Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 60

Chapter 2

At exactly two in the afternoon, the nurse entered my room with a clipboard in hand and said, “It’s time for your CT scan.”

“You can’t go alone,” she added firmly. “You need someone to accompany you—call someone.”

Call someone? The words echoed hollowly in my mind. Who exactly was I supposed to reach out to? My father had been gone for years, six feet beneath the earth. My mother was now living in an assisted care facility, barely able to manage on her own. My closest friend, Lauren, was halfway across the world, studying abroad. And my so-called husband? He was off on some hiking trip, grilling food and soaking in hot springs with his soulmate, whoever that was.

“Is there any chance you can assign a hospital aide to come with me? I’m willing to pay extra,” I asked, forcing a smile that felt brittle and unnatural.

The nurse hesitated, her eyes flickering with a mixture of sympathy and doubt, but eventually she nodded slowly. “Alright then. Let’s get you ready.”

After the scan was done, my phone buzzed. It was Ryan. His voice was sharp, tinged with irritation. “You’re not home? The guy fixing the fridge called me. He’s still waiting.”

Before I left for this trip, our fridge had started acting up, on its last legs. The replacement hadn’t arrived yet, so I’d arranged for a repairman to come by.

“I’m at the hospital,” I said softly.

There was a pause. Then a dry, sarcastic chuckle. “What is it this time? Tripped over your own feet again? Or maybe it’s a late period?”

That jab hit me like a knife twisting in my chest. Just a few days after we’d married, I’d stumbled in heels and fallen while coming home. His mother had seized on that as an excuse to pull him back home. They barely spoke before, but that night they erupted into a full-blown argument. Afterward, Ryan had given me the cold shoulder for two whole weeks.

Before everything fell apart with the Dawson family, I had been strong. I had a backbone.

“I’m not cursing you, Ryan,” I said quietly. “Why are you so angry?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but then I heard her voice—Jessica’s.

“Ryan, your favorite wings are ready! Come on!”

That sickly sweet tone made my skin crawl. I didn’t wait for another word. I ended the call, my heart sinking deeper into the shadows beneath the moon.