Taking My Hope Away

"Let's start over, Art. I'll act like you never married anyone else, and you can act like I never betrayed you. My love for you is genuine!" Shawna softened her tone when she saw how serious Arthur looked.

She'd always been a dab hand at coaxing and appeasing him, and he fell for it each time. In comparison, nothing I did would make him smile at me when he was angry.

There really was a vast difference when a person loved and didn't love someone. I couldn't believe I'd been dumb enough to only realize it after my death.

Arthur was always stoic and severe with me, but he was gentle and tender when he was with Shawna. He could also change his bottom line for her time and time again.

My heart ached at the realization. Then again, I no longer cared how Shawna framed me or how much Arthur hated me.

"You've just been discharged. You should rest." He pushed her away and avoided answering her question. Then, he left.

Shawna stomped angrily once Arthur was gone.

…

Arthur returned to the apartment we shared. As he stood downstairs and looked up at the balcony, he realized it was pitch-black inside.

I'd always left a light on for him, no matter how late he returned, so that it would always light his path. He was evidently taken aback when he didn't see it on that night.

He entered the apartment and was greeted by a chilly mustiness that came with the place being unoccupied for over a month. He frowned.

"How much longer is your tantrum going to last, Leona? All I did was take you to court. I wouldn't have treated you like that if you didn't owe Shawna anything," he cried in the direction of the bedroom. His tone was filled with scorn and resentment.

I followed him and sneered. It seemed the five years we'd spent together meant nothing when compared to another woman's false words.

I was glad I was dead—who knew how many more days of torment would await me if I were still alive? Who knew what else Arthur was capable of if he could kill me for Shawna's sake?

He searched the apartment for me but didn't find me. He only saw the dishes I'd prepared before being taken to the hospital. They were moldy after being left out for so long, so it was hard to tell what they'd originally been.

That day happened to be our fifth wedding anniversary. I'd waited for him to return, but all I'd gotten was a court order to undergo surgery.

I didn't even need to ask to know that Arthur had been busy comforting Shawna, who was about to be reborn. She'd told him she was afraid of undergoing surgery, so he'd held her hand tightly and told her not to be scared. He'd prayed for her survival as I faced death and needed him by my side.

Arthur scowled at the mess on the table and pulled out his phone to call me. I didn't know how many times he dialed my number—he was rarely this stubborn. To be accurate, he'd never called me unless absolutely necessary.

He was unexpectedly patient today, but none of his calls to me would ever be answered anymore.

When he realized I wasn't answering, he sent me a voice message on WhatsApp. "Haven't you had enough of this, Leona? Do you realize what a mess the house is? How could you have run away before I settled the score with you? I'll give you an hour to get the hell back here, or we're getting a divorce!"

A divorce? That was a good idea. I probably would've agreed to it if he'd asked me for one in the past. At least I wouldn't have ended up dead.

Soon, his phone vibrated. His eyes lit up before dimming again when he saw that it was just a text from Shawna. I didn't know whether my eyes were playing tricks on me, though.

"I left something at the hospital, Art. Could you help me get it?"

Arthur immediately replied with an "Okay". After putting on his coat, he paused at the door and turned to look back at the apartment, his gaze unfathomable.

I smiled bitterly. It was late at night, yet he was still willing to do what Shawna asked of him. Once, I'd gotten a bad stomachache in the middle of the night and begged him to take me to the hospital, but he'd complained about it being too far.

It seemed it wasn't that far anymore.

He drove to the hospital and went to the ward Shawna had occupied. That was when he ran into a nurse.

I recognized her—she'd been beside me during my surgery. She'd seen the livestream of my court case on TV and pitied me.

She scoffed when she saw Arthur. "My, my. Has it finally occurred to you to look for your wife? She already died during the surgery!"

He faltered and looked at her in disbelief. "What did you say? Who's dead?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Your wife, Leona Barton. Honestly, I don't know how you can call yourself her husband. You forced her to donate her kidney when she already had kidney failure. What is that if not murder?"