CHAPTER 4

Lucas rushed through the hospital, his heart racing as fast as his feet. Rain slapped against the hospital windows like angry hands. He was drenched, but he didn't mind this time.  His mind was spinning, refusing to believe the words from the phone. 

He didn’t remember parking very well. He didn’t remember the elevator. All he remembered was a nurse leading him down a straight pathway, quiet and slow.

They stopped outside a room. The walls were white, just too white for the type of news they deliver. 

“Are you ready?” the nurse asked gently.

Lucas nodded quickly.

The door opened, and he stepped inside. There was a body on the bed, covered in a white sheet. The room was silent, and just footsteps were heard. 

Two nurses stood beside the bed. One of them slowly pulled the sheet down, revealing the face.

Lucas took a step back.

It was him.

His father.

Mr. David’s face was still, his eyes closed, a bandage wrapped around his forehead. There were bruises along his cheekbones and dried blood on his collar.

“No…” Lucas whispered, his knees weakening as he leaned on the wall. “No, no, no, no.”

He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. The man who once seemed larger than life now looked so small, so still.

It was as if the storm outside grew louder.

And just like that, Benjamin David was gone.

********

The day of the burial was dark, not just in the sky, but in spirit.

The cemetery was filled with people in black dresses, with black umbrellas, and moody faces. The sound of shovels scraping earth echoed as the casket was lowered into the ground.

Alicia stood quietly under her umbrella, dressed in all black, her eyes swollen from silent tears. Amaya was by her side, holding her arm gently.

“You don’t have to be strong today,” Amaya whispered.

But Alicia didn’t respond. She just stared at the grave, remembering the man who believed in her more than her husband ever did.

Lucas stood beside the casket, unmoving, his hand inside his pocket, and he felt his world had come down. His father has single-handedly trained him after his mum died, now it is just him. 

Becky stood in the crowd, her expression somber on the outside. But deep inside, she felt something else.

Finally, she thought. The old man is gone. The obstacle is out of the way. 

She had hidden it well, the jealousy she felt every time Mr. David praised Alicia, every time he stood up for her, protected her. He was the only one who could stand between them.

Now, he was no more.

That night, the rain returned, but not as heavy as before. The whole house was quiet.

Alicia sat by the window, her head resting gently on the glass, watching raindrops drop down from the sky. The room was dimly lit, and Maya was already asleep in her little bed.

Alicia closed her eyes.

3 years ago…

She remembered it clearly, the night Lucas found out she was pregnant. It was supposed to be one of those nights when she just had to sleep over in her boyfriend's house and go to hers the next morning, but it wasn't. 

“I can’t be a father right now, Alicia,” he had snapped.

“I didn’t ask you to be one!” she’d shouted back. “But I’m keeping the baby.”

They had fought all night. And the next morning, someone knocked on the door.

It was Mr. David.

She had no idea he had been in town. She never even told him. But somehow, he knew.

He sat across from her and said, “I heard everything.”

Alicia was embarrassed. She had expected judgment, maybe even threats.

But he only reached for her hand and said, “If he doesn’t take responsibility, I will. You’re family now. And that baby… is my grandchild.”

Since then, he had been more of a father than her own ever was.

She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Rest well, Daddy David.”

****

A week passed, then two.

It was just like every normal afternoon, Lucas was in his office when the door opened.

Becky stepped in, wearing a tight black short skirt and a silk white blouse. Her hair was tied neatly, her lips painted red. She didn’t knock, she never did.

Lucas looked up, “You didn't tell me you would be coming, do you need anything?”

She smiled seductively. “It’s been weeks since your father’s funeral… and a month since your successful surgery. You are recovering just fine, the universe indeed gave you a second chance.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair. “Becky, what is it this time?”

She placed her purse on his table, sat in the chair across from him, and folded her legs. Then, she looked straight into his eyes.

“I’m pregnant, Lucas.”

“What?”

Becky nodded slowly. “You heard me.”

He blinked, and for the first time in weeks, he smiled.

“You’re serious?” he stood and walked around the table, hugging her with joy. “I can’t believe this… I’m going to be a father again.”

But Becky gently pushed him off, her face flat. “Don’t get too excited.”

Lucas stepped back. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m giving you two days, Lucas. Divorce Alicia… or say goodbye to me and your baby.”

His smile dropped instantly. “Becky…”

“No.” She stood, straightened her blouse. “Two days. That’s all.”

And with that, she walked out.

*****

That night, rain poured again, heavier than before.

Alicia stood in the kitchen, peeling oranges slowly. Her fingers moved carefully, even though her thoughts were far away.

The clock ticked.

Maya had been tucked into bed earlier, and the whole house was quiet again.

She walked to the window, holding the peeled fruit in a bowl. She looked outside, waiting for the headlights to shine through the rain.

Then, she heard the front door open.

Footsteps.

Lucas stepped in, wet from the rain, holding his suitcase. 

Alicia turned.

“Welcome,” she said softly. “Do you need coffee?”

Lucas didn’t answer. He walked to the couch, reached into his wet jacket, and pulled out an envelope.

He placed it gently on the chair.

Then looked her in the eyes and said:

“I want a divorce.”