Clara’s pov

“Well, she was hugging someone. A man, actually.” Lina said. People were talking about it and it sounded quite embarrassing.”

My eyes turned red, “What are you talking about?”

“Clara, you just have to admit. I saw you at the parking area,"Lina continued, harboring a fake sympathy. “You were embracing a man, not just that but you guys did it so intimately to the extent people made statements like “isn’t that the hockey wife flirting with someone else on his special day. I honestly felt so bad for you Natel, that’s a really bad image for your career right now.”

“Damn!”Michael hit on the brakes so hard that we all beckoned forward. You were hugging another man? Outside after you watched me praise you in the presence of my guests.”

“Michael, I swear! It’s not what you think.” I replied, with my voice barely audible.

“Clara, how do you even explain this?” He yelled, turning around to face me with an angry face. “Who were you hugging? Who keeps calling you? Tell me now, what the hell is going on?”

“It was a friend I bumped into, it was nothing—-“

“When did you start keeping friends? And a friend of yours will be present in such an event?” Natel interrupted. “Oh, come on. You’re obviously lying and I want to know the truth now!”

“Natel, please you need to relax and drive,” Lina said, placing her hand on his arm. “I don’t think you want us to get hurt.”

But Natel was beyond control, his foot forcefully pressing down the accelerator as he diverted to the middle of the road.

“Is three years a joke to you? Three years we’ve been married and now I find out you’re nothing but a cheating wife just a few days before the biggest moment of my career?”

“Natel, you don’t understand.” I said again with tears rolling down my face.

“Understand what? That my wife is cheating on me? Of course, now I understand that perfectly!”

Natel increased the speedometer as anger consumed him even more. Beating several traffic lights as he raced the streets of Arizona, completely out of control.

“Natel, slow down!” I cried out, gripping his shoulder.

“Get your hands off me, why should I slow down? So you can have more time to cheat?” Michael yelled, still engrossed by his anger.

“Michael, I agree with her on this one,” Lina cried out, with her face pale with terror. “You need to stop the car, now!”

Even in her desperate pleads, I knew it was too late. I saw the massive bus running the red light at the intersection ahead. Natel’s speed backed by his rage drove straight into it.

The world suddenly went blank, the last thing I heard was my own screams echoing through the night, swallowed by the vast silence that followed.

“Help! Anyone there? There’s been an accident!”

The voices seemed distant, troubled and full of concern. My head throbbed with every attempt to move. I tried to open my eyes, but everything seemed blurry, spinning wildly. A sharp pain stabbed through my ribs with each breath, and I could feel blood slick across my body."

“We need paramedics here now!” At this point, all I could hear even in deep pain and confusion was car doors slamming, people shouting for help, sirens wailing in the distance and the smell of gasoline burning my nostrils as I tried to make sense of the sudden turn of event.

“Get the woman in the front seat first! She’s bleeding badly and needs urgent attention.”

That’s my husband’s voice, he’s alive. I suddenly felt a bit of relief despite the pains, until his next words broke my heart.

“Lina! Can you hear me? You can’t leave me, stay with me.”

This has to be a dream. He was calling for Dr. Ray Lina, not me? I was almost unconscious but could see him wrapped in her arms beside the front passenger door. While the paramedics tried to extract her from the twisted metal.

“Sir, you’re interrupting our process, let us do our job.” One of the paramedics said firmly.

“No, you don’t get it,” Natel yelled. “She has to survive, she once saved my life and career. She’s the reason I can still play hockey today. Please, help her first.”

I tried to let him know that his wife needed help too but my voice was barely audible. Only a weak groan escaped my lips as blood strolled down my face and my vision kept fading in and out.

Natel stayed focused on her, determined to save her life. They carefully lifted her onto a stretcher but his hand never left hers.

As they took Lina towards the first ambulance, I watched my husband chase after her without looking back at me. The man who had promised to love and protect me was walking away without thinking twice while i layed trapped and bleeding in the back seat.

“Miss, can you hear me.” A paramedic said. “Stay with us, she’s losing a lot of blood. Hurry!”

“What was the point of staying conscious?” I whispered in my head. To see my husband choose another woman’s life over mine?”

“This isn’t happening,” I muttered to myself. “Why on earth is he choosing her over me? I don’t deserve this!”

I struggled to get up and fight, to scream, maybe louder this time around. But my body was too weak and in pain to move an inch.

The ride to the hospital was a mix of pain and confusion. I was barely conscious, the last thing I remember was being moved into the emergency room before everything went blank.

When I woke hours later, my head ached so bad. A young nurse was gently checking my IV drip and taking my vitals. She seemed very focused until she noticed my eyes were slightly open, she smiled.

“Hey miss, I'm glad you’re awake,” she said cheerfully. “How are you feeling?”

“How’s my baby?” I asked anxiously with my hands instinctively rubbing my stomach.