Chapter 2
My sister was tucked away in the corner, speaking in hushed tones on the phone. Only snippets reached my ears, each one searing my heart like a knife targeting the man who betrayed me.
“Kenneth Meyer... custody... proof of cheating…”
Her voice was cold and relentless, filled with a quiet fury. Meanwhile, hospital staff hurried down the hallway, their footsteps echoing. I sat there numbly, awaiting Cassian’s emergence. When my sister returned, she took my hand, and I rose mechanically, feeling as though my spirit had already departed.
When they wheeled Cassian out, my world fell apart. His small body was covered in tubes, his face pallid and devoid of color.
“Cassian!”
I rushed over, clutching his cold little hand tightly. “Mom’s here, don’t be scared…”
My sister wrapped me in a comforting embrace. “He'll pull through, he has to…”
I stayed at his bedside for five days. Cassian would occasionally wake, but his awareness was blurry, mumbling for his mom and dad. Each call of his tore at my heart. How could I tell him that during his illness, his father was busy with other children? It was too harsh.
I stroked his head, soothing him back to sleep, promising him that mom was here, and dad would be there soon. Over those five days, I sent countless messages to Ahmir, pleading for him to come to the hospital to see Cassian. He responded by completely shutting me out.
On the sixth day, Ahmir finally called.
“Where are you? You’re always making a big deal out of things, where did you take Cassian? Ruth wants those muffins you bake.”
My heart was nearly consumed by fury and sorrow as I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m at the hospital. Is she even worthy of eating anything I make?”
Ahmir exploded, his language crude and cutting. “Damn, Ruth is a guest. Whatever she wants, shouldn't we, her hosts, give it to her? You talk like you've got garbage smeared over your mouth, ruining the mood.”
Once, he had cherished me, holding me as his treasure. Now, he insulted me and neglected his child for another woman. I felt as though my heart had been pierced by needles, leaving gaps that let in the cold wind from outside.
In my daze, anger and malice surged within me, my voice raspy and deliberate. “Cassian’s in the hospital. If you don’t come today, I’ll go home and toss Brody into the lake. Let him feel what a fever tastes like.”
“What the hell does Brody have to do with this? You crazy…”
I hung up, the last piece of my heart shattering. In just six years, the man I once loved had become unrecognizable.
“Sis, I’m certain I want a divorce.”
My sister's hand pressed firmly on my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Alright, I’ll help you break free from this monster.”
Gazing at Cassian's pale face in the hospital bed, memories of Ahmir's sweet promises flooded back. “Gabriela, we’ll have the perfect family.”
Now, all that remained was coldness and impatience, and his affection was given to the woman who once walked away from him. Cassian is my last hope. I won’t let anyone hurt him again, not even his father, nor the man I once loved.