"Come here for a review; I will respect your choice," Dr. Martin's text lit up her screen.
Shaelyn picked up her phone and read through the text before she placed it down again, turning away from it.
If Dr. Martin was going to insist on her bringing her husband along with her, Shaelyn had decided she simply would not go for anymore checkups at the hospital and it seemed Dr. Martin had guessed the same seeing as Shaelyn was already a half hour late for her appointment.
Shaelyn could not be bothered with any of it anymore, she was already completely drained and it was not just about the situation with the hospital but about her husband, Nixon.
In the past few days since Shaelyn had moved out of their home, Nixon has come every morning and evening, and every single time he was here he clearly expressed his stance.
"I will not divorce you, Lyn...we will work this out. I know we will." He would make it clear.
Nixon's insistence made it all the more clear to Shaelyn that she could not dare tell him about the baby.
Nixon was a man insistent on his own ways, he would never agree to Shaelyn's decision to take the risk despite her health condition and have the baby.
Shaelyn did not want to take a gamble, and she honestly couldn't afford to gamble! The baby must be born!
One way or the other, she would die, but at least in this case, there would be a piece of her left behind.
And Nixon...he had lost the rights to make that decision with her, for her baby.
Shaelyn was still lost in thoughts when she heard Nixon's familiar baritone calling her name.
'He was here again.' Shaelyn thought, try as she might, she could not prevent her heart from skipping a few beats.
In the same manner it always did whenever she heard his voice.
Shaelyn glanced down at her watch. She had heard Nixon had an important business meeting today and so she had not expected he would still make the time to come see her, but he had come.
Like clockwork, it was 4pm, the exact time he had come to see her the day before and the day before that.
Shaelyn's heart was all the more burdened, it had been a few days since she declared her intentions for a divorce and moved out and while Shaelyn had not dared hope Nixon would cling to her,
She had completely not expected he would simply make his presence constant at her new apartment whenever he pleased, like it was now their new home.
Shaelyn's eyes found the brown envelope containing the divorce papers again and she exhaled another heavy breath.
Shaelyn stepped out to her balcony, it was only now she realized it was raining. She had been so lost in thoughts, she had not even noticed a change in the weather.
Inspite of the rain, Nixon stood outside her building. His handsome features never ceased to send Shaelyn's heart fluttering...even now, even when she no longer had the strength to hold onto what they had.
In these few days, Shaelyn had never let him in. And Nixon had not attempted to force his way in either, he would simply make his presence known and then return to his car which was parked in view of her apartment.
There, he would sit and carry on with his work files while Shaelyn looked on from the balcony with conflicting feelings.
Shaelyn honestly was at a loss on what to do, but this time, Shaelyn knew she could not bear to leave Nixon out in the rain.
'Just this once...it will only be this once.' Shaelyn thought to herself.
"Nixon—" come upstairs. But before Shaelyn could say the words, she clearly saw that Nixon held his phone to his ears, while speaking hurriedly into his phone.
"What is it, Dr? What happened to her?!" Nixon asked in a panic,
The calm and collected composure of the man Shaelyn knew and loved, to anyone and any situation was lost in this moment...only in moments like this did Shaelyn get to see the man she called her husband worry so dearly for another.
And that 'her', that 'another' Nixon fretted over in this moment was not Shaelyn...no, it was a woman Shaelyn could never be.
"Shaelyn! The doctor said Leyla has had a relapse! Hurry and get dressed and go with me to see her! You know someone will need to clean her up and she only lets you near her!" Nixon called up to Shaelyn while still on call.
"You know what? Meet me at the hospital!" Nixon instructed, he turned around, heading straight for his car,
It was like instinct, in this moment, he had even forgotten the conflict between them or that he had no rights to ask what he had just asked of her, all at the mention of that woman.
Shaelyn's heart sank in an instant, and the small flicker of flame that had just been ignited seemed to have been extinguished just as quickly.
The weight of reality dawned on Shaelyn once again, heavily this time.
This was it, this was Nixon Gray, her own husband. Had there ever been a time when he was truly hers?
Needless to say, there was only one reason he had left in such a hurry, only one woman could make Nixon run to her aid with a single phone call...Leyla Downey, the woman who should have been Mrs Gray.
Shaelyn should have known better, when he had left her in this same manner on their wedding night...but she had persevered, hoping and trusting there would be a change.
That change...had never come.
Shaelyn's mouth was still open, as tears welled up in her eyes.
Who was the one who claimed to love her, and who was the man driving out of her compound right now, heading towards another woman?
Shaelyn clenched her hands over her aching heart as she realized that there was no version of reality in which Nixon Gray could truly be hers.
'Never again, Nixon, never again.' Shaelyn swore furiously, her eyes shining with unshed tears,