She layed there in much discomfort, so pale and fragile. Her face fought back the blinding ray of artificial light trying to smother her. Although her eyes remained hidden, pain and destruction was still obvious in the woman. Her eyelids would flicker from time to time as her head shook away the negativity which dug deep into her mind and soul. Her delicate cheeks were accessorized with a new batch of tears that seemed to end just at the tip of her lips. Forced to a deep sleep, the woman battled for a moment of peace but her mind had plans of their own. Recent memories still vividly tickled her head, bleeding torment on her emotional stability. Today had been the worst one of her whole life. The afflicting anguish seemed to have taken over her completely, for it was all she could think about. Every second of every minute she thought about her husband. His lack of devotion and integrity had dragged her into a situation she must dreaded. The loss of her child. Though he never intended to hurt her in any which way, his lies had finally caught up with him. His lover, a deceitful dreamer lured him back into her anticipating and impatient arms. Their raw, physical attraction made them mingle in a fog of desire and bittersweet lust. It had been a moment where nothing or no one mattered but them and their selfish needs. Temptation managed to get to the best of him and before he could comprehend the matter, he had cheated on his wife with another woman. No matter how hard he had tried, it was plain as day that he still loved this other woman in his life but chose not to be with her. Now his wife had to pay for his mistakes and it pained him deeply. It wasn't fair to her or the innocent infant they had unwillingly lost. He managed to sink himself in a pool of lies and deception, not able to swim to the surface and free himself from the sinful secret. He hated himself for that. So much. What could he possibly do or say to make things all better? Nothing could change the fact that he was a terrible husband and hurt his wife in the most unimaginable way. Still, he lingered on hanging to faith. Faith that everything in the long run would somehow fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, without any flaws or imperfections.
"Ethan?"
Behind him was his old flame, Theresa. She stood there unsure of his upcoming words or actions. His face seemed tired and exhausted, wishing the whole ordeal was all a nightmare.
"Ethan, please, say something. I have to know what you are thinking."
He turned back to his original position, facing his wife. How could he tell Theresa what he was thinking? There was just too much to organize and put into words. He was disgusted at himself for his deceitful actions. He loathed himself for not having enough respect to himself and his wife to resist Theresa's seductive ways. Why didn't she stop him from kissing her? Wouldn't she at least have had the common decency to resist a married man from making love to her? Ethan already knew the answer to that question. It stunned him in a way. All Theresa had wanted in her life was him and his love. It was only natural she would respond to his moves. She cared for him and dreamed of being with him once again....but no, she wasn't innocent at all. Her feelings were not more significant than the overall health and well being of his wife and their now deceased baby girl. At this very moment he almost hated her even though deep down he knew he only blamed himself for the whole situation.
"Ethan, you have to know I didn't do this purposely to hurt Gwen. I never wanted her baby to die. I was only–"
"Save it Theresa," he let her go on no more. "I am sick of hearing it. I don't want you to be here. It will only upset Gwen more. Although I think she deserves someone who sincerely loves her wholeheartedly, I need to be there for her. She shouldn't go through this alone. She deserves more than that, Theresa. Our actions have ruined her life!"
"But Ethan we couldn't help ourselves!" the brunette persisted. "We are in love and we couldn't stand not being...." This time the simple shake of Ethan's head stopped her from finishing her sentence. It was obvious her words would only fall upon deaf ears so she just stood there, biting her lower lip cautiously.
"Listen Theresa. This isn't the best time to talk about this. My wife needs me right now to comfort her as much as I can, if she lets me. I only hope that gradually she can think about forgiving me for my disturbing actions."
"Oh Ethan that is such a harsh way of explaining our love for each other...."
"What is harsh is that my wife is laying here in the hospital trying to deal with the fact that her baby is dead! All because of me! Us! Our performance on the beach that she had seen on television! My God Theresa, could she have found the truth out in a more dreadful way!?"
Theresa was taken back by Ethan's outburst. She almost expected it but still felt the burn. Her mouth opened in protest but no words escaped her. She saw in Ethan's eyes a plead that she would just let it go for the moment. She would, but only for a short while.
~*~
It was in the middle of night when Gwen had awoken from her sleep. At first she scrambled to collect her thoughts and comprehend what was going on. Her forehead was burning up. She felt the wrinkled imprints from the bedspread which was previously clutched by her own two hands. She was mad, furious to be exact. Her whole body itched for revenge but also ached for peace and remedy. Her baby, her life, was now lost. It felt like a knife stabbing her a million times in the heart. The scars would never heal even with time and she knew that. The baby she had been carrying for 9 months was now just a bittersweet memory. It was still a part of her, but only mentally. Her daughter Sarah was dead and it still gave her after shocks. She couldn't understand why this had happened. Why did her baby have to die? Why did an innocent soul have to suffer for her husband's wrong doings? It did not seem fair at all which made Gwen all the more angry and devastated. It was like a part of her had been brutally taken away forever. Now all that was left was a web of complex emotion and questions. What was she going to do next? How was life suppose to go on knowing her infant was dead? How could she even begin to forgive her husband's cheating nature? But what bothered her the most was that all of this pain had initially spread just because of Ethan and Theresa's sick obsession for each other. Not being able to control themselves and think about anything else but their own self-indulgent needs.
"My baby," she only mouthed in a soft mutter. "My baby is gone."
There in the darkness she begun to weep. She squeezed her eyes shut while tears still managed to freely escape her. At first she only let out low sobs until her voice gradually projected loud enough. She was now screaming for relief. For hope. For strength. For any sign that someone out there cared for her enough to come to her aid. Her prayer seemed to have been answered for someone's distant footsteps were now coming towards her in a great speed. The next thing she knew, a figure emerged in the darkness and sat at the foot of her bed. Their hands suddenly searched for hers in hopes of getting her to calm down. At first Gwen refused, banging and twisting every which way, vowing to make someone make for her baby's death. It had now been several minutes that she had cried, each sob louder than the previous. The individual embraced her all too suddenly, letting her cries of agony dissolve onto their warm shoulder. Gwen had let herself be swept in this person's arms long enough until she got a grip on reality. It put her at ease despite being physically and emotionally drained. She was so tired of crying. So depressed over her loss that she knew deep down would always hang around her like a dark rain cloud. It was this person's warmth that led Gwen to finally hush her sobs. Its reassurance and comfort momentarily distracted her and allowed for sleep to trap her in a world of self-consciousness.
"Ethan?"
Behind him was his old flame, Theresa. She stood there unsure of his upcoming words or actions. His face seemed tired and exhausted, wishing the whole ordeal was all a nightmare.
"Ethan, please, say something. I have to know what you are thinking."
He turned back to his original position, facing his wife. How could he tell Theresa what he was thinking? There was just too much to organize and put into words. He was disgusted at himself for his deceitful actions. He loathed himself for not having enough respect to himself and his wife to resist Theresa's seductive ways. Why didn't she stop him from kissing her? Wouldn't she at least have had the common decency to resist a married man from making love to her? Ethan already knew the answer to that question. It stunned him in a way. All Theresa had wanted in her life was him and his love. It was only natural she would respond to his moves. She cared for him and dreamed of being with him once again....but no, she wasn't innocent at all. Her feelings were not more significant than the overall health and well being of his wife and their now deceased baby girl. At this very moment he almost hated her even though deep down he knew he only blamed himself for the whole situation.
"Ethan, you have to know I didn't do this purposely to hurt Gwen. I never wanted her baby to die. I was only–"
"Save it Theresa," he let her go on no more. "I am sick of hearing it. I don't want you to be here. It will only upset Gwen more. Although I think she deserves someone who sincerely loves her wholeheartedly, I need to be there for her. She shouldn't go through this alone. She deserves more than that, Theresa. Our actions have ruined her life!"
"But Ethan we couldn't help ourselves!" the brunette persisted. "We are in love and we couldn't stand not being...." This time the simple shake of Ethan's head stopped her from finishing her sentence. It was obvious her words would only fall upon deaf ears so she just stood there, biting her lower lip cautiously.
"Listen Theresa. This isn't the best time to talk about this. My wife needs me right now to comfort her as much as I can, if she lets me. I only hope that gradually she can think about forgiving me for my disturbing actions."
"Oh Ethan that is such a harsh way of explaining our love for each other...."
"What is harsh is that my wife is laying here in the hospital trying to deal with the fact that her baby is dead! All because of me! Us! Our performance on the beach that she had seen on television! My God Theresa, could she have found the truth out in a more dreadful way!?"
Theresa was taken back by Ethan's outburst. She almost expected it but still felt the burn. Her mouth opened in protest but no words escaped her. She saw in Ethan's eyes a plead that she would just let it go for the moment. She would, but only for a short while.
~*~
It was in the middle of night when Gwen had awoken from her sleep. At first she scrambled to collect her thoughts and comprehend what was going on. Her forehead was burning up. She felt the wrinkled imprints from the bedspread which was previously clutched by her own two hands. She was mad, furious to be exact. Her whole body itched for revenge but also ached for peace and remedy. Her baby, her life, was now lost. It felt like a knife stabbing her a million times in the heart. The scars would never heal even with time and she knew that. The baby she had been carrying for 9 months was now just a bittersweet memory. It was still a part of her, but only mentally. Her daughter Sarah was dead and it still gave her after shocks. She couldn't understand why this had happened. Why did her baby have to die? Why did an innocent soul have to suffer for her husband's wrong doings? It did not seem fair at all which made Gwen all the more angry and devastated. It was like a part of her had been brutally taken away forever. Now all that was left was a web of complex emotion and questions. What was she going to do next? How was life suppose to go on knowing her infant was dead? How could she even begin to forgive her husband's cheating nature? But what bothered her the most was that all of this pain had initially spread just because of Ethan and Theresa's sick obsession for each other. Not being able to control themselves and think about anything else but their own self-indulgent needs.
"My baby," she only mouthed in a soft mutter. "My baby is gone."
There in the darkness she begun to weep. She squeezed her eyes shut while tears still managed to freely escape her. At first she only let out low sobs until her voice gradually projected loud enough. She was now screaming for relief. For hope. For strength. For any sign that someone out there cared for her enough to come to her aid. Her prayer seemed to have been answered for someone's distant footsteps were now coming towards her in a great speed. The next thing she knew, a figure emerged in the darkness and sat at the foot of her bed. Their hands suddenly searched for hers in hopes of getting her to calm down. At first Gwen refused, banging and twisting every which way, vowing to make someone make for her baby's death. It had now been several minutes that she had cried, each sob louder than the previous. The individual embraced her all too suddenly, letting her cries of agony dissolve onto their warm shoulder. Gwen had let herself be swept in this person's arms long enough until she got a grip on reality. It put her at ease despite being physically and emotionally drained. She was so tired of crying. So depressed over her loss that she knew deep down would always hang around her like a dark rain cloud. It was this person's warmth that led Gwen to finally hush her sobs. Its reassurance and comfort momentarily distracted her and allowed for sleep to trap her in a world of self-consciousness.