When I arrived, the Allendales were gathered outside the room. Hunter’s parents weren’t there; they were busy apologizing to the Chows. Hunter was getting an earful over the phone, and after hanging up, he smashed his phone to pieces.
When the doctor jokingly asked, “Save the mother or the child?” Hunter looked up, snarling, “Hopefully they both die. I don’t want either.”
The doctor scowled. “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
The doctor’s skills were excellent. Both mother and child survived. The baby, just over three pounds, went straight to the NICU. Rose lay in bed, barely alive, begging me to bring Hunter in.
After ruining his engagement, how did she still have the nerve?
I refused. She begged a nurse to “call the baby’s father.”
Hearing that term, Hunter’s face darkened further. Clenching his fists, he gritted out, “What do you want now? Didn’t I pay you enough when we broke up? What did I ever do to you to deserve this torment?”
Rose adjusted her angle, presenting her “best” 45-degree profile. “You did nothing wrong, Hunter. It’s just that I love you too much. I’m dying. I don’t want you to be alone. When you miss me, just look at our child, okay?”
A single, perfect tear traced down her cheek. I admit, in that moment, she did look the part of the tragic heroine.
Hunter rubbed his temples. “I never knew you could be so malicious. How much money will it take to make you go away forever?”
The poor boy still thought this was about money. Oh, the irony.
Sadly, it was all for him. What a curse.
Rose, unable to catch her breath, fainted before she could reply.
Hunter’s eyes lit up with hope. He rushed over, checking her pulse. His expression quickly fell. “Damn it, she’s still alive.” He punched the hospital bed in frustration, grabbing his own head in anguish.
When Dad arrived and learned Rose had a son, he was overjoyed, immediately calling Hunter “son-in-law” and disgustingly fawning over him.
Hunter, with no other outlet, turned his fury on Dad, nearly coming to blows. Dad, knowing he was outmatched, just mumbled in the corner, afraid to provoke the Allendales.
Pacing the hallway, Hunter kicked the walls, probably wondering what sins in a past life had led him to be haunted by Rose. Now, with a child born, severing ties would be nearly impossible.
He still didn’t believe Rose’s one truth: she really was dying.
Leave a Reply