Chapter 1: The Door I Couldn't Unopen
I Spent Ten Days In The ICU And My Fiancé Didn't Visit Once — When I Was Finally Discharged And Stepped Into Our Apartment, I Froze In The Doorway
My name is Nicole, and ten days ago, a car ran a red light and hit me while I was crossing the street on my way home from work.
I woke up in the ICU with three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and no memory of the actual impact.
My fiancé, Brandon, came to the hospital exactly once, on the first night, for maybe twenty minutes.
After that, nothing.
No visits.
No flowers.
A handful of texts that said things like "hope you're feeling better," like I had a mild cold instead of a punctured lung.
My mother sat with me almost every single day instead.
My sister, Kayla, came whenever she could between her own shifts, and she brought my daughter, Lily, to see me twice.
When the doctors finally discharged me this morning, I called Brandon twice from the hospital lobby.
Straight to voicemail both times.
I took a cab home alone, still moving slowly, one hand pressed against my ribs.
As the cab pulled up, I noticed a car parked crooked near the entrance, taking up almost two spots.
Kayla's car.
I figured she'd come by to help me settle in since Brandon wasn't answering, and felt a small wave of relief at that.
I let myself in through the front door.
My daughter, Lily, was standing right there in the entryway, waiting, like she'd heard the key in the lock.
"Mom," she said softly, taking my hand before I'd even set down my bag.
"I think you need to see this.
Let's go upstairs."
She led me up to the second floor, straight to our bedroom door.
I pushed it open, and what I saw made me freeze completely in the doorway.
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What did Nicole find behind that door — and where was Brandon all this time?
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