Chapter 4

I turned around and there he was again—Derek.

The same man who had stopped me from dying, over and over.

He collapsed onto the ground, pale and gasping for air. It was as if pulling me back had drained whatever strength he had left.

"Why is it always you?" I snapped, frowning. "Mind your own damn business. My death would be better for everyone."

Derek's jaw clenched tightly. His hand shot up, and he nearly slapped me across the face. But at the last second, he pulled back and slammed his fist into the floor instead.

The wound on his palm, still bandaged from before, burst open again. Blood soaked through the gauze, but he didn't even flinch.

"You're going to throw your life away over that bastard? Why not just divorce him and be done with it?

"Patricia, can you have some self-respect? What about the people who actually love you? What are they supposed to do if you're gone?"

Derek grabbed my shoulders. His eyes were full of wounded frustration as he looked at me.

His voice softened, lips pressed into a tight line, and then he leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

I could feel the slight tremor in his body.

Was he afraid?

After a beat, Derek spoke again. His voice was barely above a whisper. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Why can't you just look at me?"

Derek's heartfelt confession was overheard by none other than Maynard, who had just come upstairs.

His face twisted with rage, and the veins in his neck were bulging. Without warning, he swung and punched Derek hard across the face.

Maynard shouted, "You bastard! I treated you like family. Do you even realize who you're after? That's my wife!"

Derek completely lost it. He didn't care about their so-called friendship anymore and lunged straight at Maynard.

The two of them crashed to the floor, locked in a brutal fight. Derek's eyes burned with fury as he swung his fists at Maynard without holding back.

"I was the one who fell for her first. Patricia was the one who found me when I collapsed on that freezing street during my heart attack. She got me to the hospital.

"She saved my life. So, why the hell do you get to treat the woman I love like garbage? If you don't love her, why keep pretending to care?

"You're disgusting."

Maynard grabbed Derek by the throat. His voice was hoarse with fury. "You think I'm disgusting? You're the one chasing after another man's wife. How's that not disgusting?

"And you think you can go up against me? You really believe I won't lay a hand on you?"

They kept fighting, kicking, and shouting. Neither was willing to back down.

Waldo burst into tears nearby, terrified.

My head throbbed from the noise. I just wanted peace.

Was it really so hard to die in silence?

"Shut up! All of you!"

My voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. Both men froze with their fists still raised. Waldo quieted, reduced to sniffles.

I walked up to Derek, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes as he looked at me.

I looked at him calmly. My eyes were devoid of emotion. "Derek, if your idea of love is pushing me around and making my life hell, then that's not love. It's pathetic.

"If I'd known this was how you'd turn out, I would've left you to die in that freezing street.

"You and Maynard? You're both equally disgusting. Now, get out of my sight. I don't ever want to see you again."

My words cut deep into Derek. Tears streamed silently down his face as he murmured, "I… I don't know how to love someone the right way. I just want you to stay alive.

"If walking away means you'll be better off, then I'll go."

After he left, only Maynard and Waldo were left on the rooftop with me.

"Alright, the show's over. Come down before you traumatize the kid," Maynard said coldly.

He reached out a hand to pull me back from the edge.

But then the housekeeper came running up with a shout. "Mr. Hansen! Something's wrong! Ms. Thompson just fainted!"

Maynard yanked his hand back immediately.

"I'm coming!" He bolted off without a second thought. Once again, he chose her over me.

Waldo followed at first, then abruptly turned back. He glared up at me, and his tone was sharp. "You're mean! You made Dad fight, and now Ms. Thompson fainted. I don't want you to be my mom anymore."

I looked at the child I had carried for nine months and brought into this world through hours of agony. This was the child I had loved with everything I had.

And under Darlene's influence, he had turned on me.

I let out a slow breath. If I were going to die, I might as well give him a parting gift.

I said with a faint smile, "How about this? I know a way to make Ms. Thompson your mom. Would you like that?"

"Really?" he asked, blinking those big, hopeful eyes at me.

I nodded. "Really. But you've got to watch closely."

I took Waldo's hand and walked with him toward the edge of the rooftop. He followed with innocent trust, oblivious to what was about to happen. His heart was full of hope that Darlene would finally be his new mother.

Carrying the weight of Waldo's hatred for me, and under the innocent, hopeful gaze in his eyes, I leapt off the rooftop.

In that instant, his eyes went wide with shock. He stumbled forward, tripping over himself in a desperate attempt to catch me, but he was too late.

He rushed to the edge and looked down just in time to see blood blooming around my body like a twisted firework. The green lawn below was painted red.

That was my final gift to him.