He Said Next Time Until I Lost the Baby

I was five months pregnant, suffering from severe hemorrhage, and my husband was with me at the hospital trying to save our baby.

The doctor had just asked my husband to pay the hospital deposit when his ex-wife's ringtone pierced the quiet of the room.

Declan, Harper's chest hurts really bad. She won't stop crying and screaming for her daddy... Please, you need to come over right now...

Without a single second of hesitation, he stood up.

I grabbed his hand, my voice trembling.

"The doctor said the baby is in a very unstable condition. Please don't leave, okay? I need you."

But he pried my fingers off his hand, one by one.

His tone carried a heavy edge of impatience.

"I'm not getting back with Chloe, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's just that Harper is still so young. She needs me."

"You have doctors and nurses all around you here. You'll be fine."

With that, he walked out of the room without looking back once.

At that exact moment, the cold truth finally hit me.

Between me and his ex-wife and child...

He had never chosen me. Not even once.

I decided right then that I was going to get a divorce.

After he left, the hospital room became terrifyingly quiet.

The nurse kept pushing: "Where is your family member? We need the admission deposit paid before we can administer the medication."

I opened my mouth, my throat feeling incredibly tight.

"He... he'll be back soon."

The nurse sighed, placing the billing slip on the nightstand.

"Please hurry. We can't delay the medication forever."

But deep down, I knew he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

I called Declan.

The first call went unanswered.

The second call was declined.

On the third attempt, he finally picked up.

Through the receiver, I could hear a little girl crying, mixed with the sound of Declan's gentle, soothing voice.

I forced back my tears and spoke.

"Declan, the hospital is asking for the deposit."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"I can't leave right now. Can you just pay it first? I'll transfer it to you later."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"I don't have any money in my account."

After we got married, he told me that men were better at managing finances and planning for the future.

So, my salary card, my bonus card, and even all the savings I had accumulated before our marriage were handed over to him, little by little.

He told me that my only job was to enjoy life and let him worry about the bills.

But every single time I needed to spend money, I had to beg him for it.

When I wanted to buy a maternity dress, he would ask if it was absolutely necessary.

When the OB-GYN added an extra ultrasound, he would frown and complain that the hospital was just trying to scam us.

Eventually, even asking him for money felt like a humiliation.

On the phone, his impatience boiled over: "Are you seriously doing this right now? Can't you just borrow some from a friend?"

In the end, swallowed by shame, I had to call a friend to borrow the money to pay the hospital.

He finally showed up the next evening.

I sat on the hospital bed, gently stroking my swollen stomach. My body was still incredibly weak, and my voice was raspy.

"Declan, in all the years we've been married, I have never demanded anything from you. But this time, I want a divorce."

He looked at me in utter disbelief and shook his head.

"No, I'm not divorcing you."

I gave a faint laugh. "I put your bank card back in your drawer."

"I know now that you never wanted to spend a single penny on me."

Declan's face instantly turned incredibly pale.

Not long after we married, we had a massive fight. Back then, when he broke up with Chloe, he had walked away with nothing.

He had to pay a massive amount of child support every month.

Even the expensive gifts I bought him were sold off so he could give the cash to his ex-wife and daughter.

He had pleaded with me back then, saying, "Chloe is in the past. I only help her because of Harper."

"You are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. From now on, all my money goes to you."

He had handed me his salary card and started reporting his location to me every single day.

Seeing his effort to change, I had let the past go.

Until a few days ago, when I tried to use his card to pay for some medicine and found out there was absolutely nothing left in it.

I logged into his mobile banking app to check the transaction history. Every single dollar of his income had been transferred to Chloe.

And in his cloud drive, there were albums filled with photos of the three of thema happy family.

During the times he claimed he was working late or going on business trips, he was actually with them.

The way Declan looked at Chloe in those photos was still full of deep, lingering affection.

I tried to tell myself he was only doing it for his daughter.

But that excuse couldn't hold weight anymore.

My mother-in-law, Eleanor, poured a cup of water and handed it to me.

"Amber, Declan truly loves you. You've been married for three years, and you're five months pregnant now."

"What he does for Chloe and Harper is just out of responsibility. Just let him apologize, and let's put this behind us."

I kept my eyes down. "I don't need his apology."

Declan sighed, still trying to defend himself.

"Harper has asthma, Amber. You know that. Chloe can't handle emergency situations on her own."

"Your fever is down anyway, so stop making a scene over nothing."

Eleanor smacked his shoulder hard. "Apologize to your wife right now! You left your sick, pregnant wife at the hospitalhow dare you raise your voice?"

Declan frowned deeply. "Amber, I am your husband and the father of your baby, but Harper is also my child."

"If I can just abandon my own daughter, would you even respect me as a man?"

I clenched my fists, my voice barely a whisper. "Then what about me? Was it fair when you abandoned me over and over again?"

"Did you ever accompany me to a prenatal checkup? Did you ever give me money? Have you cared about me at all lately?"

He looked completely annoyed. "Why do you have to keep score of everything?"

Right then, his phone rang. A little girl's voice came through the speaker.

"Daddy, I miss you."

His expression instantly softened into pure warmth. "I'm on my way, sweetie."

As he hung up, Eleanor stood in front of the door, blocking his path.

"Declan, if you walk out that door to go to them today, I am disowning you."

My heart, however, was already completely numb.

During my first trimester, I had such severe morning sickness that I lost twenty pounds in a single month.

He only offered a few cheap, verbal comforts and couldn't even bother to buy me some fresh fruit.

I had kept working through the pain, eventually fainting at the office due to low blood sugar.

And he had blamed me for it, asking why a woman had to be so ridiculously stubborn about her career.

My first marriage had taught me a harsh lesson: a woman must never depend on a man for money; she must remain independent.

My first husband had despised me for being a stay-at-home housewife, which was why I fought so hard to build my own career this time.

I thought Declan would cherish my strength.

But his actions proved that everything I did was just a joke to him.

He walked into the guest bedroom and walked out with a stuffed animal and a brand-new designer purse.

He had never given me gifts or surprises. Even a gentle word or his presence was a luxury I had to beg for.

Declan glanced at me. "It's Chloe's birthday today. She's always been fragile. I'm just going to stay with them for a bit."

I nodded. "Go ahead."

We had known each other for five years and been married for three. He had never once remembered my birthday.

Without a shred of hesitation, he pushed past Eleanor and opened the front door.

"Think about it rationally, Amber. I know you're not an unreasonable woman."

Eleanor burst into tears, apologizing to me repeatedly.

But this marriage had already drained every ounce of life out of me.

I thought this second marriage would be my saving grace, but it turned out to be just another curse.

After Eleanor cooked some food and left, I sat alone on the couch. I recalled how I had to drag myself through the past few days of threatened miscarriage all on my own.

The day I started bleeding, I needed to go to the hospital.

When Declan found out, he did rush to take me there.

In that moment, I still held onto a tiny sliver of hopethat he still cared about me.

But then, he walked away without a backward glance.

That very night, I saw a post on Chloe's Instagram. It was a photo of the three of them dining at a high-end steakhouse.

Her caption read:

"My ex-husband is always just one call away. He is, and always will be, our rock."

He was legally my husband, yet I could never rely on him for anything.

Once, I had asked him to take me to a steakhouse. He had dismissed it, saying it was too expensive and we could make the same thing at home.

I had thought he was just being financially responsible. But the truth was, he just didn't care about my happiness.

Tears fell uncontrollably. He remembered the exact date he met Chloe, the exact spot of their first picture together.

But when it came to me, his excuse was always, "We're an old married couple now, who keeps track of those details?"

He could fulfill every single one of Chloe's wishes.

Yet when I asked for a simple box of chocolates, he would make a dozen excuses.

While I was earning my own living, carrying our child, and doing all the housework, all he ever gave me was a lazy, "Thanks for your hard work."

I thought he genuinely appreciated me. It turned out to be nothing but cheap lip service.

They had divorced because of "personality clashes and impulsive decisions."

Once the dust settled, Declan started romanticizing their past, forever carrying a sense of guilt toward Chloe and Harper.

The next day at noon, Declan suddenly showed up at my office to bring me lunch.

"I got this from that restaurant you like. Eat up."

I noticed he had swapped his wedding ring back to the older design he used to wear with Chloe.

Declan noticed my gaze, took the ring off, and carefully tucked it into his pocket.

"Harper was having a fit last night, so I was just trying to calm her down. Chloe also had a bit too much to drink. They really needed me."

A wave of bitterness washed over me. Did I not need him?

I had to handle every single crisis by myself. Was I not allowed to be tired?

Last month, I was clipped by a car while crossing the street. I had to handle the police report and the hospital visit all on my own.

When he saw my bruises, he asked a couple of careless questions, bought some cheap ointment, and that was it.

My scrapes were itching terribly as they healed. I couldn't help but scratch them until they bled again, but he completely ignored it.

"Declan, if you can't let her go, why did you marry me?"

He went quiet for a few seconds. "Chloe is just family to me now. But you... you are strong, Amber. You can handle tough things. They can't."

My voice rose. "Is that supposed to be an excuse?"

He glanced at my coworkers nearby and lowered his voice.

"Amber, do we really have to dissect this right here? This is a second marriage for both of us. We have to be more pragmatic."

"You're five months pregnant. Stop overthinking. I'll come home early tonight."

I didn't touch the food he brought. I stood up and walked away.

In love, it doesn't matter how outstanding or independent you are. If someone doesn't love you, they simply won't care.

Because he didn't love me, he felt no pain for my suffering.

This was a second marriage for both of us. We had met on a blind date. I thought he was a decent, down-to-earth guy with a gentle temper.

He used to take me out for drives, talking about his realistic plans for the future.

He seemed so reliable.

I was the one who initiated our dates, and eventually, I was the one who proposed marriage.

He had said, "Thank you for accepting me and my past."

And I had replied, "As long as we build a good life together, that's all that matters."

My ex-husband was as good as dead to me.

But Declan's ex-wife was a constant, toxic presence in our lives.

I was anxious all afternoon, and a sharp, cramping pain started spreading through my abdomen.

I took emergency leave from work and drove myself to the hospital.

After the examination, the doctor's face was grim. "With the threatened miscarriage and your extreme emotional distress, the baby's heartbeat has become incredibly weak."

Sitting alone in the sterile hallway, clutching my phone, my mind was a chaotic mess. That was when Chloe called.

"Amber, Declan won't be coming home tonight. I'm feeling really exhausted today, so he's staying to take care of me."

Hearing her smug, provocative tone, I only had one thing to say.

"Do whatever you want."

After being disappointed so many times, there was absolutely nothing left for me to hold onto.

I scheduled the termination surgery for the next morning.

Perhaps this was just my fate.

This baby couldn't be saved anyway.

By the time I got home from the hospital, it was late at night.

There was a plastic bag sitting by the front door. I opened it and found Declan's dirty laundry inside. His underwear had obvious, suggestive stains.

He had always been cold and distant when it came to intimacy with me.

But clearly, he had plenty of passion left for Chloe.

Right on cue, she sent me a photo. It was a picture of Declan gently massaging her legs. Even from his profile, you could see the immense patience and tenderness in his eyes.

"I bet you've never experienced this side of him, Amber."

At first, these kinds of texts would make me scream and lose my mind, demanding answers from Declan.

But he would always reply, "Why are you so incredibly petty? If we really wanted to get back together, do you honestly think you could stop us?"

He was right. I couldn't stop them. So, I chose to step aside.

The next morning, before I was even fully awake, I heard noises coming from the living room.

When I walked out, I saw Chloe standing in my kitchen, cooking breakfast, while my washing machine was already running.

She glanced at me with a smirk. "Honestly, Amber, sleeping in until noon? No wonder you don't know how to take care of Declan."

I let out a cold laugh. "If you were so great at taking care of him, why did the two of you divorce in the first place?"

Her temper was notoriously worse than mine.

Declan walked out of the bedroom, his face instantly darkening into a scowl.

"Chloe came over specifically to help you out around the house. What's with the attitude, Amber?"

Chloe crossed her arms, looking smug. "Exactly. At the end of the day, we're all family. Besides, this house of yours is in the top-tier school district, right? Declan said we should register Harper's school address here."

I snapped, "This is my house. I bought it. I don't consent to this."

Chloe's smile grew even wider. "Well, that's not really up to you, is it?"

Declan avoided my gaze, keeping his head down, trying to dodge the conflict like he always did. He never actually solved any problems; he just assumed that if he ignored them long enough, they would disappear.

"Amber, Harper is starting elementary school soon. Can you please just show some understanding for once?"

I grabbed a glass mug from the counter and shattered it right at their feet. My voice went shrill.

"I will not be understanding!"

"Why should I sacrifice my life for the two of you? Chloe, are you incapable of surviving on your own?"

"Declan, do you have any idea what happened to me yesterday"

Before I could finish, he pulled Chloe into his arms, shielding her protectively.

"Have you lost your mind?!" he roared.

She clung to his chest, whimpering.

"Amber, why are you so utterly heartless? When you married Declan, he made it very clear to you."

"Harper is his daughter. He has a duty to look after her."

Declan looked at me, his eyes filled with pure, undisguised disgust.

"I never realized you could be this toxic. Chloe is just brutally honest, but she's not wrong. She came here to do chores and try to keep the peace, and this is how you treat her?"

She played her victim card perfectly, backing away slowly.

"It's fine, Declan. It's my fault. Harper and I should just vanish from your life completely."

Declan panicked instantly. "No, Chloe, this has nothing to do with you."

"You are my ex-wife, and Harper is my daughter. It is my responsibility."

Chloe fake-wiped a tear and ran out the door.

Declan bolted right after her, not wasting a single second.

The apartment fell into a deafening silence.

My next-door neighbor poked her head into the hallway, looking concerned. "Oh my god, Amber, what happened? Did your husband just run off with another woman?"

I forced a smile. "With his ex-wife."

Realizing she had touched a painful nerve, the neighbor mumbled an apology and quickly shut her door.

I went to the hospital at my scheduled time. But just as I was about to sign the consent form for the procedure, Eleanor suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Amber! What on earth are you doing?"

I gasped in shock. "Mom? How did you know I was here?"

Eleanor's eyes were completely bloodshot.

"Every time I asked, you told me Declan was taking you to your prenatal checkups. But I found out today that he hasn't shown up to a single one."

"I saw you leaving the house this morning, so I followed you."

Over the years, Eleanor had always been genuinely kind to me.

Unable to keep up the facade anymore, I broke down and told her the entire truth.

Eleanor's heart broke for me. She hugged me tight, gently rubbing my back.

"My poor child... you've been carrying all this pain alone."

Just then, Chloe's voice echoed from down the hallway.

"I told you it was just a minor cold, Declan. There was absolutely no need to drag me to the hospital."

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't even know what to say to you anymore."

Declan replied instantly, "If something happens to you, what will Harper do? What will I do?"

Eleanor lost her mind. She marched right over and slapped Chloe across the face twice, hard.

"You shameless gold-digger! You claimed you divorced my son because of compatibility, but it was because of your reckless spending!"

"You were texting other men online! You are divorced nowwhy are you still leeching off my son like a parasite?!"

Chloe snapped, instantly trying to claw back.

"You crazy old lady! I'm going to ruin you!"

Declan rushed to separate them, firmly shielding Chloe behind his back.

"Mom! What is wrong with you?!"

Eleanor glared at him, hands on her hips. "What is wrong with me? You are weak and spineless! Do you still not see what kind of person this woman is?!"

Declan didn't want to yell at his mother, so he turned his icy, furious gaze onto me instead.

The sheer hatred in his eyes felt like a physical blow.

"Did you stalk me? Did you bring my mother here to make a scene?"

"You know Chloe is in fragile health, yet you still have to let your petty jealousy ruin everything?"

I said quietly, "I didn't do anything."

He stepped closer to me, his voice a violent, angry roar.

"You didn't do anything? Your heart is as small as a pinhead, Amber! Using these disgusting, manipulative tricks... aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"Just to stop me from taking care of them, you're using my own mother as a weapon?!"

Chloe gasped for air, playing up her distress. "Whether legally or emotionally, Declan belonged to me first!"

"Harper is so young and has asthma, and I'm constantly sick."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for a single mother to raise a child?!"

Hearing her words, the agonizing pity in Declan's eyes practically overflowed.

"Chloe, I am so, so sorry. I've failed you."

I stood there, finding the entire display utterly hysterical.

He made sure he was fair to everyone in the world, yet he never once stopped to think if he had been fair to me.

Eleanor screamed at him, "This has nothing to do with Amber! Do you even know why we are at the hospital today?!"

But Declan was completely deaf to her words. He reached out and shoved me aside, his voice cold as ice.

"Are you happy now?"

"In all the years we've been together, have I ever hit you? Have I ever abused you? Have I cheated, gambled, or left you homeless?"

"You know how important they are to me, yet you still pull this pathetic stunt. You are genuinely disgusting and pathetic, Amber!"

"If anything happens to Chloe today, I will hate you for the rest of my life."

Listening to his venomous words, I finally realized that I had never truly known this man.

He hated me. He wanted to hate me for the rest of his life.

Without even giving me a single chance to explain, he chose to stand unconditionally with his ex.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my lower abdomen. The world began to spin. I looked down and saw bright red blood rapidly staining its way down my pants.

Eleanor screamed in horror, swinging her purse violently at Declan's chest.

"You bastard! Amber is here to get a termination because the baby is dying!"

Declan's face drained of color instantly.