Fractured heart

Fiona’s POV

I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time, staring at the bouquet of red roses on the table. Their sweet scent clung to my nose, almost mocking the chaos in my chest. My pussy still twitched from the thought of Austin's touch, from the way his fingers had drawn pleasure out of me so gently, yet my mind kept drifting back to Jalen.

A few hours later, I heard my phone buzz as I walked to the table where the flowers were seated, quickly dusting some dust off my hands before picking it up.

It was Austin again, I think he is obsessed at this point.

“I’m really sorry for rushing things tonight. I got carried away. I don’t want you to feel pressured. Can I make it up to you with dinner tomorrow night? Just dinner. Nothing more, I promise.”

I stared at the message for a while before replying.

“Dinner sounds nice. Let’s do that.”

I dropped the phone on the bed and sighed. Part of me wanted to feel excited, but the other part felt numb. I was still too broken to let anyone in fully. I wanted to be sure about how I truly feel for him.

I had just stepped out of the shower when my phone rang again. This time, it was Dad.

The moment I answered, I knew something was wrong. His voice was tight and low, like a groan. I’ve never heard him speak like that before since I knew he was my father.

“Fiona… It’s your mother. She collapsed this evening. We’re at the hospital.”

My heart dropped.

“What? Is she okay? What happened?”

“I don’t know princessThey’re running tests. You need to come home, sweetheart. As soon as possible.”

“Yes, I’m coming. I’ll get the next available flight.”

I didn’t even think twice.

I threw clothes into my suitcase in a rush, heart pounding. My hands shook as I booked the earliest flight back to London — no, back home. The one-way ticket cost a fortune, but I didn’t care.

In my panic, my phone slipped from my sweaty palm and crashed onto the tiled floor. The screen shattered completely. Black. Dead.

“Shit!” I snapped, gathering the rest of the scrambled phone into my bag.

There was no time to fix it. I grabbed my things and rushed out. Austin’s name flashed in my mind for a split second, but I had no way to reach him. No time to explain.

I was able to book the earliest flight and the flight felt endless. Every minute stretched with worry and suppressed tears. I had hated my parents for a long time and now that we are finally getting along, Mum fell ill. How hard can life be? I curled into my seat as thoughts ran through my head.

By the time I landed and took a taxi straight to the hospital, it was already past midnight.

I ran through the sterile hallways, suitcase wheels clattering loudly behind me. My father was pacing outside the ICU, looking older than I’d ever seen him. The moment he spotted me, his shoulders sagged with relief.

“Fiona…”

I dropped my bag and ran into his arms. He held me tightly, one hand cradling the back of my head as he used to when I was a little girl. That was the first and last time he held me like that until now.

The tears I’d been holding back since the call finally broke free. I sobbed into his chest, body shaking.

“Shh… It’s okay, princess. She’s stable for now,” he whispered, rubbing my back. “She’s a fighter.”

“What happened, Dad?” I asked through tears, pulling back slightly. “Tell me the truth.”

He sighed heavily, eyes red and tired.

“This might be hard to hear. Your mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Stage three. She’s been managing it quietly for over a year. She thought she could handle it alone but now, until the doctor says something, we don't know what to expect.”

The words hit me like a rock.

Cancer.

A whole year.

I stumbled backward and crashed into a plastic chair, legs giving out. Fresh tears streamed down my face. All the times I’d complained about her strictness, her distance, her obsession with reputation… and she had been fighting this alone.

“I should have been here,” I whispered. “I should have known.”

Dad sat beside me and pulled me close again. “None of us knew how serious it was until tonight. The doctors had to operate immediately.”

We sat in heavy silence until a nurse finally came out.

“Your wife is out of surgery, Mr. Harry. She’s been moved to a private ward, but she’s still in a coma. She’s on a ventilator. We’ll know more in the next twenty-four hours.”

I stood up immediately. “Can I see her?”

The nurse nodded but she wasn’t smiling, my heart fluttered. I rubbed the back of my neck and followed behind her.

The moment I stepped into the dimly lit private ward, my knees nearly buckled.

Mum looked so small in the hospital bed, her face was so pale and weak. Tubes and wires connected to her body, the steady beep of machines filled the room. A breathing tube was taped to her mouth.

I walked slowly to her bedside, tears falling freely. I took her cold hand in mine and squeezed it gently.

“Mum… It’s me. I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.”

No response even though I wished she did so badly, for the first time I missed her strictness and I craved it, I wanted her to say something at least. My devilish thoughts crept in as I stared at her—what if she never wakes up again? What am I to do? But I quickly shook it off.

Soon, dad had to leave, the hospital had reached its visitation limit but I stayed with her through the night, I was allowed to stay.

Dad tried to convince me to go home and rest, but I refused. I pulled up a chair beside her bed and sat there, watching her chest rise and fall with the help of the machine.

Hours turned into days.

I didn’t leave the hospital. I ate whatever Dad brought me. Slept in short, uncomfortable bursts in the chair. Washed up in the small bathroom attached to the ward.

My broken phone remained untouched in my bag and honestly, I didn't care at all. But my thoughts suddenly drifted to Austin, I hadn't spoken to him, and I was so sure he would have tried to reach me several times, maybe even gone to the hotel I stayed at. I hadn't explained why I disappeared so suddenly.

I sat beside my unconscious mother, holding her hand and whispering promises I wasn’t sure I could keep, and I realized how truly alone I felt.

The only thing that mattered now was her, everything else would have to wait.