Chapter 15
“You’re in this condition, and you’re still staying up late working? Seriously…” Walden muttered as he glanced at the medical form. When he saw it was for a D&C procedure, he looked at Evalina in shock. “What is this about?”
“Shh…” Evalina sighed. “To be honest, I was married, but now I’m getting a divorce. My husband refuses to sign the paper’s, so I was hoping… you could pretend to be him and sign for me.”
“You were married? Who is this guy? Why isn’t he here taking care of you after… everything?” Walden asked, growing more concerned.
“He’s just an ordinary guy. Things aren’t good between us, and he doesn’t have much money. Maybe he doesn’t want to pay for the surgery. Anyway, we’re divorced now, and I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist.”
Walden sighed, his concern evident. “Wow, Evalina, back in school, you were the campus queen and a design genius. So many guys wanted to date you.
“We always wondered what kind of amazing man would be good enough for you. I can’t believe you ended up with such a… cold and broke guy.”
Evalina could only let out a dry laugh.
“A person like him is no better than a wild animal,” Walden continued.
“Yeah…” Evalina continued to laugh awkwardly. Nobody outside knew about her marriage to Hugo, and now that they were getting a divorce, she didn’t care to let anyone know.
“Doc, my husband’s here. Let’s get these papers signed for the surgery,” she said, all business.
The doc strolled in, spotted Walden, and started mumbling as he tossed the forms Walden’s way. Walden scribbled his John Hancock without a second thought.
“Evalina, you head in and get that surgery out of the way. I’ll hook you up with some post–op goodies,” Walden said, watching Evalina get ready for her pre–surgery checks, his face all sympathetic–like.
Evalina went through the tests like she was on a conveyor belt. Just lying there, letting the docs poke and prod. She wondered if Olive had to go through this same drill. At least Olive had Hugo there for moral support. What about her?
“Can we kick off this D&C procedure?” Evalina asked, lifting her head as the doc walked in.
“You actually can’t go under the knife,” the doc said, looking all confused.
“What?” Evalina’s eyes bugged out.
“Who gave you the once–over? You didn’t miscarry. There’s a little one in there,” the doc clarified.
“I–I didn’t lose it?” Evalina shot up, her hand on her belly. She remembered getting knocked down, her stomach aching, blood everywhere. The doc said she lost the baby, but since no one signed off on extra tests, that was the end of it.
“Now you gotta make a call. The little one’s still early and it’s a bit iffy. If you want to keep it, you gotta take it real easy. If not, we can still do the surgery.
“Oh, and where’d your husband jet off to? You should get him back here so you two can hash this out,” the doc said.
Evalina was caught in a real pickle. The baby was still there, but keeping it might be a tall order. She kept staring at the consent form, her finger hovering over her name, but she just couldn’t ink it.
Right then, her phone buzzed. She picked it up and found it was her mom. “Evalina, I’m in a jam with some debt collectors at Elegance Dining. Get over here quick,” Rosa said, her voice tense.
Evalina rushed out of the hospital and made her way to the restaurant. As soon as she stepped inside, she knew something was fishy.
-Rosa was chatting up a portly middle–aged guy, who was chowing down on some greasy meat. The sight of the guy made Evalina’s
stomach churn.
“Mr. Gains, you remember my daughter, Evalina. She’s been a real sweetheart, never had a job since college. She’s the perfect homemaker. With Mrs. Gains gone, she could be just what you need,” Rosa said, all smiles.
