- 21 hours ago
Delivery Room Betrayal
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02the surgical light burned into my eyes i lay on the delivery table listening to my own blood
00:08pouring out of me not an exaggeration eight years of medical school meant i recognized every signal
00:13of a blood pressure cliff dive she's hemorrhaging where the hell is her husband isn't he supposed
00:18to be here the attending's voice came from somewhere far away i wanted to say that dominic
00:23was a doctor that something must have come up but i couldn't speak then my phone lit up
00:28amber thompson his high school friend the woman he trusted most in this world had sent me a photo
00:33a wedding photo hers and dominic's thanks for lending me dominic sis best day of our 18 year
00:40friendship don't worry we won't actually sleep together promise in the photo dominic was wearing
00:46the suit i'd had custom made for him his arm was around amber's shoulder they were both smiling at
00:51the camera their old high school crew stood around them grinning like this was the happiest day of
00:56their lives my contraction monitor started screaming a nurse glanced at my phone and went pale
01:02bp 7080 she's losing blood fast we can't reach the husband take her to the or now
01:08as they wheeled me away my phone lit up again amber had sent another photo a hotel lobby all golden
01:14crystal with a massive flower arch dominic was fixing her bail he said he owed me a ceremony
01:21you don't mind do you sis i stared at the screen the pain of the contractions and
01:26the pain in my chest blended together until i couldn't tell them apart dominic my husband of
01:31seven years the father of my child he was playing groom for another woman the moment the or doors
01:36closed i heard a nurse shout call him again keep calling until he picks up i closed my eyes
01:42my consciousness started to fray memories shattered like broken glass the shards cutting everywhere
01:47seven years ago on our wedding day he was two hours late he said the hospital had an emergency
01:53i believed him five years ago he said amber had just gone through a breakup and needed him
01:58he stayed with her for a week came back wearing a scarf she'd knitted him a friendship scarf he called
02:03it i believed him three years ago the day i got my medical license amber just happened to get into
02:10a
02:10minor car accident he left my celebration dinner to go to the r with her didn't come back until morning
02:15i still believed him because i loved him because i thought seven years together meant more than a
02:21so-called high school friend until this moment i reached for my phone with everything i had left
02:26not to ask him to come not to confront him i just wanted him to know i was dying the
02:32mother of his
02:32child was dying and he was playing groom for another woman the message went out red no reply
02:38we've got blood starting transfusion
02:43bp still understable does anyone have consent from family forget consent we're operating i'll take
02:48responsibility the attending's voice sounded like it was underwater i dimly realized it was familiar
02:53then a face appeared in front of me daniel my senior from medical school two years ahead of me
02:59known as the ice king in the lab he'd made me cry three times
03:03jessica listen to me your situation is critical but my team and i are going to do everything we can
03:10the only thing you have to do is stay alive your baby is in the ncu waiting for you i
03:15couldn't move
03:16but tears slid down my face he wiped them away don't cry you don't have the energy to waste
03:21then he turned and started giving orders fast precise like a scalpel for the first time i thought maybe i
03:27wouldn't die i don't know how long the surgery took when i woke up samuel was standing beside my bed
03:33checking my monitors your husband called three times i answered for you what did he say he said
03:40he said he couldn't get away he booked a beachfront suite he'll take you there when you're discharged
03:45i waited that's it oh he also said to feed amber's cat she forgot to leave food out i stared
03:51at the
03:51ceiling samuel yeah help me draft divorce papers he looked at me no surprise no pity just the quiet
03:59calm of someone who'd been waiting for this okay he said the messages from amber didn't stop during
04:05my hospital stay they weren't accidents i knew that she sent photos of dominic cutting her wedding cake
04:11of their high school care drinking champagne of fireworks over the ocean at 3 a.m 35 never looks so
04:17good when you've got your best friend by your side i didn't reply to any of them on the sixth
04:22day she
04:22sent a message with an invitation attached my first solo exhibition sis you have to come the invitation
04:29read birth the truth and courage of the female body i stared at the invitation something sank in my
04:35chest i opened her social media pinned at the top was a preview three photos all black and white
04:42silhouettes faces hidden the caption read to all the brave mothers out there including my dearest sister
04:48below it hundreds of comments amber's work is always so powerful this is what real female art
04:54looks like i didn't reply to the message but i asked samuel to look into it two days later he
05:00came
05:00back with answers that exhibition he said his voice flat but i could hear the anger underneath
05:05is centered around your maternity photos i stopped breathing the ones dominic took when you were eight
05:10months pregnant amber turned them into a series called raw beauty he paused she didn't ask for your
05:15permission 12 photos all blown up to four feet by four feet hanging in the center of the gallery i
05:25set
05:25the receptionist friday yeah get me an invitation samuel looked at me you don't need an invitation
05:34he said you're the subject you just show up friday night 7pm light box gallery chelsea i wore a black
05:44trench coat pushed the stroller up to the entrance jason was asleep inside it his tiny fists clenched
05:50i handed him off to samuel he was waiting outside the gallery was packed art world types
05:56media photography critics amber's old high school crew all of them a three-tiered champagne tower
06:02perfect lighting every photo matted and framed hanging on white walls my photos 12 of them me at
06:08eight months pregnant belly huge stretch marks like worms crawling across my skin some photos i was in
06:14lingerie some i was wrapped in sheer fabric some were taken while i was changing angles i never knew
06:19existed every photo blown up to life size every photo labeled with one word wrong people stood with
06:26their champagne glasses pausing in front of my four foot body commenting nodding power amber's vision
06:33is extraordinary this is what real female art looks like amber stood beneath the largest white suit
06:39champagne flute perfect smile her high school friends crowded around her phones out amber this is
06:45incredible this is going to put you on the map does your sister know is she going to be mad
06:50amber smiled
06:51her voice was light but i heard every word from the entrance she won't mind she said it herself these
06:58photos are beautiful they shouldn't be hidden i did say that but i said it to dominic to my husband
07:04when i trusted him enough to give him my most vulnerable self i didn't say it to her i didn't
07:09say it to
07:10everyone in the gallery i pushed open the door and walked in my coat caught a champagne glass
07:15in the entrance it shattered on the floor everyone turned and her smile froze when she saw me jess
07:22what are you doing here you just had the baby i'm out of the hospital i said her voice faltered
07:27you
07:27got my invitation i was going to you were going to what i walked toward her you wanted me to
07:35come
07:35and play nice or you wanted me to stay away so your art could keep selling the gallery went silent
07:40everyone with champagne everyone with phones everyone who had been nodding and commenting
07:44all staring amber's face went white for a second then recovered jess let me explain she reached for
07:49me her voice suddenly loud like she wanted everyone to hear this series is about the raw truth of the
07:54female body i asked you back then and you said it was fine let me ask you something quiet but
08:01every word
08:01clear the photos you took while i was changing when did i said those were fine she froze
08:08four of these 12 photos were taken without my knowledge you had dominant keep shooting while i
08:14was changing clothes you think i didn't know i turned to the crowd you want to know how this art
08:20was made the day i almost died giving birth her photographer my husband was playing groom for another
08:26woman while i was bleeding out on an operating table she was sending me wedding photos these
08:32photos were taken because i trusted my husband to document our child's arrival i gave him my most
08:37vulnerable self i didn't give it to her i didn't give it to any of you i turned back to
08:42amber you call
08:43this art her lips were trembling she couldn't speak her high school friends looked at each other a few
08:49started backing away i pulled an envelope from my coat pocket and placed it in her hand that's a cease
08:54and
08:54desist you used my image without consent for commercial gain take down the exhibition apologize
09:02pay damages i pulled out my phone opened a document held it up so everyone could see it was a
09:08surrogacy
09:09contract it was a surrogacy contract client dominic harrison surrogate amber thompson relationship
09:15high school friends note embryo provided by client five prior attempts current pregnancy confirmed this i said
09:24you signed a surrogacy contract with my husband you started trying on our wedding day seven years
09:29five rounds the gallery was dead silent no champagne glasses clinking no whispers amber's face went from
09:36white to gray dominic pushed through the crowd his face was ashen jess what are you doing here i came
09:41to see the show he opened his mouth nothing came out i looked at them both of them my husband
09:47the
09:47woman i thought was my friend standing beneath my photos the gallery lights on their faces caught like
09:52thieves at the scene i pulled the divorce papers from my coat held them out to dominic i pulled
09:57the divorce papers from my coat you keep nothing the baby is mine child support according to the
10:02law his hands were shaking as he looked down at the papers amber grabbed his sleeve her voice going sharp
10:08dominic don't sign sign he signed he signed i took the papers and turned to leave i stopped in front
10:17of the
10:17the largest photo four feet by four feet my belly my stretch marks my body hanging on a wall like
10:23merchandise
10:24i reached up and took it down the frame was heavy but i could carry it no one stopped me
10:29i carried my photo
10:30out of the gallery into the night samuel was leaning against the car jason was still asleep inside he saw
10:36the
10:36frame in my hands didn't say anything just opened the trunk done he asked done get in i put the
10:44frame
10:44in the trunk climbed into the back seat jason stirred in his car seat opened his eyes looked at me
10:51and
10:51smiled a gummy smile soft simple i smiled back after the divorce i took jason and moved to the west
10:58coast
11:00samuel found me a job obstetrics attending at a private hospital don't waste what you learned he
11:05said i didn't as for dominic and amber i thought the divorce closed that chapter i was wrong amber
11:12disappeared from social media for two months i thought she'd finally back down then she came back
11:17one post new chapter the photo was a marriage certificate the groom wasn't dominic it was warren foster
11:24another member of their high school crew family money the guy who gave us the biggest wedding gift
11:29i stared at that photo for a long time amber was carrying dominic's baby but she married warren
11:35i called samuel he asked you saw it i saw it voice had an edge there's more warren signed a
11:41prenup three
11:41days before the wet amber takes half his asset i was quiet for a moment does dominic know you tell
11:49me
11:49i didn't know but i guessed it wouldn't matter if he did he'd never said no to amber i put
11:54down my
11:54phone and went back to making jason's bottle this wasn't my problem anymore but it didn't stay that
11:59way six months after the divorce i got a text from an unknown number jessica it is warren can we
12:06talk
12:06i hesitated then i called back warren's voice wasn't how i remembered it harder colder i need a favor
12:14what kind of favor amber's suing me for divorce she hired the best lawyers in the city they're coming
12:20for half my net worth my lawyer said if i can prove she married me under false pretenses i have
12:27a case
12:27what does that have to do with me i need what you have the surrogacy contract the photos the messages
12:34she sent you i was quiet for a long time you want to use them against her i want to
12:39use them to protect
12:39what's mine i'm not asking for charity i'm offering a deal you help me i put her down for good
12:47she never
12:48comes near you again i'll think about it i hung up and sat by the window watched jason chase a
12:56butterfly
12:56in the yard samuel came out of the kitchen handed me a coffee warren called how did you lucky guess
13:05he sat next to me he wants your evidence give it to him you're not gonna tell me to think
13:11it over
13:13no samuel took a sip of coffee people like amber don't stop you let her go she comes back warren's
13:19got the resources and the motive let him do the work i watched jason catch the butterfly he crouched
13:26down to look at it then he let it go okay i said yeah i gave warren's lawyer
13:34the surrogacy contract every photo amber sent every message the exhibition invitation the call
13:40logs in the night i was hemorrhaging warren's team put it together in one thick file three months later
13:45the case went to trial three months later the case went to trial i didn't go samuel did he told
13:52me
13:52what happened warren's lawyer played a recording in court amber's voice came through sweet as honey
13:57the way i knew too well dominic's baby is my baby warren's just a name on paper it is not
14:04like he
14:04cares he just wants the company anyway the courtroom went quiet amber sat in the defendant's chair white
14:10as paper dominic took the stand the opposing lawyer took him apart piece by piece mr harrison where were
14:17you on the day your wife nearly died giving birth amber thompson's birthday party your wife was dying
14:22and you were at a party he didn't answer mr harrison did your wife know about the surrogacy's contract
14:27with amber thompson did she no how many attempts did you make five when did you start on my wedding
14:40day
14:41someone in the courtroom gasped
14:45the judge's expression didn't change but samuel her voice was colder than usual warren won amber
14:51got nothing she had to pay warren damages for fraud dominic was suspended from the hospital
14:56pending investigation he used his position to arrange private medical services their old friend
15:01leo published a long post on social media he called it i thought we were friends amber played everyone
15:06he wrote dominic was her accomplice they used the group one for money one for biology
15:11the post went viral but that didn't undo the damage what happened after was almost too dramatic
15:16to believe amber lost everything her marriage her reputation lightbox canceled her show permanently
15:23she went to dominic but dominic had nothing left to give the hospital didn't fire him but they sent
15:28him to a satellite clinic in the middle of nowhere he spent six months there drank too much
15:35sent gifts for jason i sent them all back when jason was three dominic came back
15:41he was thinner i took jason to the park let him watch from a distance jason was playing in the
15:48sandbox
15:49he built a crooked castle turned around and yelled dominic stood 30 feet away watching crying i didn't go
15:58to him he left a year later amber died in a car accident she ran a red light a truck
16:05hit her she was
16:06alone in the samuel saw the news he was quiet for a long time what are you thinking
16:15i'm thinking about dominic
16:19i waited after the surrogacy news broke the pregnancy didn't stick all five rounds nothing
16:26by the time amber married warren she'd given up on the baby dominic ended up with nothing
16:30this was calm like he was analyzing a case
16:34no you no baby no amber no friends you feel sorry for him
16:47no i'm thinking about how a person can destroy their own life like that i didn't say anything
16:53jason was stacking blocks on the floor humming to himself mom let's go high that's high
16:59i'm going higher okay samuel looked at me and smiled he rarely smiled the ice king who'd made interns cry
17:08in the oar who'd yelled at patients families in the ar who'd pulled me back from the edge of death
17:13on a
17:13delivery table but he smiled then jessica have you ever thought thought what nothing forget it
17:24when jason was five i got a letter from dominic handwritten messy he said he was working at a
17:30small clinic in a rural town didn't make much but enough he said he'd stopped drinking he said he
17:35sometimes dreamed about the day in the park watching jason play in the sand he said he'd
17:40replayed that moment a hundred times and every time he wanted to walk over and every time he
17:45couldn't move his feet i read the letter put it on the table jason came over picked it up flipped
17:52through
17:52the pages mom what's this a letter from someone what someone you don't know him why is he writing to
18:01you i thought for a second because he did something wrong he wants to say sorry jason tilted his head
18:09did you forgive him i was quiet for a moment not yet when will you
18:18maybe never jason nodded like that made perfect sense then don't then he ran off to play with his
18:25dinosaurs i watched him go i remembered what the nurse said in the delivery room your baby is waiting
18:30for you in the neq that was the only reason i fought to live now that reason was running around
18:37the house telling me not to forgive his father that was enough i put the letter in the drawer didn't
18:43reply when jason was seven something happened his school had an event parents were supposed
18:49to bring a family photo for the classroom wall jason came home and told me while i was cooking
18:57mom we don't have a family photo yes we do we took one when you were little that one has
19:03just you
19:03and me the teacher said a family photo needs a mom and a dad i turned off the stove crouched
19:09down to
19:09look at him jason your father i know he's not a good person you don't have to explain he looked
19:18at me eyes clear but what about samuel does he count i didn't know how to answer that that night
19:25after jason fell asleep i sat in the living room and thought samuel he'd been there since the night
19:31i almost died he drafted the divorce papers he'd investigated amber's exhibition
19:38he'd found me a job on the west coast he'd helped jason get into a good school
19:44every birthday he came with gifts and a cake sitting beside jason with his cold unsmiling
19:49face while he blew out candles he'd never said anything i'd never asked i wondered if we were
19:55both waiting for the right moment for one of us to speak for jason to get a little older for
20:01for what i
20:02didn't know the turning point came sooner than i expected jason was eight his school had career day
20:09parents were invited to come talk about their job samuel came
20:15white coat a model surgical setup he demonstrated a heart surgery for the kids fake of course with a
20:21pig heart and teaching tools but jason's eyes went wide after the event jason held samuel's hand and
20:28walked him around the schoolyard lap after lap i stood at the gate and watched the sun was setting
20:33their shadows stretched long jason said something i couldn't hear samuel bent down to listen
20:41and then he smiled not the polite tight-lipped smile he used with patience
20:49a real smile his eyes crinkled his whole face softened something in my chest cracked open
20:55on the way home jason was in the back seat he said mom samuel was happy today how do you
21:02know
21:03he smiled he never smiles but today he smiled a lot i glanced at him in the rear view do
21:09you like samuel
21:10of course he's a million times better than that guy what guy the guy who wrote you that letter
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