Rebirth of the Wife in Despair by Tess Munoz

Clack! Clack! The sound of footsteps in the hospital’s corridor broke the silence of the ward. Lying on the hospital bed, Eileen Swan strained to open her eyes slightly, catching a glimpse of someone standing before her as the footsteps drew near. Could it be that Eric is here to visit me? Exhausted as she was, Eileen couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy at the thought of that. However, she quickly regained her composure and let out a disappointed sigh when she saw that the person was actually Sarah Swire, the woman whom her husband, Eric Snow, treasured deeply. Ugh… What am I even thinking? In the six months since Eileen was diagnosed with a brain tumor, her days were filled with dialysis, chemotherapy sessions, a myriad of medications, and constant IV drips. Even so, it did nothing to stop her illness from worsening. Adding to her distress, Eric never once visited her. Eileen forced a wry smile at Sarah and asked in a hoarse voice, “Why are you here?” Sarah flashed her a smile and placed a basket of fruits on the table. “You seemed disappointed when you saw me. Eric won’t come, so you can stop dreaming about him showing up.” She then gracefully tucked her hair behind her ear, retrieved a file from her handbag, and tossed it onto the hospital bed. “Eric wanted me to bring you this. You have to sign these divorce papers tonight. Snow Group is a huge business, so it’s only natural that an heir will come to inherit it. Since I’m already pregnant with Eric’s child, you should give up your position as his wife!” Sarah declared proudly. The slightly raised bump on her tummy was proof of her statement, indicating her victory in winning Eric over. Oh, the irony… Eileen had experienced motherhood in the past, but she tragically lost the child, and her body suffered irreversible damage, rendering her unable to conceive again. Amidst her ongoing battle with illness, Eric impregnated Sarah. Normally, Eileen might have fought Sarah fiercely, even risking harm to her unborn child. However, she now lacked the strength and confidence to confront Sarah. “All right. I’ll sign it,” Eileen said without any hesitation. Her hand, which was connected to the IV drip, trembled as she picked up the pen and signed her name on the divorce papers. Sarah froze in surprise as she didn’t think it would be this easy. A look of joy then spread across her face as she carefully put the divorce papers back into its folder. The shiny diamond ring on Sarah’s slender finger was quite the eyesore for Eileen, who had devoted herself fully to Eric throughout their eight long years of marriage. She had loved him so much that she sacrificed everything for him, and yet, he never gave her a diamond ring. He didn’t even give her the chance to see him one last time before divorcing her. “Does Eric know that I’m sick?” Eileen asked weakly, her lips pale. Despite coming to terms with her reality, she felt a lingering resentment for the way Eric had treated her. “Yes, he knows. He said you’re a burden and that you should just die off,” Sarah replied without hesitation, her harsh tone mirroring Eric’s. With her heart numb, Eileen no longer had any reason to doubt Sarah’s words. She knew with absolute certainty that Sarah was simply delivering Eric’s heartless message. Eileen’s father had entrusted Eric with all of their family’s businesses before his passing, elevating Eric from the once-dependent individual the Swan family took in. Even after learning about Eileen’s cancer and her limited time left, Eric insisted on divorcing her to be with his mistress. Heh… He sure is a heartless one… Nevertheless, as Eric was the only man Eileen had ever loved, she still wanted to see him one last time. “Could you bring me to him so I can see him one last time?” she pleaded while looking at Sarah. “No need for that. Have you taken a look in the mirror lately? What’s the use of seeing him when you’re in this wretched state?” Sarah retorted, looking down on her like a haughty princess. “C-Can I at least call him, then?” “Look at yourself, Eileen! Do you see how pathetic you are right now? I would never love a man to the point where I lose all dignity, unlike you!” The contempt in Sarah’s eyes felt like a knife stabbing at Eileen’s heart. How did I end up in such a pathetic state that a woman like Sarah, who comes from an ordinary family, could insult me to this extent? Ignoring Eileen, Sarah stormed out of the ward in her high heels. The door slammed shut, plunging the ward into complete silence once again. Eileen, fading in and out of consciousness from the pain, lay weakly on the hospital bed. She felt as though she was watching her life ebb away as she stared at the IV fluid slowly dripping from its bag. It was Christmas that day. The atmosphere in the streets was incredibly lively with heavy snow and festive decorations. Many people gathered in the hospital corridor to watch the snow and wish each other a merry Christmas. They got so carried away that no one noticed the beeping from the monitor on Eileen’s bed. Eileen slowly closed her eyes as her consciousness faded away little by little. She couldn’t shake the feeling of hatred for having sacrificed so much for Eric, only to end up losing everything in the end. If only I had a second chance to start over and change my life.