All Questions for the Husband
“Forgive me, but… we all have children. We… dont need trouble. Especially not this sort,” her friend announced mournfully.
“Laura, what on earth are you talking about?”
Emily felt as though a bucket of filth had been emptied over herdisgusting, cold, and humiliating.
“We all feel terribly sorry for you,” Laura continued delicately. “Truly, we do… But no one wants to take the risk. You see, now youre… well, you know… marked.”
It was clear Laura didnt mean to hurt Emily, yet she could do nothing about it. She spoke her mind, protecting her own family. In a way, it was understandable.
But that wasnt the heart of the matter.
“Im not contagious!” Emily snapped. “Where did you even get that idea?”
“Well…” Laura hesitated. “We all know. About your husband. And what he brought home to you.”
“What do you know? Yes, I had problems. But everythings fine now!”
“Im sorry, but from what Ive heard… its for life. We just dont want to take chances,” Laura said guiltily. “I think youd do the same. No one would blame you. Forgive me, Em…”
The line went dead. Emily lowered her hand and set the phone down as if it had burned her.
…For six months now, her friends had forgotten her. Sometimes, theyd ask how she was, but nothing more. She wasnt invited to birthdays anymore. She mightve assumed they were quiet, family affairsexcept she saw the photos online.
Emily couldnt understand what had happened. Had she offended someone? Fallen out of favour over baseless suspicions? It stung that no one had even tried to talk to her properly, to let her explain.
So shed asked Laura. Laura had told her. It didnt help.
Now it seemed everyone treated Emily like a leper, keeping their distance.
She sighed and hung her head. Emily had an inkling where it all stemmed from. Suddenly, she remembered how it had begun.
…Evening. Silence. Loneliness. Soup cooling on the stove, unread messages in the chat with her husband. From her side. James was late again.
At first, Emily had been furious. Then came the gnawing anxiety. Eventually, disappointment. Shed grown used to him returning near midnight.
“Mad workloads. Everyones scrambling for loans, trying to get into businesstheres so much to do,” hed excuse himself.
But more had changed. James had become obsessive about hygiene, never left his phone unattended, and jumped at every weekend request from colleagueswithout complaint. Even started getting haircuts more often. For James, that was a feat.
Emily had noticed, of course, but brushed it aside. A rough patchwho didnt have those? Then came the pain in her abdomen… At first, shed Googled and hoped it was a glitch. When it didnt fade, she saw a doctor.
What she heard turned her life upside down. Not fatal, not permanent, but…
“Forgive me, but you must be mistaken. Ive only ever been with my husband. Could it have happened… I dont know, on a bus or something?”
“My dear, theres only one explanation,” the doctor said, looking at her as if she were dim. “You should have questions for your husband.”
Emily walked out and sat on a bench in the corridor. For five minutes, she stared at the floor, fighting tears. The ground had vanished beneath her. The journey home passed in a blur.
The conversation with James was brief. At first, he lied, of course. Denied everything.
“You probably brought this on yourself and are blaming me!” he accused.
Then the tone shifted. He admitted to an affair but showed no remorse.
“Im exhausted, and then theres youalways needing attention. Of course, I wanted an escape. You saw how things were between us, yet you did nothing,” he dismissed wearily.
By then, James had stopped attacking but wouldnt apologise. In the end, he only asked if they could fix things.
“Nothing to fix, James. Not after your little gift. This is it,” Emily replied firmly.
The divorce was smooth. Nothing to split, and James cooperated readily. He mightve even been relieved.
She thought the worst was over, but no. Emilys health had always been fragilenow her husbands parting blow.
“Overall, youre well,” the doctor said at her follow-up. “But there may be issues with fertility.”
“You mean I cant have children?” Emily pressed.
“Well… Lets say the chances are greatly reduced.”
Translated from medical jargon: no hope. Emily had clung to optimism, but her cousin, a nurse, was blunt:
“If you conceive, itll be a miracle.”
In that moment, Emily felt her dream collapse.
Shed grown up with three brothers. The noise, the chaos, the squabblesshed thrived in it. Fights over the computer, stolen sweets, teasing. Shed held her own, but theyd always protected her.
Emily had longed to recreate that. Now she sat in her silent flat, replaying the doctors words.
It was a wretched evening. The weight felt unbearable alone, so she let herself be weakshe called Sophie. The Sophie shed known since childhood, shared schools, even university.
“Soph… be my shoulder tonight,” Emily whispered.
It was their way. Sophie had wept on Emilys shoulder countless timesover fights with her mother, a boyfriends betrayal, the loss of her beloved spaniel. Emily knew it all. Shed always been there, silent but steady, with chocolate and a warm embrace.
“I dont think I can have children,” Emily said when Sophie arrived.
“Are you sure? Did they say its definite?”
“Not in words. But the way they spoke… like they didnt want to upset me. Or were being ethical.”
“Look, medicines advanced. People have babies against all odds,” Sophie reassured. “Dont give up. And if the worst happens… theres always adoption.”
That night, Emily sobbed about James and her shattered hopes. Sophie held her, stroking her hair.
“I… Im so scared of ending up alone…” Emily hiccuped.
“Youre not. Youve got parents, brothers. Me. Youll never be alone,” Sophie vowed.
Dawn came before Emily calmed. As Sophie left, Emily made her promise to keep it secret.
“Of course! Im no fool. This stays with me,” Sophie swore. “Mums the word.”
Apparently, that “mum” had sung to everyone. No one else couldve spread itEmily hadnt even told her family, and her ex certainly wouldnt share such details.
After Lauras call, Emily had to confront Sophie.
“Oh, Em. Hi! Long time,” Sophie faltered, though shed answered at once.
“Yeah. Hi. Wonder why,” Emily said bitterly.
Silence.
“What do you mean?”
“Dont play dumb. Ive heard. Everyone acts like Ive got the plague! Only you knew about my problem.”
A sigh.
“Em… Look… I didnt say what it was. Just told Hannah you had serious health issues… She mustve guessed and spread it.”
“You just told her? After I begged you not to?” Emily scoffed.
“I didnt think itd snowball! I wanted her to support you. You seemed… rough. I was worried.”
Emily closed her eyes. Good intentions, disastrous outcome.
“When you worry, you dont gossip about someones pain. I trusted you…”
“Sorry,” Sophie mumbled. “I just… I didnt mean for this. Once it started, I couldnt stop it… It wasnt deliberate…”
“Not deliberate… Soph, youre just a blabbermouth. Thats worse.”
Emily hung up and clutched a pillow. The phone stayed silentno flood of messages, no invites.
Once, shed thought these people were her foundation. But the ground had crumbled, the promises proved hollow. “A pillows the best friend,” Emily thought, hugging it. Silent, steady, and it never betrayed a secret.
