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Later, Dr. Patricia Chen explained privately that Rebecca had been through a serious medical emergency and was extremely lucky to be alive. The medical team was treating not only her heart condition but also the consequences of medication misuse. Her recovery would need careful supervision, mental health care, and a strong support system.
I realized I did not know. During our marriage, Rebecca had slowly drifted away from most people. I had assumed it was part of her changing personality. Now I understood it was part of her illness and her shame.
I spent that first night in the hospital’s family waiting area, unable to leave even though I had no legal reason to stay. We were divorced. She was no longer my responsibility. But the woman in that hospital bed was not just my ex-wife. She was someone I had loved, someone whose pain I had failed to recognize when it might have mattered most.
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