I am more than four months pregnant. It is the happiness that my husband – Mr. Hoang and I have been waiting for for a long time. Since I learned the news about having a child, I have been living like a cloud, thinking about the child’s face every day, even quietly knitting beautiful little sweaters for my child.
That morning, I went to the hospital alone for a routine ultrasound. Hoang said he was busy with work, but he promised to take me to my favorite dinner in the evening. I didn’t think much about it, I was just happy when I remembered the scene tonight when we watched my husband’s ultrasound photo together.
The ultrasound room was empty, only the sound of machines and the click of the keyboard. I lay down on the bed, pulled up my shirt, and the cold sensation of the ultrasound gel spread all over my stomach. The doctor, an older man, spoke to me quite casually at first. He asked:
How many weeks pregnant are you? Have you had regular check-ups?
I smiled and boasted that my husband takes such good care of my mother and children. After a few minutes, I noticed a strange change in his eyes. His hand holding the probe stopped, trembling slightly. His eyes were glued to the screen, and his face turned pale for a moment.
I started to worry.
–Doctor… What’s wrong with my child?
He didn’t answer right away, he just swallowed slowly, and then silently printed out the ultrasound results. As he handed me the paper, he took a deep breath, his voice trembling:
“The fetus is fine… But there is something, he needs to hear. I advise you… Stay away from your wife. Don’t go back to her.
My heart felt like it had stopped beating. I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
–Doctor… What does the doctor mean? Why did I stay away from my wife?
He looked at me with concern, hesitating as if he was fighting inside. Finally, he lowered his chair and lowered his voice:
“I can’t reveal the rest of the patient’s information, but… I looked at his wife. The results of his test… are extremely dangerous. He has a disease that he should… He is not allowed to hide from his wife and children.
I was stunned, the results sheet in my hand trembling. My eyes were blurry, I could only hear my heart beating. How many happy images had suddenly been shattered. I trembled and asked:
“What disease… Will it affect my child?
The doctor squeezed my hand slightly, his eyes solemn but full of pity:
“I don’t dare to confirm for the baby, more tests are needed. But she still has time to protect her child. The most important thing now… is that she needs to stay away from him. I can’t say the details, but believe me.
While talking about this, her voice was dizzy, as if carrying a moral burden. I saw in her eyes a terrible truth that she couldn’t say.
I walked out of the clinic, my mind spinning. The flow of people outside the corridor was dense, but I felt like I was lost in the endless emptiness. Why was my husband hiding me? How long has he been gentle and caring, but behind that smile is hiding a truth that is so afraid of the doctor?
That night, Hoang came home earlier than usual. He brought a bouquet of red roses and happily boasted:
“Today my company signed a big contract. Do you have good news from me?”
I looked at him, my heart froze. The man in front of me, whom I had once trusted with all my heart, was now a stranger. I tried to smile, not daring to show the fear inside. But my hand unconsciously placed on my stomach, protecting the little creature.
At night, I lay with my eyes closed, tears soaking my pillow. The doctor’s words echoed in her mind: “Leave your husband, and never come back.”
I knew the decision to leave him was not easy. I no longer had the right to choose for myself. I had to think about my child, for the little life that was yet to be born.
The next day, I got dressed and went home to my mother’s house. I apologized to myself that I needed to recover from the pregnancy, to escape the city smoke. I looked at Mom worriedly, and I just couldn’t help but stare at her.
That night, I received many missed calls from Hoang. The messages he sent were hurried: “Where are you?”, “I’m worried about you”, “Don’t leave like that”… But I didn’t dare to answer. I was afraid, as soon as my heart softened, I would return to his arms and put my son in danger.
I remembered the doctor’s face, his trembling eyes, and I told myself: I need to be strong. For your sake.
Son, I don’t know what the future holds, I don’t know if I can keep this secret forever. And, I swear to you that it will be worth the price :).
This is where my story ends, never ending. Because I still don’t know the whole truth behind that warning. But I believe, one day, when I am brave enough, I will face my husband, and I will know the final truth.
And now… I just listened to the old doctor, clung to him, and lived with a weak faith that everything would be fine.