1 Accidental Discovery

"Ms.? Ms.?" The nurse asked gently to get Madison's attention. "Do you have anybody who you want to call? I can call them for you if you want?" Madison, who had been sitting on the bed staring at her phone, finally looked up disoriented. "Um? What?" She stammered, then scratched her head as the question finally sank in. "No. Thank you. There's nobody," Madison replied finally. Nurse Margaret stepped back a little and felt pity for this pretty woman who was the only one from the accident that had just happened. Every other victim seemed to have their families and friends gathered around them. Madison has been trying to reach her husband, Ethan, since the accident, but he hasn't answered or returned her calls. Finally, she stopped calling, thinking he might be in a meeting and didn't want to disturb him. She briefly considered calling her mother-in-law but decided against it, not wanting to cause worry. Besides, her injuries were minor—a few scratches and some inhalation of gas. The shopping complex on Maple Street caught fire due to an unregulated metal welding incident during routine maintenance. A piece of molten metal sparked the insulation furnace, causing a terrible accident that injured nineteen people. Madison was shopping at the time and got trapped inside the building, inhaling a lot of toxic gas, leading to a lung infection. Out of the nineteen victims, she was the only one without any family present. The nurse was starting to feel concerned and sympathetic towards her. "You don't have to worry. I'm an adult and can sign my discharge form myself," Madison declared, snatching the form from the nurse and quickly scrawling her signature on the dotted line. She removed the IV cannula from her hand and stood up. The nurse stood there, stunned, watching as Madison walked away. Eventually, she shook her head and hurried after Madison. "Ma'am? Ma'am? You can't leave yet. You need to be under observation," the nurse called out as she chased after Madison. Madison didn't bother responding. All she wanted was to go home. It had been a traumatic and exhausting day. She craved a bath and her own bed. As she approached the exit, she caught sight of someone, causing her to retreat back into the room she had been treated in, accidentally bumping into the nurse. "I'm sorry. Excuse me," Madison apologized, her mind racing with what she had just seen. It couldn't be right—Ethan couldn't be in the hospital. He should have been at work. Madison shook her head and turned to the nurse, noticing her silence. "Are you okay? “The nurse asked. "I'm fine," Margaret grumbled, rubbing her forehead. Madison stood at her door, hesitant to confront the reality outside. Why was Ethan in the hospital? And why had he ignored all her calls? She'd been dialing his number since she arrived. Did one of his friends end up in the hospital somehow? What could possibly be more important than his own wife? Nervously biting her lip, Madison's fears and insecurities intensified. Why was Ethan here? Why hadn't he answered her calls? What secrets could he be hiding? "Nurse, who's in the next room?" Madison asked, turning to face the nurse. "Oh, it's the famous actress, Maya. Do you know her? I'm sure you must, everyone does. She's a global sensation, and some say she's the incarnation of the goddess Venus herself. She's stunning up close," the nurse gushed, clearly a fan herself. "She came in with her boyfriend. I remember seeing the two of them on the news a couple of days ago… What was his name again? Let me think…" the nurse furrowed her brow in concentration for a few moments before snapping her fingers. "Ah, yes! His name is Ethan. Quite a handsome man..." Whatever the nurse was saying faded into the background as Madison sank deeper into her thoughts. She had believed it was a lie, that what she saw wasn't real. Hearing confirmation of what she had witnessed felt like a punch to the chest. "I'd like to rest now. Can I be alone?" Madison asked calmly, despite the turmoil inside her. "Um, okay, yes, sure," Margaret stammered, taken aback by Madison's sudden change in demeanor. Clearly, Madison didn't want to hear more about Maya. "Excuse me," Margaret said as she moved past Madison, walked to the open door, and closed it behind her. Madison, feeling broken, returned to her bed and sat down. After a moment of reflection, she picked up her phone and dialed her husband once more. "Please, please, please. Let it not be true," she mumbled anxiously as she held the phone to her ear. "For goodness' sake, Madison. You've been calling, and I'm obviously too busy to pick up. There had better be a good reason why you're blowing up my phone," Ethan said irritably upon answering the call. Madison remained unfazed. "Where are you?" she asked. "Please tell me that's not why you've been calling me?" Ethan asked, his tone filled with anger. "Where are you, Ethan?" Madison asked again, undeterred. "I'm working. Where else am I supposed to be at this time?" he replied brusquely. Just as Madison was about to feel relieved, thinking it was her husband and not a look-alike in the next room, she heard someone shouting from inside the phone, "We need a nurse." "I didn't know you worked at a hospital now," Madison replied calmly, though she clenched her fist. "What? Are you stalking me now?" Ethan exclaimed as he stepped out of Maya's room. He glanced down the hallway but didn't see Madison. She wasn't there. "Ethan said, 'I've got to go. I'm very busy right now,'" and then ended the call abruptly. Madison stared at the phone in her hands, feeling heartbroken and disoriented. She could still hear the same person shouting for a nurse nearby. Unsure if her weakness stemmed from the traumatic event she just experienced or from realizing her husband was a liar and a cheat, Madison knew one thing for certain – she didn't want to stay near their lover's nest any longer. After a moment of contemplation, she dialed her best friend Isabella's number. It didn't take long for Isabella to arrive. She was shocked to see Madison, her eyes swollen and red-rimmed, wearing a crestfallen expression. "What happened, Madison?" "I'm okay. I got caught in a fire and inhaled some smoke," Madison replied, feigning cheerfulness. "Why isn't Ethan here?" Isabella felt heartbroken seeing Madison in such a state. "I called, but he's busy," Madison explained. Though angry at this, Isabella chose to stay quiet, understanding how exhausted Madison seemed. "Come on, let's get you home." "Thank you, Isabella. I knew I could count on you," Madison replied gratefully. "You're the best." Isabella rolled her eyes playfully. "That's why I'm your best friend." Madison chuckled at the lame joke as Isabella helped her to stand. Soon, they left the hospital and got into the car. After dropping Madison off at her place, Isabella didn't stay long as she had to rush to an appointment. Once Madison took a shower, she grabbed her phone and opened a gossip site, expecting to find the latest news about Maya. Despite the fire making headlines around town, Madison scrolled past it, uninterested. After a while, she finally found the article the nurse had mentioned. With trembling fingers, she clicked on the full article and opened the attached photo. There, with his hands around Maya's waist, was the man who was supposed to be completely devoted to her – her husband. What stung the most was that Ethan was wearing a shirt Madison had bought for him to commemorate their one-year anniversary. Gripping her bedsheet tightly, her anger surged. Two years of marriage had turned out to be a big, cruel joke. He had never truly loved her.