Chapter 5

To Victoria's surprise, Adrian didn't refuse.

"All right. I'll go with you tomorrow," he replied.

Even so, Victoria didn't know whether he had agreed out of concern or obligation. His voice held no emotion, but it stirred an expectation in her that she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a long time.

She got up early that morning, slipped into a comfortable dress, and carefully placed her test results and medical records in a folder. She wasn't expecting flowers or words of concern. She only wanted Adrian to keep his promise.

When she came downstairs, he was talking on the phone in the living room. When he saw her, he raised a hand to ask her to wait and covered the receiver with his palm.

"We'll leave in fifteen minutes."

Victoria nodded, sat down at the opposite end of the sofa, and placed the folder on her lap.

She went over all the documents again.

She had checked twice the night before to make sure everything was there. She had looked through them again when she woke up. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from checking once more, as if the simple act could ease the uneasiness building inside her.

Adrian ended the call soon after, picked up his coffee, and walked over to her.

"Are you still feeling unwell?"

"No. It's just a routine checkup."

"Then it shouldn't take too long."

He said it matter-of-factly.

He didn't sound indifferent, but he wasn't trying to comfort her, either. He was simply stating a fact.

Victoria smiled and closed the folder.

"I hope not."

At that moment, the phone on the table started ringing again.

The moment she recognized the ringtone, Victoria's chest tightened.

Adrian glanced at the screen.

The call was from St. Gabriel Hospital.

He answered without hesitation.

"Dr. Robinson."

Victoria couldn't hear what the doctor said, but the calm expression on Adrian's face grew increasingly serious. His fingers tightened around the phone.

"Are you sure?"

He fell silent as he listened.

"When did it start?"

Another pause.

"All right. I'll be there right away."

By the time he said those final words, Victoria already knew the answer.

She didn't need to ask.

The call had to be about Francesca.

Adrian hung up and grabbed the coat resting on the sofa.

"Francesca reacted during this morning's neurological stimulation. The doctor wants me there immediately."

For the first time, an emotion appeared in his eyes.

It was the hope he'd been suppressing for three years.

Victoria slowly stood.

"But our appointment is at ten-thirty."

Adrian's movements stopped for a moment, as if only then did he remember the promise he'd made her.

"I know."

He said he knew, but his feet didn't stop moving.

Victoria watched him in silence. She didn't pressure him or remind him again. She simply waited for him to make his choice.

After a few seconds, Adrian spoke.

"I'll ask Emmanuel to take you. If the doctor needs any information, I'll get in touch with him later."

Victoria looked at him.

"You promised yesterday that you'd go with me."

Adrian frowned slightly, his voice strained.

"Victoria, this time is different. Francesca could be showing signs of regaining consciousness. I have to go."

'I have to go.'

He always used those same words, and for the past three years, the outcome had always been the same. Her birthday could be celebrated another day, and her anniversary could be made up later, but Francesca could never wait.

Victoria nodded gently and stopped arguing.

"I understand."

Adrian seemed relieved. He stepped closer and spoke in a softer tone.

"Call me when you're done with the appointment."

Victoria looked at him and smiled.

"That won't be necessary."

Adrian looked confused.

"Victoria..."

"Go," she interrupted calmly. "The doctor is waiting for you."

Adrian studied her for a few seconds before turning and walking away.

When the door closed, the residence fell silent again.

Victoria stood there, staring at the folder in her hands. She didn't cry or get angry. Deep down, she had always known this was how things would end.

What hurt most wasn't that Adrian had broken his promise. It was realizing that she was beginning to get used to the disappointment he caused her.

Finally, she picked up her phone and called the clinic.

"Good morning. I'd like to reschedule my appointment for today."

The receptionist offered her another appointment the following week.

Victoria thanked her, hung up, and placed the folder back inside her purse.

She didn't leave right away.

It wasn't until noon that she decided to drive to the hospital.

She didn't know exactly why she was going.

Maybe she needed to see for herself what kind of hope could make Adrian abandon her again and again without a second thought.

The neurology ward was as quiet as ever.

A nurse recognized her and greeted her with a smile.

"Mr. Montgomery is inside."

Victoria nodded and slowly made her way down the hall.

When she reached the door, she stopped.

The room was silent.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling across the white bed. Francesca was still lying there, unconscious and showing no visible response.

Adrian sat beside the bed.

He gently held Francesca's hand, his head bowed as he spoke to her in a low voice.

Victoria couldn't make out his first few words.

She only heard the last sentence.

"I'm here, Fran. Don't be afraid."

The folder seemed to become weightless in Victoria's hands.

It wasn't just the tenderness with which Adrian held Francesca's hand. It was how natural the gesture looked, as though this place had always belonged to him and his marriage to Victoria had merely been an interruption. Francesca remained motionless, yet he looked at her as though she might answer him.

Victoria felt guilty for the thought she'd been suppressing for so long. If her sister woke up, everything would be over for her. Not because she hated Francesca or wished for her to remain sick, but because her sister's return would destroy the only chance Victoria had ever had of being loved by Adrian.

The thought shamed her. She didn't want to compete with her sister or compare their suffering, but she couldn't deny what she felt, either.

She had loved Adrian long before she married him, even when she knew his eyes only followed Francesca. She had agreed to the marriage because she loved him and hoped that one day he would stop seeing her as the solution to a problem.

Now she understood that day might never come.

Adrian lifted Francesca's hand to his lips, and Victoria stepped back. She wouldn't force him to look at her when his heart belonged to another woman.

She lowered her gaze to her wedding ring and calmly slipped it off.

There was no anger in the gesture, no desire to hurt him. Only a decision.

She placed the ring in her purse, took one last look at the room, and walked toward the elevator.

When Francesca woke up, Victoria wouldn't wait for Adrian to leave her.

This time, Victoria would leave first.