Daddy Doesn't Like Me, Does He?

 WYNTER

I'd heard of people going blind with rage before, but I never believed it was possible.

Until now.

"You did WHAT?" My voice tore out of me, raw and inhuman, loud enough that a passing nurse actually flinched and hurried the other way.

Yes.

I am currently exhibiting animalistic behaviour but my child is somewhere across the world, her life hanging on a balance.

"You heard me, Wynter." Silas's voice was calm, almost like was discussing the weather and not the fact that he'd just stolen a dying five year old out of a hospital bed.

"She needs surgery in two hours, Silas! Two hours! Do you understand what that means? Do you understand what happens to her if she doesn't get it?" I screamed.

My vision was blurry, my eyes laced my tears and wet lashes.

"She looks fine to me and you know what? I know you've been doing. You know I'm tired of this marriage so I think you've been exaggerating this whole thing to manipulate me, Wynter. And I'm done being manipulated.” I pressed the phone so hard against my ear I thought it would crack.

"Silas, return my daughter to the hospital. I beg you.” I checked the time on my phone.

7:30am

I had just barely an hour and 30 minutes to get her back here in time.

“Then sign the papers!” He answered.

“What papers, Silas?” I screamed. I was losing my mind, “What papers? I have gotten no divorce letters and you think I don't want to divorce you? How glorious and delusional are you?” The words cracked out of me and for a moment, there was a pause on the line.

“Where is she?"

"Somewhere safe. She'll stay that way, as long as you sign. The papers will be with you, any minute now.” 

I closed my eyes, my whole body trembling.

“I'll sign as soon as I get it, Silas. Please. Just bring her back. Please. I beg you." 

Humiliation washed over me as the plea rang out of my lips.

"Good girl." I wanted to reach through the phone and rip out his throat. 

“Excuse me, ma'am. Are you Mrs Wynter?” I peered at him through my teary eyes and squinted my eyes.

“Yes. And you are?” He glanced at me, from head to toe in visible confusion.

Probably wondering why I was barefooted, bleeding from my hand and standing right in front of the hospital gates like a persistent ghost.

“Oh yeah. Your husband said to deliver these—” Before he could even complete the statement, I snatched the papers from him, scanned the papers and then stretched out my hands again.

“Ma'am?”

“Pen!” I half yelled.

“Oh right.” 

He handed a pen over to me and I attached my signature to the bottom before handing it back to him.

He nodded and without any other word because I wasn't going to entertain it, he got into an Uber and left.

I dialed Silas again. 

It rang and just kept beeping till the last ring.

“Sorry, the number you're trying to call is not answering.” My world paused as I redialed the number again.

Same thing!

Goodness gracious, No!

This can't be happening. Not to me, I don't deserve this.

I dialed a 3rd time.

Silas, you son of a bitch!!! I cursed under my breath.

He picked up on the second ring this time.

"Silas, you bastard, why haven't you been answering. I signed it. The papers are gone, they're with your lawyer by now, wherever you sent that boy off to. Where's Hazel? Bring her back to me."

He was silent for a while and then coughed

"Silas! I don't have the luxury of listening to you gloat."

"Give me a minute, Wynter. I need to verify the signature first before I release her." His voice was maddeningly unbothered. 

Of course, he had all the time in the world and I was standing barefoot outside a hospital with blood drying on my arm and a clock ticking louder than my own heartbeat.

Oh my child. 

My poor child. It's mommy's fault. She picked you a bad daddy. It's all my fault.

"Verify it? You sent the delivery boy hand it to me! What is there to verify? If verification was so important to you, you should have brought it here yourself. Silas, I want my child or I'm calling the police."

Lies. 

If I escalated this and called the police, Hazel won't be brought back before 9am. 

I had to condescend to this foolish man.

"Procedure, Wynter. I have to make sure everything's in order before—"

"There is no procedure! You made this up! There was never a procedure for kidnapping in the first place, so don't you dare start following one now." I was screaming, I knew I was, and I didn't care who heard me anymore.

"I'll call you back." 

"Silas, wait, please no. Silas—"

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my chest heaving, disbelief and fury tangled so tightly inside me I couldn't tell which one was winning.

I checked the time.

7:42am.

Seventy-eight minutes. That's all Hazel had left. What should I do? How do I even do it?

Just then, Killian's call came in. I picked it up on the first ring.

“Wynter.”

“Killian.” I breathed.

“I already paid the fees, why are you crying? Again?” My lips trembled.

“Silas kidnapped her, Killian. I've signed the divorce papers and he still won't bring her back.” Tears rolled down my eyes. 

I felt lightheaded. I needed my daughter. Who knew how scared she was feeling? 

Watching the daddy she adored, the daddy that had never been there for her, the father that treated her like a tool just to be discarded do this to her.

My poor child.

“Mommy.” I heard a faint voice call out from the distance.

I ended the call immediately and sprinted towards her, cuddling her up in my arms.

Silas was behind the steering wheel and his new girlfriend in the front passenger seat.

“Good riddance, Wynter.” He waved with a small smile on his face.

“Indeed. Good riddance and it turns out it's the best decision you've ever made for me,” I winked, drying my face while I watched his smile falter, “You just don't know it yet. But you will. You will.” 

I turned and with my child in my arms, I began walking back into the hospital.

“Mommy, Daddy doesn't like me, does he?” Hazel whispered against my neck.