FACADE {Completed ✔}

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Hey, you are awake,” Mary appeared once she opened her eyes.

“Hey,” Uduak croaked. “Where am I?” she shifted her body to be more comfortable but ended up hissing due to the pain on her ribs.

“Don’t move. The doctor said your ribs are broken same with your wrist and arm,” Mary explained.

“And my baby?”

“Thankfully, the baby survived. You need a lot of rest Sis,” Mary said.

“How did I get here?” Uduak asked. Her last memory was when she was leaving the house.

“You called me but didn’t say anything so I suspected you were in danger. I immediately rushed to your house only to find you passed out in front of your gate covered with bruises, so I brought you here. You have been out for two days. What happened?”

“He beat me up because I am pregnant. Turns out he is infertile but I guess God just wanted to compensate me for all the pains by blessing me with this child,” she sobbed.

“That monster called my brother will not escape jail this time. I will make sure of that,” Mary fumed.

“I stabbed him, Mary. Don’t you think he will come after me with the police?”

“He will do no such thing.”

“Where is he now?” she absentmindedly asked

“Are you for real? You still care about him despite all he has done to you?”

“I just want to know about his well-being considering the fact that I stabbed him. Though he deserves to die, but I don’t want him to.”

“He is receiving treatments in another hospital and my mother is with him so quit thinking about him and rest,” Mary stood up from the chair that was next to the hospital bed.

“Thank you Mary. You are always here to clean up my mess and I am indebted to you.”

“It was nothing, Sis. I am always happy to help. Stop talking and rest, the doctor will be here soon,” just then, the doctor walked in. “Oh! He is here already.”

“You are finally awake,” a male husky voice said. Uduak put on a small smile on her face looking at the handsome doctor. “I must say, you are a fighter, same with your baby. Believe me, not everyone would have survived this. Four of your ribs are broken, your arm and wrist are dislocated but you will be discharged very soon.”

“Thank you doctor.”

“I’m just doing my job. The nurse will attend to you now,” he said and walked out leaving her with Mary.

“I called your mother after you were admitted into the hospital,” Mary said.

“You shouldn’t have. My mother will be so worried and I don’t want that.”

“It’s too late because she is already on her way to Lagos. She left Akwa Ibom last night.”

“Okay,” Uduak replied. Memories of the good times she’d shared with Michael played through her mind as she turned and faced the wall. Was he recovering? Did she stab him deeply? Inasmuch as she was not proud of what she did, that stab was the only way out because Michael really meant it when he said he’d kill her. The anger that blinded his eyes was nothing to write home about. Lying on the hospital bed made her review so many things about her life because clearly, her marriage to Michael was over. All she needed to do was to file for a divorce and move on with her life.