Chapter 4

Dad stood at the doorway, gasping for breath. His forehead was drenched in sweat.

"Vince, I was worried you and Bernadette might fight, so I came to check on you."

Dad hobbled inside. When he caught sight of Emma standing beside the coffee table, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Emma, you're here too. Perfect. You young people should talk things through properly. Don't keep quarreling over little things."

Emma smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Cline. We're not fighting."

Just then, Dad spotted Scott standing behind Emma.

I took hold of Dad's hand. "Dad, let me take you back to the nursing home."

Dad pushed my hand away, his eyes suspicious. "Emma, who is this young man?"

Scott smiled and walked up to Dad, looking him up and down. "Mr. Cline, your memory must be failing you in your old age. You and my father go way back—how can you not recognize me?"

Dad's face turned deathly pale in an instant. "It's you! What are you doing here?"

Scott pulled out a pregnancy test report and waved it in front of Dad's eyes.

"Because your precious son is just like you—useless and incapable of holding on to a woman. Emma is carrying my child. The doctor says it's a boy."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I threw a punch at Scott's face with everything I had.

Scott froze for a second, then roared and lunged at me.

"You lunatic! How dare you hit me?"

Dad reached out a trembling hand, trying to pull him away from the side.

"Stop fighting. Please, don't hit Vince."

Emma rushed forward and shoved me aside. "Vince, that's enough! Scott is the father of my child."

Scott clutched his chest, his voice weak and frail. "Emma, my heart hurts so much."

Emma grabbed him by the arm and turned to rush out the door.

Bernadette anxiously followed after them. As she passed me, she furrowed her brows and said, "Vince, you've really crossed the line this time."

I bit my lip, fighting back the tears.

Dad's voice came from behind me, "Vince…"

I turned around and found him collapsed on the floor, convulsing. The front of his clothes was soaked red with blood.

I scrambled over and threw my arms around him. "Dad, what's wrong?"

I frantically dialed 911, but all the ambulances had already been dispatched. Thus, I had no choice but to hoist Dad onto my back and rush out to the street to hail a cab.

When we got to the hospital, I burst into the emergency room with Dad in my arms.

There was no one there. I grabbed a nurse who was hurrying past and begged, "Please, find me a doctor. My dad is in critical condition—it's an emergency."

The nurse shook her head. "All the doctors in the hospital have been called away by Ms. Kemp to examine her husband. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

My mind went completely blank as I bolted toward the hospital room the nurse had pointed to.

"Emma! My dad has collapsed! Please, let the doctors go save him!"

Emma looked at me coldly. "Vince, spare me the act. I can't believe you'd use your own father's life just to get my attention."

I stared at her in disbelief, tears streaming down my face. "Emma, I'm telling the truth!"

She frowned impatiently and was about to gesture toward a doctor when Scott, who was being treated like royalty on the hospital bed, pursed his lips and protested, "No way! Vince still hasn't apologized to me. Have him get on his knees and slap himself three times as an apology!"

I turned my reddened eyes toward Emma, but she avoided my gaze.

"Vince, Scott's right. Why don't you just apologize to him?"

For Dad's sake, I gritted my teeth and swallowed my pride, dropping to my knees.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have scolded or shoved you."

As I spoke, I slapped myself across the face until blood seeped from my lips and my vision blurred.

I lifted my head and looked silently at Emma. "Is that enough? Can you save my dad now?"

A glaring streak of red slid down my jaw.

Emma's chest tightened. She grabbed a doctor at random and shoved him toward me.

"Fine. Go check on Mr. Cline now."

I let out a breath of relief and pulled the doctor along as I ran back to Dad.

But the moment the doctor saw Dad, his expression changed.

He listened to Dad's heartbeat, checked his eyes, and then let out a heavy sigh.

"Why did you only come now? It's too late. His pupils are already fixed and dilated. I'm sorry for your loss."

Feeling utterly dazed, I collapsed to my knees at the doctor's feet.

"That's impossible! Doctor, I'm begging you to please save my dad! I can't lose him!"

The next second, everything went black, and I passed out.

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. I looked up and met Emma's gaze.

"You're awake."

As I gazed at her face, I felt a haze come over me. And for a moment, I saw the young woman who had once saved me from Mom.

"Vince, stop picking on Scott. If you want a child too, we can have one," Emma said as if granting a favor.

I let out a self-mocking laugh. "Emma, you don't deserve to be loved at all."

I ripped the IV needle from my hand and slowly walked to the window.

Emma frowned and asked impatiently, "Vince, what do you think you're doing? I've already forgiven you—what more do you want?"

I leaned back against the windowsill. "Emma, let's not ever meet again in the next life."

Emma finally panicked. "Vince, no!"

I turned around and leaped.

Down on the ground floor, Bernadette—who had been hiding there smoking a cigarette—stared in stunned horror as I plunged down and landed right in front of her.