Chapter 5: The Cost of Kindness

She was sent to my hospital.

The irony was almost too much to bear. I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself.

So, the first time I saw Lila was in the ER.

I was making rounds.

The smell of antiseptic, the hum of monitors. My safe place, suddenly a minefield.

She lay on the bed, staring straight at me.

Her eyes were empty, but there was something defiant in her gaze.

I scribbled notes, asked her the usual questions.

I kept my voice professional, hiding the tremor in my hands.

She answered calmly.

Her tone was flat, emotionless. She gave nothing away.

Just as I was about to leave, she called out to me.

“Emily Harper, what a lovely name.”

I froze, turning slowly. Her lips curled into a faint smile.

I turned back.

She was staring at my name badge, her pale lips curling up. “I heard your husband’s a professor. Funny thing, my boyfriend’s a professor too.”

A chill ran down my spine. Was she taunting me, or just stating a fact?

Nathaniel and I were the model couple.

Everyone at the hospital knew.

Our photos were on the staff bulletin board, smiling at company picnics. People whispered about us in the halls.

So I didn’t think much of it, and I reminded her:

I kept my tone gentle, hoping to reach her. Maybe it was pointless. “Take care of yourself. No matter how bad things get, hurting yourself isn’t worth it. Get well.”

Lila replied evenly, “You’re right. I won’t do anything foolish again. I have to take care of myself, so I can be with my boyfriend forever.”

Her eyes locked on mine, challenging me. I felt a surge of anger, but pushed it down.

I turned off my phone, put it away, and stayed awake all night.

I stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks, listening to the city outside. Sleep never came.

I would divorce Nathaniel.

The decision settled over me like a heavy blanket. I felt lighter. Somehow. Free.

But not now.

Not yet. There was too much at stake. Too many hearts that would break if I acted too soon.

Because my dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and he didn’t have much time left.

He was fading fast, his body shrinking, his spirit still stubborn. I couldn’t take this from him—not now.

Nathaniel often went to the hospital to keep him company.

He’d bring crossword puzzles, books, stories from campus. My dad would light up when he walked in.

If I exposed everything now,

The fallout would be catastrophic. My dad would know, and the pain would be too much.

My dad would die with regrets.

He’d blame himself. I couldn’t let that happen.

He’d handpicked this son-in-law and mentored him himself.

He’d invested so much in Nathaniel—time, energy, love. It would feel like a betrayal.

He, a proud man, had called in favors and pulled strings for Nathaniel, so he could succeed young.

He’d never done that for anyone else. Nathaniel was the son he never had.

I didn’t want to break his heart.

Not in his final days. I owed him that much.

So the next morning, everything went on as usual.

I woke up early, put on my scrubs, made coffee. Routine was my armor.

Nathaniel got up early for a run and brought back bagels and coffee.

He handed me a cinnamon raisin bagel, my favorite.

“Extra cream cheese, just how you like it.”

I sat across from him, eating.

The silence between us was comfortable, practiced. We talked about nothing—weather, news, the neighbor’s new puppy.

After the meal, he changed for work.

He wore his favorite navy suit, the one I’d picked out for him last Christmas. He looked sharp, confident. Like nothing was wrong.

Before leaving, he hugged me and kissed my forehead.

“Babe, tonight Mark and the guys are getting together for a friend’s birthday. I’ll be back late. Go to bed early, don’t wait up. Love you.”

He lingered at the door, waiting for me to say it back. I couldn’t.

I smiled and nodded. “Drive safe.”

I watched him go, my heart heavy. I knew exactly where he’d be tonight.

I knew tonight was Lila’s birthday.

I’d marked it on my calendar, just in case. I’d planned for this.

Nathaniel bought her a designer bag.

I found the receipt in his jacket pocket—a little blue box, wrapped with a white bow. It stung.

Yesterday, Lila even sent him a photo and a heart emoji.

[Thank you, hubby.]

She called him that—hubby. The nerve of her.

[Nate, I want to be a normal couple with you on my birthday, just for one day. I want to walk hand in hand down the street, celebrate with your friends. Is that okay?]

She was asking for what was mine. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream.

[I know I can’t really have you; you belong to Emily. So just for today, let me be your wife.]

Her words dripped with longing. I wondered if Nathaniel saw through her act.

Lila’s vulnerability worked on Nathaniel.

He was always a sucker for damsels in distress. I knew that about him.

He immediately asked Mark to organize a party for her birthday.

Mark, ever the loyal brother, played along.

I wondered if he knew the truth.