Chapter 2

By the time Linda arrived at the hospital, Annie had already been wheeled out of surgery.

“Annie! My baby, what happened to you?”

“Mom, Annie just got out of surgery,” I whispered, “you should keep your voice down. It’s not good for her.”

Linda shot me a look filled with venom. “Why wasn’t it you in the crash? How can you stand there, you worthless man? Annie’s in this mess because she married a loser like you!”

“If you’re so capable, why don’t you get the money for her treatment?”

I raised my hands. “Mom, I asked you for money, remember? You wouldn’t give it to me. Something about ‘beating the hand?’”

Linda suddenly remembered and sprang up, her face flushed with rage, spraying spit everywhere.

“You liar! You’ve never told the truth in your life!”

Before she could finish, I played the recording from my phone.

“Mom, Annie needs money for her leg…”

“Money, my ass! Busted!”

There was an awkward silence in the ER.

“Mom, after my business went under, you took all the money we had left. Without your help, how could I save her?”

“I told you about the situation first thing. You’re really going to act like it’s not your fault?”

“You... you did this on purpose, didn’t you?!”

Linda’s face turned bright red as she lunged at me, but two quick-thinking nurses stepped in to hold her back.

One of them scowled, “Can you keep it down? The patient needs rest! What kind of mother are you, anyway?”

After my earlier emotional performance, the nurses had clearly become my biggest fans. They glared at Linda like they couldn’t believe such a good man had to deal with someone like her.

Linda sneered, “What, are you two his girlfriends? Standing up for him like that? Where’s your shame?”

“Who are you calling shameless?”

“You! You’re the shameless one!”

“Say that again, I dare you!”

Just as things were about to get physical, a weak voice came from the hospital bed.

“Mom…”

My wife was awake.