Woke Up To My Husband's Betrayal

and, only to fall into a coma

loving face that greeted me-instead, I witnessed him

ce, only to discover our marriage had been ann

spital bed, they erased

emes anew: forcing me to marry a

pte

Camac

wasn't about the light, or the pain, or the husband I' d

selin, rushed to my side, her perfectly manicured hands flut

revulsion was a live wire inside me. I stared past her, my eyes fixed on the door of

abbed a thick, leather-bound journal from the bedside table. "Look at this. Jeremy has

s familiar, elegant script. My heart, a stu

th theatrical emotion. "He read to you, he played your favorite mu

chair in the corner, a holl

, "he drove three hours to the coast, just to get you that seashell you always wante

rlescent shell. It was

ge, Haylie!" She was practically crying now. "He walked for miles on his bare feet

it was a small, intricately carved charm. A 'get well' charm,

voice thick with tears. "You can' t do this to him. Yo

ted web of lies. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear that jou

aged to say, my voice a r

I reme

m. One second, I was in a black, silent void, the next, my eyes were open, staring at the acoustic tile

ze falling on the space between my be

n an operating table, was pressed against the wall. His expensive su

an was Josel

ed in his hair. Her dress was hiked up high on her thighs. The s

remy murmured, his voice hus

doctors said she' s practically brain-dead. Besides," she purred, pressing a kis

the

for by the sacrifice of my own body. My kidney was inside him, functioning,

me. The pilgrimage wasn't for me. The

ing her impossibly closer. He kissed her then, a deep, hungry kiss that was me

eart monitor beside me, the one that had been beeping a stead

Beep-beep-

is eyes, wide with panic,

t comical. He shoved Joselin aw

thed, his face dra

fury before it melted back into that m

efore the nurses and doctors rushed in

d, lying face, the memory was as sharp

e county registrar' s office looked at me over h

as from before the surgery, my face fuller, my eyes bright

her hands. "Haylie, please, let' s

nore

cho, into her computer. Her fingers

she murmured, leaning

g than anything I had felt before, beg

in confusion. "Ma' am, according to our

ht in my throa

re full of a pity th

hs ago." She paused, her gaze flicking to Joselin and then ba

married a Joselin Camacho