Triplets.
Every muscle in my body ached. The stitches burned every time I moved. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had truly slept. My babies were still in the neonatal intensive care unit, tiny fighters surrounded by monitors and soft beeping machines. I had only been allowed to see them for a few precious minutes.
I kept imagining that Ethan would walk into my room with flowers, wrap me in a gentle hug, and ask when we could visit our children together.
Instead, the door opened.
Ethan stepped inside wearing an expensive tailored suit. Behind him was Vanessa, his executive assistant, carrying a leather portfolio against her chest.
Neither of them smiled.
He didn’t ask how I was feeling.
He didn’t ask about the babies.
He simply placed a stack of documents on top of my hospital blanket, sliding them dangerously close to my IV line.
«Sign these,» he said in a calm, emotionless voice.
I blinked, unable to understand what I was looking at.
Divorce papers.
For a long moment, I couldn’t breathe.
«Ethan…» I whispered. «I gave birth to our children just a few hours ago.»
He looked at me without the slightest trace of guilt.
«I know.»
His expression remained cold.
«Things have changed.»
I stared at him in disbelief.
«We planned this family together.»
He let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
«You’ve changed, Olivia. You’re not the woman I married anymore.»
Vanessa folded her hands politely and offered me one of those perfectly rehearsed smiles people wear when they’re pretending to be compassionate.
«I’m truly sorry,» she said softly, though her eyes betrayed no sympathy. «Sometimes life takes unexpected turns.»
I looked from her back to Ethan.
«So this is why you’ve been working late every night.»
Neither of them answered.
The silence told me everything.
«I just risked my life bringing our children into this world,» I said, my voice shaking. «And this is what you bring me?»
Ethan sighed impatiently.
«I don’t want an argument. Just sign the papers, and we’ll make this easy for everyone.»
I slowly pushed the folder back toward him.
«No.»
His eyebrows lifted.
«No?»
«I haven’t even held all three of my babies yet.»
I met his eyes, feeling something inside me change forever.
«If you expected me to give up my marriage, my dignity, and my children’s future while I’m lying in a hospital bed recovering from childbirth, then you never knew me at all.»
For the first time since entering the room, Ethan looked uncertain.
Vanessa’s confident smile disappeared.
Without another word, I picked up the call button beside my bed.
A nurse entered almost immediately.
«Is everything all right?»
I looked directly at Ethan.
«No.»
Then I turned to the nurse.
«I would like these visitors to leave.»
The room fell completely silent.
Neither of them had expected that answer.