Moving Towards Freedom

The air in the hospital ward was cold and sterile, but it was nothing compared to the chill that settled over Quinn's heart. She stared at Leo's phone in her trembling hand, her chest tight with disbelief. The screen displayed a recent message from Sophia, reading: 

Sophia: "Let me know when you're free. I'll be waiting for you at the usual place. Miss you."

Her breath caught, and for a moment, her vision blurred as the reality hit her like a punch to the stomach. Whatever small flicker of hope she'd clung to—hope that Leo cared enough to fix their broken marriage—was extinguished. 

"How could I have been so blind?" she thought bitterly, tears stinging her eyes. 

She placed Leo's phone back on the bedside table with shaking hands and reached for her own. Her fingers hovered over the screen before she dialed the one person who had consistently shown up for her: Michael. 

Michael was seated in his living room, skimming through reports on his laptop, when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen and saw Quinn's name. His brows furrowed in concern as he picked up immediately. 

"Quinn?" he said, his voice laced with worry. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you?" 

Quinn hesitated for a moment, thrown off by his barrage of questions. "I'm fine, Michael. I'm not hurt," she said, her voice brittle. 

Michael let out a small sigh of relief but wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You don't sound fine." 

Quinn swallowed hard, forcing herself to sound composed. "I'll send you an address. Just come and pick me up, please." 

Michael didn't hesitate. "I'm on my way. Send the address now." 

"Okay," she said softly before ending the call. 

Michael stood abruptly, grabbing his car keys and jacket. His mind raced with possibilities. Something was clearly wrong, and he wasn't about to leave her alone to deal with it. 

Back at the hospital, Leo returned to Quinn's private ward after a quick phone call to his office. He paused at the doorway, his sharp gaze falling on her. She was awake, sitting upright in the hospital bed, her expression blank but her eyes distant. 

He stepped inside and sat down in the chair beside her bed. "You're awake," he said, his tone almost relieved. "How are you feeling?" 

Quinn's head turned sharply toward him, her eyes cold. "Why don't you stop pretending you care?" she snapped, her voice cutting. "Why don't you just go ahead and pick up your mistress instead?" 

Leo froze, blindsided by her words. "What?" he asked, his brows furrowing. "What mistress are you talking about?" 

Quinn let out a bitter laugh, her hands gripping the blanket tightly. "Don't play dumb, Leo. Sophia. You know exactly what I'm talking about." 

Leo's jaw tightened, his expression shifting from surprise to irritation. "I don't know where this is coming from, but you're wrong." 

Quinn's voice rose, her frustration boiling over. "I saw the message, Leo! On your phone. She's waiting for you at your 'usual place.' So stop lying to me!" 

Leo ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "Quinn, it's not what you think. Sophia—" 

"Don't," Quinn interrupted, her voice trembling. "Don't insult my intelligence, Leo. I've tried. I've tried to hold onto whatever we had, but you've made it abundantly clear that I'm not a priority in your life. So don't sit here and act like you care about me now." 

Leo leaned forward, his voice low but firm. "You don't know the full story, Quinn. Whatever you think about Sophia, it's not true. She's just—" 

"Just what?" Quinn cut him off, her eyes narrowing. "A friend? A 'business contact'? Spare me the excuses. Do you even hear yourself? I've spent months feeling like a stranger in my own marriage while you've been out doing God knows what with her." 

Leo's frustration boiled over. "You're twisting everything, Quinn. You're making assumptions without knowing the facts." 

Quinn's laugh was bitter. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should I wait for her to show up here so I can get the 'facts' straight from her?" 

Leo slammed his hand down on the bedside table, his voice rising. "I don't owe you an explanation for something that isn't what you're making it out to be!" 

Quinn flinched but quickly recovered, her own voice matching his in intensity. "You're right, Leo. You don't owe me anything. Because clearly, this marriage means nothing to you." 

Leo's expression faltered, a flicker of something—regret?—crossing his face. But before he could speak, Quinn turned away from him, her voice cold and final. 

"Just go, Leo. Leave. Go to her, or go to work, or go anywhere else. Just... leave me alone." 

Leo stood, his fists clenched at his sides. He stared at her for a long moment, his lips pressed into a thin line, before he turned and walked out of the room without another word. 

Minutes after Leo left, Quinn received a text from Michael. 

Michael: "I'm outside. Where are you?" 

Quinn replied quickly, and within moments, Michael walked into the ward, his expression a mix of concern and urgency. 

"Quinn," he said, rushing to her side. "What happened? Are you okay?" 

Quinn forced a weak smile, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I'm fine, Michael. Thank you for coming." 

Michael sat down beside her, his gaze searching hers. "You don't look fine. Talk to me. What happened?" 

Quinn hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket. "It's... Leo. I thought—" Her voice cracked, and she took a shaky breath. "I thought maybe we could fix things, but I was wrong." 

Michael's jaw tightened, his expression darkening. "What did he do?" 

Quinn shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "It doesn't matter. I can't do this anymore, Michael. I can't keep fighting for someone who doesn't care." 

Michael reached out, taking her hand gently in his. "You don't have to fight anymore, Quinn. You deserve better than this. You deserve someone who actually sees you and values you." 

His words broke something inside her, and she began to cry in earnest. Michael didn't say anything further; he simply stayed by her side, his hand steady in hers as she let out months of pent-up frustration and heartbreak. 

Once Quinn had calmed down, Michael stood. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's get you out of here." 

Quinn hesitated. "I don't even know where to go." 

Michael offered her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to know. Just trust me. I'll take care of everything." 

Quinn nodded, allowing him to help her out of bed. She changed into the clothes Mia had brought earlier, and together, they left the hospital. 

Michael led her to his car, where his driver was already waiting. As they drove away, Quinn leaned her head against the window, the city lights blurring as her mind raced. 

For the first time in years, she felt like she was finally taking a step toward freedom—whatever that might mean.