Chapter Fourteen

Maximillian

Having survived numerous near-death experiences, I couldn't help but think I must have nine lives. Each time, I emerged from the brink of death, only to wake up in a hospital bed, battered and bruised. As I contemplated this seemingly recurring pattern, I wondered if this constant brush with mortality would become my new normal, especially now that my immunity had been compromised.

As I surveyed my hospital room, I noticed its solitary occupant – myself. A flat screen TV adorned the wall across from my bed, prompting me to reach for the remote. Switching it on, I was met with the unexpected sight of my father inaugurating a children's hospital in South Africa, with my mother proudly standing by his side, captured by the news broadcast.

Her smile, as the camera zoomed in on her face, lacked the usual radiance that illuminated her from within. It was a mere façade, concealing the devastation within, a defense against the world witnessing the pain caused by her heartless son'