The hospital room was eerily quiet, save for the faint beeping of the heart monitor. Sarafina sat at the edge of the chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she listened to Solana's incessant rambling.
"I mean, Sarafina, you should just let it go," Solana said, her tone dismissive as she brushed invisible lint off her designer jacket. "So your husband's been acting distant. It's not like he's actually done anything wrong."
Sarafina's chest tightened, the knot in her stomach growing heavier. "He deleted messages, Solana. Messages to another woman saying he loves her. How is that not wrong?"
Solana rolled her eyes, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the armrest. "Men get bored, Sarafina. It's not a big deal. You should focus on making him happy instead of snooping around."
Sarafina stared at her friend, struggling to mask her disappointment. She had known Solana for years, but lately, her so-called advice felt more like poison than support.
---
Years ago, Sarafina's life had been filled with promise. Born into a wealthy family, she was the sole heir to her parents' vast empire. After their tragic passing in a car accident, she had stepped up to run the company, determined to honor their legacy. For years, she poured her heart into the business, making sacrifices to prove she was capable of leading.
But when Caleb came into her life, everything began to unravel.
Their wedding was supposed to be the beginning of a beautiful chapter. Instead, it marked the start of her downfall. Caleb's charm masked his true nature, and as the years went on, his indifference and deceit became impossible to ignore. But the worst betrayal didn't come from Calebāit came from her own family.
Sarafina could still remember the day her uncle walked into her office, a team of lawyers at his side. "You're not capable of running this company," he had declared, his voice cold and unyielding. "And you're not even the true heir. This company belongs to me."
His words left her stunned. Despite her hard work and sacrifices, he had stripped her of everything. Using her financial struggles as leverage, he claimed the company and pushed her out, leaving her broken and directionless. To make matters worse, Caleb and his family never knew she came from wealth. After her parents' deaths, she had kept her background hidden, wanting to build a life free from expectations. Now, that secret felt like another weight she had to carry alone.
---
Back in the hospital room, Sarafina stood abruptly, the chair screeching against the tiled floor. "I can't do this anymore, Solana," she said, her voice trembling with determination. "I can't keep pretending everything is fine."
Solana raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on her lips. "What are you going to do? Leave him? You'll lose everything, Sarafina. And for what? A fantasy of independence?"
Sarafina met her gaze, her heart pounding. "Maybe I will. Maybe losing everything is better than losing myself."
As she walked out of the hospital, Sarafina felt the weight of her past pressing down on her. Memories of her parents, her company, and the life she had lost swirled in her mind. But for the first time in years, she also felt a spark of hopeāa glimmer of the strength she thought she had lost.