Alone in the Cold

The city streets blurred past the passenger window. My brain was still stuck on an endless loop, replaying the word Positive printed on the clinics lab results.

My wife suddenly broke the silence. Her voice was cold enough to freeze water. There is something you need to know.

The smile died on my face. I watched her pull a folded document from her designer bag and toss it onto my lap.

It was a DNA report. Under the section labeled "Father", a name was stamped in bold ink. Garrison.

My own brother-in-law.

"That night you were burning up with a fever and passed out in the back seat." She traced the leather of the steering wheel with one manicured fingernail. "He and I were right here in the front."

All the blood rushed straight to my head. I opened my mouth, but my throat felt like it had been filled with wet concrete. No sound came out.

Valerie rested a hand over her slightly swollen stomach. Her eyes were completely dead. "If you can't handle it, I'll get rid of it. But don't ever expect me to carry a child for you again."

She tossed the choice into my lap like we were discussing what to have for dinner. "To keep it or not. You call the shots."

The silence inside the SUV was suffocating.

After a long time, I forced my mouth open. "Why? Why would you do this to me?"

Black spots danced in my vision. It felt like invisible hands were wrapped around my throat, choking the air out of my lungs.

Seeing the tears spilling down my face, Valerie pulled the car over. She reached out and wiped my cheek.

"My older sister died without leaving a single kid behind. Garrison has no one left in this world to lean on. Giving him a child was the only thing I could do."

"If I terminate this pregnancy, Im never going through the process again."

"If we keep it, I'll make sure the kid calls you dad."

"It is entirely up to you."

Every word out of her mouth backed me further into a corner. I didn't even have the strength to clench my fists.

Just a few hours ago, she was wrapped in my arms, excitedly talking about our future family of three.

As the director of the city's top medical research foundation, she had been crying tears of joy.

"We're finally having a baby. I'm putting all my executive bonuses into a trust fund. I'm going to personally make sure he gets into an Ivy League school."

But a few hours later, she casually informed me the baby wasn't mine.

I raised a trembling fist in blind rage, but my hand dropped back down.

"Valerie, you are completely out of your mind."

She didn't flinch. She didn't even raise her voice.

"Let's go home. I'll make dinner."

Her tone was light. She reached over and gently clicked my seatbelt into place, acting like the conversation we just had never happened.

I recoiled from her touch like I had been burned. Her face began to blur through my tears.

The last time she had a miscarriage, I blamed myself entirely. The guilt dragged me into a severe, crippling depression.

The local therapists couldn't figure out how to help me, so Valerie used all her corporate connections to bring in a specialist from overseas.

For countless days and nights, she dealt with my emotional breakdowns, bringing all her lab paperwork home just to keep an eye on me.

Thinking back to how deeply we used to love each other, I couldn't hold back my desperate question.

"But you promised me. You promised you would try for another baby with me. Did none of that mean anything?"

My intense reaction completely drained whatever patience she had left.

"I am not holding a gun to your head and forcing you to raise this kid."

"You are forcing me." My voice came out cracked and ruined.

Valerie froze. Right at that moment, a motorcycle courier pulled up alongside our SUV and knocked on the glass.

"Director. Garrison hurt his leg badly at the work site. You need to drive him to the emergency room right now."

All the color drained from Valerie's face. She shoved me hard, pushing me toward the passenger door.

"Walk home. You clearly need to cool off anyway."

She didn't even leave me a parting glance. She hit the gas, and the heavy SUV roared down the street, leaving me behind.

I hit the pavement hard. I struggled in the dirt for a long time before I could finally drag myself to my feet.

I don't know how long it took, but I stumbled my way back to our apartment. I walked straight to the expensive landline phone we rarely used.

I picked up the receiver and dialed a number I had memorized long ago.

"Hello. This is Rowan. I want to formally accept the volunteer teaching position in Alaska."

"Rowan. Thank God. That's fantastic news."

After a brief moment of excitement, the voice on the other end hesitated.

"But you need to be absolutely sure. Joining this project means relocating to the deep frontier. You'll be stationed there permanently. It will be nearly impossible to visit your family. What about your wife..."

I didn't let him finish.

"My mind is made up."

"Alright then. We'll send a transport truck to pick you up in three days."

I hung up the phone and started packing my bags.

We had been married for eight years. Every piece of furniture, every picture frame in this house was something we picked out together.

She wanted to give all her corporate bonuses to Garrison. I hadn't argued. I worked grueling freelance jobs just to pay our daily bills.

Now, the home I had poured my entire soul into was popping like a cheap soap bubble.

The front door clicked open. Valerie walked in.

She saw me throwing clothes into a duffel bag and rolled her eyes, assuming I was throwing a tantrum.

"You play these childish games every single time. If you don't want the baby, just say it."

"Garrison was bleeding from a severe injury, and he still begged me to get an abortion so I wouldn't upset you."

"He's been through enough on his own. Can't you learn to be a little less selfish?"

A hollow, miserable laugh ripped out of my throat.

"You think these past few years have been easy for me?"

"That is enough." Her patience was completely gone.

"He lost his wife. He has nothing. No matter how much you complain, you still have me. You've been living a comfortable, easy life all these years just coasting on my status as a director."

I froze. A wave of pure absurdity washed over me.

Ever since Valerie's sister died in the line of duty, Valerie took it upon herself to act as Garrison's surrogate wife. She catered to his every single demand.

When a piece of falling debris cracked my skull open, she wasn't there.

When I was trapped in the mountains for three days during a brutal snowstorm on a charity run, she wasn't there.

Even on the day my father died of cancer, she wasn't there.

But every time Garrison had a minor cold or a scraped knee, she dropped everything and rushed to his side.

And after all that, she had the nerve to say I was coasting on an easy life.

My eyes burned. I laughed, mocking my own stupidity.

"You're a highly respected director, and you're sleeping with your dead sister's husband. Where is all that morality and dignity you love to preach about?"

Right on cue, Garrison limped into the room.

"Rowan, how could you say something like that? I've always treated you like my own little brother."

The man's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"Blame me. It's my fault. I was just too selfish. I wanted to leave a piece of my family behind. If you hate the idea of this baby so much, I'll tell Valerie to go to the clinic right now."

He put on a pathetic display, turning around and limping toward the door, dramatically shouting about finding a doctor.

Valerie clicked her tongue in annoyance and shoved me away in pure disgust.

She turned to chase after him.

The push sent me stumbling back. My head, still fragile from the old debris injury, slammed violently into the sharp corner of the coffee table. I grabbed her sleeve in agonizing pain.

"Valerie. My head. It hurts so bad."

She violently yanked her arm out of my grip.

"Sit here and think about what you've done. If his leg gets worse because of this, I'm holding you responsible."

The door slammed shut behind her, rattling the frames on the wall.

It was only after she left that I felt the warm, thick liquid sliding down the back of my neck.

Dizziness washed over me in sickening waves. I practically crawled across the floor to the landline and dialed the local emergency clinic.

"I'm bleeding. My head. Please come help me."

I didn't expect the voice on the other end of the line to be Valerie's. She growled at me in pure irritation.

"You are sitting safely at home. What danger could you possibly be in? Do not tie up the emergency medical lines for your petty tantrums ever again. Don't call this number."

When I finally opened my eyes again, my head was wrapped in thick, tight gauze.

A young nurse stood by the bed. She quietly told me that if they had found me a few minutes later, I would have bled to death.

I reached up and touched the bandages. The pain in my chest was worse than the wound.

Valerie. You almost murdered me with your own hands.

Before I could even wipe the tears from my eyes, a neighbor from our apartment complex rushed into the room, looking terrified.

"Rowan. The subsidized apartment the foundation promised your mother. Valerie just revoked the lease."

"You need to come quick. Your mom collapsed. It's her heart."

It felt like lightning struck my spine.

I didn't even care about my head. I ripped the IV out and stumbled out of the clinic, practically dragging myself to the apartment block.

When I arrived, Valerie was standing by the door, ordering a crew of movers to throw my mother's belongings out onto the street.

My mother had passed out from the shock, her frail body crumpled on the concrete.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I ran over like a madman and pulled my mother into my arms, glaring up at Valerie with pure hatred.

There wasn't a single shred of guilt in her eyes. Only deep, biting disgust.

"Your mother has been walking around the complex spreading rumors that my baby belongs to Garrison. She is ruining our reputation."

I fired back with a bitter sneer. "Is it not the truth?"

"You." Valerie choked on her words.

"My sister died a hero. Garrison is the widower of a hero. The foundation's housing benefits absolutely must prioritize him."

"As for your mother, she can go back to her old slum. It makes no difference."

My mother seemed to hear those brutal words. She weakly twitched in my arms.

When we got married, Valerie had knelt down in front of my mother, promising to treat her like her own flesh and blood.

She personally promised to move my mother out of her rotting, leaky shack and put her in a safe, warm apartment.

I never expected her promises to rot this quickly.

Fighting through the blinding pain in my skull, I staggered to my feet and stood in front of her.

"If anything happens to my mother, we are getting a divorce."

My words visibly knocked the wind out of her. She looked at my bloodstained clothes, then down at my unconscious mother.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't find her voice.

Garrison picked the perfect moment to break the silence. He let out a pathetic, shaky sob.

"Director. Just give the apartment to the old woman. I can sleep in an alley for all I care. You two can't destroy your marriage over a guy like me."

His little speech instantly painted me as the hysterical villain.

Valerie looked at me. Her eyes were full of absolute disappointment.

"How can you throw the word divorce around so casually? You're just saying that to torture him."

"Get over here and apologize to him right now."

I couldn't hear her screaming anymore. I could only focus on my mother's face, which was turning a terrifying shade of gray.

I looked at the foundation's private SUV parked nearby. It was my only hope.

"I have nothing to apologize for. Valerie, order your driver to take my mom to the hospital. Now."

The second the words left my mouth, Garrison suddenly grabbed his thigh and let out a loud groan of agony.

He twisted his face into a mask of pure suffering.

"I was wrong. I'm sorry, Rowan. A worthless bachelor like me doesn't deserve a child anyway."

Seeing his twisted, pained expression, Valerie didn't hesitate. She grabbed his arm and practically carried him into the SUV.

I chased after them, violently grabbing the car door handle, but she slapped my hand away with brutal force.

My fresh stitches tore open. A wave of black dizziness hit me.

The neighbors, completely confused by the drama, backed away from me like I carried a plague.

Not a single person was willing to give us a ride.

I had to drag my mother out to the main road, begging passing cars until a stranger finally pulled over.

I carried her through the hospital doors, sprinting down the hallway, only to be blocked outside the intensive care wing.

"I'm sorry, sir. We have absolutely zero beds left. We can't admit her."

"Why not?"

"Director Valerie has a VIP suite permanently reserved. This is her mother-in-law. Why can't she use it?"

I lost control of my facial expressions entirely.

The nurse took a step back, her voice shaking.

"The Director just checked her brother-in-law into that exact room ten minutes ago. The slot is completely occupied."

I turned my head stiffly and looked through the glass of the VIP suite. Garrison was lounging on the premium hospital bed, casually eating slices of fresh apple.

Valerie was hovering nervously by his side, handing him a glass of water, acting exactly like a devoted wife.

I shoved the door open, shattering their perfect domestic scene.

"Valerie. My mom..."

"Why are you stalking us?" Valerie cut me off, her eyes blazing with fury.

"His leg flared up because of the vile things you said. If we were a second later, he could have lost the leg entirely."

Right at that moment, Garrison speared a piece of apple with a toothpick and chewed it slowly, looking completely relaxed.

He didn't look like a man fighting for his life.

Valerie shoved me out of the suite and locked the door from the inside.

My entire body was violently shaking. I had to find a way to transfer my mother to a private hospital.

But when I checked my pockets, I realized I couldn't even afford a taxi ride across town.

I spotted Valerie's assistant in the hallway. I grabbed her arm like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline.

"Valerie's executive bonus for this month. Please, let me get an advance on it. I swear on my life I will pay her back."

The assistant wouldn't meet my eyes. She stammered out a reply. "The Director spent the entire bonus on imported supplements for Garrison. There's nothing left in the account."

My grip went totally slack. My eyes were bloodshot and wild.

I watched my mother struggling for every single breath. Every second that ticked by felt like a knife dragging across my heart.

In a sheer panic, my hand brushed against the heavy jade pendant around my neck. It was the wedding gift Valerie brought back from an expedition years ago.

Even when I was starving and living off stale bread, I never thought about pawning it.

Now, I didn't care. I ripped the necklace off and shoved it into the hands of the attending doctor.

"This is a genuine antique. It's incredibly valuable. Please, use this as collateral. Do something."

The doctor, who clearly knew a bit about jewelry, glanced at it and pushed it back into my chest.

"Somebody ripped you off, buddy. This is a cheap piece of glass from a tourist trap. It's basically a toy."

In a split second, the blood froze in my veins.

The assistant couldn't bear to watch anymore. She quietly explained the truth.

"The Director did bring back a priceless jade piece from that trip. But she gave it to Garrison as soon as she landed. Yours... she bought yours at a gift shop down the street."

The fake jade slipped through my fingers and smashed against the tile floor, shattering into two pathetic pieces.

Every ounce of strength drained from my body.

Right there, sitting in the freezing, sterile hospital stairwell, my mother took her last breath.

I bit down on my own lip so hard it bled. The sound of my own shattered sobbing echoed through the concrete walls.

That night, after making the final arrangements for my mother's body, I picked up my duffel bag and climbed into the transport truck heading for Alaska.

At the exact same time, Valerie finished tucking Garrison into bed. She stepped out of the VIP suite and handed a stack of cash to her assistant.

"Take this to my husband. Buy his mother some decent vitamins on the way."

"Tell him I'll personally take him to get his head checked at the clinic tomorrow."

The assistant didn't take the money. She kept her hands by her sides and spoke in a trembling whisper.

"His mother passed away tonight."

"What?"

Valerie's heart plummeted into her stomach. She sprinted down the hallway and bolted out of the hospital doors.

As she recklessly sped her SUV back toward our apartment, a dark green transport truck passed her going the opposite direction.

She didn't even glance at it. She just wanted to get home. She had no idea I was already on my way to the frozen frontier, and I was never coming back.