Chapter 4 - The Silent Treatment
For three agonizing days, Ethan lived in that hospital waiting room.
He refused to shower, refused to eat, and refused to answer calls from the firehouse.
He simply sat in the uncomfortable chair, staring at the elevator doors, praying they would open for him.
But Amelia never sent for him.
Instead, a private courier arrived on the fourth morning.
The man walked straight up to Ethan and handed him a thick manila envelope.
"Ethan Carter? You have been served," the courier said quickly before walking away.
Ethan’s hands violently shook as he ripped the envelope open.
Inside were beautifully drafted, ruthless divorce papers.
Amelia was not just asking for a separation; she was taking full custody of their unborn son.
She cited extreme emotional distress and negligence.
Ethan felt a sob tear out of his throat, the sound echoing in the empty room.
He jumped up and practically ran to the front desk, his eyes wild with panic.
"Call her room right now, tell her I will not sign these!" Ethan demanded.
The nurse gave him a pitying look.
"Mr. Carter, your wife was discharged early this morning," she informed him gently.
"She left through the private rear exit an hour ago."
Ethan was completely stunned.
"Where did she go?" he asked softly, feeling his entire world crumbling into dust.
"We are not allowed to disclose patient destinations," the nurse replied.
Ethan rushed out to his truck, speeding directly to their suburban home.
When he unlocked the front door, the house was entirely silent.
He ran upstairs, bursting into their shared master bedroom.
Half of the closet was completely empty.
Her clothes, her shoes, and all of her personal documents were gone.
He ran down the hall to the nursery they had painted yellow just a month ago.
The baby clothes were gone from the dresser drawers.
Amelia had packed up her entire life and vanished into thin air.
He pulled out his phone and dialed her number for the hundredth time.
The automated voice calmly informed him that the number was no longer in service.
She had changed her phone number to ensure he could not reach her.
Ethan dropped his phone on the plush nursery carpet and fell to his knees.
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He finally realized the true magnitude of what he had destroyed.
He had chosen to save a ghost from his past, and in return, he had lost his future.
