually wanted you and Milla to get close. I told her to call you partly because I could already tell she was perfect for you. I just looked at her and knew. She was so sweet and caring… pretty, but she clearly had no idea. She didn’t even seem to brush her hair.” Yvette laughs softly… almost fondly. “She looked like a walking disaster. But she spent every drop of her energy on making me feel loved and cared for. And she did. There I was, in a foreign country, far away from my family, far away from you… and this stranger made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Like I had a sister, or a mother, a friend… a guardian angel. Someone who would look out for me. And she did.”

I pause my typing and turn to look at Yvette, and I see some tears slipping from her eyes. But she wipes them away and smiles. “I made her call you, because I thought that she would be the perfect person to take good care of you, if something happened to me. And be a good mother to those babies you always wanted, that I could never give to you.”

“Evie…”

“Let me finish. When I woke up from my coma and saw her… totally transformed. Her hair was brushed, and she was wearing some makeup. And it was there sitting on her finger… Camille’s ring on Camilla’s hand. It was perfect for her, like it belonged there, like it had always been there. I somehow already knew I had lost you. I wanted so badly to be happy for you two, but I was so weak and scared… I couldn’t let go in that moment. I buried it in my mind, tried to pretend it wasn’t real. I ignored it and lied to myself so I could survive. I just needed to be near you again, more than anything, more than I wanted to be alive.”

I reach up to take her hand in mine. “I wanted you near me, too, Evie.”

“But you also needed her.”

“Yes.”

“I understand that. It hurts like a fucking bitch. But I understand.”

I take a deep, shaky breath. “What are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” Evie says. “And it doesn’t matter. When I woke up from my coma, Veronica and all the other nurses told me that Milla risked her career to get me awake. That she fought against Mike, who was insistent that I stay sedated and stay on the ventilator. And I’ve