Chapter 9

“Astrid, I want to apologize to Coco on behalf of Emmie for what happened.”

Isaiah continued solemnly, “She is young and doesn’t know better. She didn’t mean any harm by it.”

“She locked Coco inside a closet! You call that not meaning any harm?” Astrid snapped back.

Isaiah was about to say something when his phone rang.

He answered it and became more solemn as the dialogue went on.

At one point, he replied anxiously, “Juno, I promise I can explain. Don’t leave just yet, I’m coming to you right now!”

“Coco, I'll come back for you later!” So he ordered the driver to stop the car.

“Uncle Isaiah, won’t you stay?”

Isaiah fell silent for a moment but ended up opening the door anyway. “Something came up, I have to go.”

“Uncle Isaiah!” Coco called out after him, then she bid him farewell quietly.

Isaiah turned and stared into Coco’s reddened eyes. After a brief pause, he assured her again, “I’ll visit you at the hospital!”

After he closed the ambulance doors, silence descended again.

Astrid hugged Coco tightly in her arms as she burst into tears.

“Coco, don't cry. Mommy is here, I will always love you.”

After the doctors attended to Coco in the hospital, her condition stabilized, and she was no longer in danger.

Astrid hugged her again as Coco cried her heart out. It was as if she held the world in her hand.

Coco coughed while turning to look at the entrance of the ward.

She asked weakly, “How long is it going to take for Uncle Isaiah to come?”

Astrid felt her heart break again.

She did not have it in her to tell Coco that Isaiah was not coming.

“He said he was on the way when I called just now, let me call again.”

Astrid walked outside and called Isaiah.

When the call was connected, it was Emmie who answered instead. “Who is this?”

Astrid paused before asking, “Where is Isaiah?”

“He’s getting me some sauce now.”

Emmie put on an act, “I was telling him to go to the hospital to see Coco, but he refused and insisted on bringing me out to get some barbecue.

“He said he needed something nice to take my mind off of what happened today, I couldn’t say no.”

Just as Astrid was about to speak, she heard Juno's voice ringing through the speakers as well, “Astrid, Isaiah panicked when I told him I found out that you two are related to him. He promised he was going to divorce you tomorrow.

“You are nothing but a substitute! Did you think you could cement your place beside him just because you’ve had a baby with him? Quit dreaming! I am the only one he will ever love!”

“Mommy, stop it.”

Emmie kept up the charade, “Don’t worry, I’ll ask Daddy once he comes back. He loves me and will do anything I ask him to.”

Astrid could tell Emmie was only saying that to rub it in. The arrogance in Juno’s voice didn’t help either.

Even when Coco’s life was in danger, Isaiah chose to ignore her needs and elected to be with Emmie instead!

He even filed for divorce at such a time. The man was as cruel as they come!

She had completely given up on him. After the call, she immediately sorted Coco's discharge procedures.

Coco did not ask Astrid any questions.

She silently tore up the family portrait and tossed it into the bin along with the lion clay doll meant for Isaiah.

Before they left the hospital, Astrid went to the doctor and left explicit instructions with him.

“If Doctor Lear asks about Coco, tell him that she died of respiratory failure.”

The doctor was taken aback by the request and refused her.

“Please.” Astrid gave him a bank card. “I’d like to live a life with my daughter without being disturbed.”

“Alright.” The doctor finally obliged.

On the way to the airport, Astrid held Coco tenderly and applied medicine to the wound on her face.

They both had a silent agreement not to talk about Isaiah.

It was as if he had never existed.

After they boarded the plane, Astrid texted Isaiah: [Goodbye, Isaiah.]

Soon after, her phone started ringing.

She ignored Isaiah’s calls and changed her SIM card.