I woke from the coma,my stomach gnawing with hunger.
I felt my insides twist in pain.
A cellmate,hearing my stomach growl,sneered and shoved a dead cockroach into my mouth.

The foul pus burst in my mouth,but I swallowed it without flinching.
She scoffed,"Look at you—disgusting.A whore like you only deserves to eat bugs."
As she raised her fist,a guard interrupted.
"Sara Mitchell, got a call for you."
The guard's impatient voice rang out.
Numb,I walked out of the cell.

Seeing my slow pace,the guard jabbed my back with a stun baton."What’s the matter with you?Move it!You've got two more years.Better swallow any complaints."
I nodded,humiliated.
Nathan's voice came through the phone.
"Sara."

Hope flickered in me.Did he miss me?
But his tone was awkward."Sara,I need to tell you something.I'm getting engaged to Evelyn."
I stared blankly at the phone's keypad,my nails digging into my palms so hard that blood dripped down.
For a moment,only our breathing filled the silence.
He paused,as if finding an excuse for his betrayal."Sara,Evelyn's been struggling with depression.She's had a hard time.We're telling you out of consideration.Don't worry,I'll wait until you're out to file for divorce."
I let out a bitter laugh.
Nathan's sincerity was almost touching.
When all he said about was "Evelyn" this and “Evelyn” that, did he ever think of the wife suffering in prison for his crime?
Of course not.
If not for this call,he'd probably forgotten me entirely.
He only wished I'd die in here,clearing the way for his perfect romance with Evelyn.
When I stayed silent,Nathan sounded exasperated."Sara,don't blame me for moving on.These years,whenever I needed someone,Evelyn was there."
I couldn't listen anymore.Tears streamed down as I rasped,"Nathan,you know exactly why I'm in here.And now you think I’m disgusting?"
He cut me off,unwilling to revisit the murder he committed."Sara,I know you resent me,but we can't keep Evelyn as the other womanEvelyn can’t be my mistress forever.When you're out,I'll give you money as compensation."
He was certain my fingerprints were the only evidence,unafraid of me telling the truth.His tone wasn't conciliatory.
I laughed,the absurdity of the whole thing was overwhelming.
Not divorcing a convict like me was,to Nathan,his greatest act of kindness.
Compared to his dismissive contempt,where lies the years of torment and humiliation I had endured?
My hand stiffened on the receiver,I felt like I had fallen into icy water,pain surging.
As my consciousness blurred,I saw the guard rushing toward me.
Nathan's irritated voice still echoed."Sara,can you stop playing dead?Did you hear me or not?"
Evelyn's soft voice soothed,"Nathan,don't be upset.Sara just loves you too much.You have to give her time to process."
Nathan coaxed her gently,"If Sara had any sense left in her,she'd have asked for a divorce long ago instead of dragging me down."
I didn't get to ask if he felt even a shred of guilt before I passed out.
When I woke,the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose.
"Senior,you're awake."The young handsome prison doctor looked at me with concern.
Seeing my confusion,he explained patiently,"I'm Caleb Reed.You were the top psychology student back then in our school.We didn’t exactly took the same major,but we took the same elective.You lent me your notes before the exam."
I rubbed my throbbing temples.
Hearing someone mention my past felt like a lifetime ago.
I had once been someone worth remembering.
Caleb applied ointment to my bruised face,his voice pained."Has your stomach been bothering you a lot lately?"
I nodded.
He hesitated before speaking."The results came back.You have a tumor in your stomach...late-stage cancer."