Four

Miles was taken to the hospital by the police and his work colleagues. There he was told that his legs were crushed and it will be impossible for him to walk again.

Miles weeped endlessly as he lay on the hospital bed, his mind racing with thoughts. The day that was supposed to be a blissful 2nd year anniversary for him turned out to be the day he got crippled. 

Miles thought about the hospital bills that he would never be able to pay off and the money he owed his best friend too. When Miles thought things couldn't get worse, the door to his hospital room he was in opened.

To his surprise, his visitors were his wife and mother-in-law.

"Layla?" Miles could only whisper her name as he pushed himself to sit up.

Layla didn't reply him, her face and that of her mother's were stern and unfriendly. Miles frowned when Elsa gave him a disgusted look and his frown even deepened when he noticed his sister-in-law, Clara coming into the room with his bags and belongings.

"Layla? I don't understand. What's happening?" Miles's voice came out sorrowful and hoarse as Clara dumped his bags on the floor of the room. 

"Mama? What is going on?" Miles pleased for their response and even tried reaching to touch his mother-in-law but she took her hand away.

"Don't touch me! You filthy broken brat!" Elsa hissed, eyeing Miles.

Miles's lips started to tremble. He had always taken Elsa as his own mother since he never knew his. Miles was an orphan as he knew himself. Born with no last name and grew into poverty, Miles managed to push himself through school.

He had worked hard to get little funds to further his medical engineering education and graduate. Now, this was where life had swayed him to.

Layla stepped forward and placed a piece of document and a pen on the bed. Miles looked at it with surprise. "What is this?" He asked, his breath shaky.

"Are you blind as well?!" Elsa thundered. "Can't you see it is a divorce paper?! Please, sign it let us be on our way."

Miles shifted his gaze to Layla who wasn't looking at him. "Layla? You want to divorce me?" He asked calmly.

"Of course she wants to divorce you!" Clara's sassy voice came next. "Look at you! You can't afford to provide for yourself and now you are a crippled!"

Miles lost it and his saddened face turned to anger. "She was the one that put me in this condition!" Miles snapped back. He looked at Layla again and put his hands together, begging for another chance. "Layla, please don't do this. Give me another chance."

"Miles? Please sign the divorce papers. This marriage is over," Layla finally spoke. "I need a man who can take care of me and provide for me and now, you are even less of a man."

Layla forced the pen into Miles's hands and pointed at the space on the document awaiting his signature. Miles kept on begging but Layla refused. Miles never knew she loathed him so much that after putting him in such condition, she also presented a divorce.

Miles knew there was nothing he could do now. He couldn't force her to love him back the way he did. And she was right, he was less of a man now and she deserved better. If she wanted to be with a wealthy man like Derek Ashton, then so be it.

With tears in his eyes, Miles fondled the pen and reluctantly signed his part of the document, noticing Layla had signed hers already. His tears dripped on the paper as he completed his signature. Layla and her family watched with a cold expression, unmoved by his tears. As he finished signing, he looked up at the three with a mixture of pain and anger in his eyes.

"Someday, you all will want me back," Miles uttered, wiping his tears as Layla snatched the paper away from him.

"Don't be silly you piece of crap. You can't even walk again," Clara, his sister-in-law hissed as the three of them left the room just the way they arrived.

Miles felt a sense of dread wash over him as he looked up at the ceiling with teary eyes. "Why is all this happening to me?" He muttered under his breath. 

Miles let out a heavy sigh and wiped away a tear. His heart was so heavy with emotions as he recollected his tragedic life. The woman he thought he had found love in cheated on him with another man and is responsible for his crippling. 

Now he has been kicked out of the house, his bags dumped just beside him. He had no where to go and with his legs broken, it all gets worse. "I can't even walk now," he said, breaking into sobbing again.

Suddenly, Miles phone began to ring. 

He chose to ignore it, terming it another problem to add to his misfortune. The phone kept buzzing and ringing until Miles got irritated and picked up.

"Hello? Who's this?" Miles's weak voice spoke.

"Young Master!" A voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice was heavily accented and Miles was shocked that such a high-browed person would dial his line.

Miles wiped away his tears and tried to sit up well, even when he couldn't feel his legs. "Excuse me? Who's Young Master?"

"It is really you, Young Master. Do not worry, I will track your phone and locate you! We have finally found you, Young Master!" The voice spoke with optimism and happiness.

Young Master? Who is this Young Master? Miles asked himself. He noticed that the call was still going and the man on the other end was actually waiting for him to end the call first.