The Delivery Room Divorce

The cramps in my belly felt like countless little knives cutting into me. I curled up on the hospital bed in the delivery room, cold sweat on my forehead soaking the pillowcase. The nurse came in to check twice and said my cervix hadn't dilated enough yet, so I needed to wait a little longer. I gritted my teeth and tried to call Henry Gresham. Just as my fingers touched the cell phone, the hospital room door was pushed open. Henry walked in, still carrying the cold from outside. He wasn't holding the strawberries I love, nor the little clothes for the baby. He handed me a document; on the cover, boldly printed, were the words "Divorce Agreement." My breath instantly caught in my throat, and even the pain in my belly seemed to be swallowed up by this sudden, devastating blow. "Sign it." Henry Gresham's voice was flat, without a hint of emotion. I looked at him, wanting to ask why. The words caught in my throat, turning into a trembling whisper: "The child... is about to be born." "I know." Henry avoided my gaze. "Daisy's pregnant too. Once her child is born, we'll remarry." I felt my heart gripped tightly by an invisible hand, pain so sharp I couldn't breathe. So in his heart, neither I nor the child about to be born meant as much as the child growing in that other woman's womb. The cramps in my stomach hit again, even worse than before. Everything went black before my eyes, and I fainted. When I woke up again, a nurse was setting up an IV for me. "Where is your husband?" The nurse adjusted the drip while asking, "He was just here a moment ago. Took a call and left, saying there was an emergency." I gave a bitter smile; no need to ask—I knew he had gone to arrange Daisy George's prenatal checkup. I picked up the Divorce Agreement, my fingertips turning icy cold. The terms on the agreement were "generous"—the house was mine, along with a hefty compensation package. But none of these things compare to having a whole family. The baby inside me seemed to understand my pain and gently kicked. I touched my belly, and tears finally escaped down my cheeks. For the sake of the child, and for myself, this marriage must end. I picked up the pen and signed my name on the divorce agreement — Sophie Lloyd.