Chapter 4

Kevin stood there in his pajama shorts, with broken porcelain scattered all around his feet. Standing across from him were my parents.

Autumn rushed over, grabbing him and checking him over. "Kev, are you hurt?"

"Kev?"

Mom and Dad exchanged a look. Before they could even ask why Kevin's face had become identical to mine, they noticed the way Kevin and Autumn were holding hands. Their expressions immediately darkened.

"Autumn, what is the meaning of this?"

Autumn was quiet for a moment. Then she gripped Kevin's hand tighter. "It's exactly what you saw and heard."

Dad's chest heaved violently, and he nearly collapsed. "Have you lost your mind? How could you do this to Clark?"

Mom steadied him, then turned her furious gaze on the two of them.

Kevin suddenly dropped to his knees in front of my parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Ballard, this is all my fault. I'm the one who wronged Clark. I'm begging you. Please, just let us be together."

Autumn hurriedly pulled him to his feet before turning to my parents, her voice cold. "I know I wronged Clark. I promise that I'll visit you another day and apologize properly.

"But I will not stand here and watch the father of my child be humiliated. So, please leave for now."

Back then, she had knelt before my parents and promised to grow old with me and told them they could rest easy.

Since Dad had a bad heart, I'd never told him about Autumn's affair, terrified of what a shock might do to him.

So now, to learn that Autumn had gotten together with the man he'd treated like his own son, and that the man had even made himself look like me, intending to take my place entirely, Dad was overwhelmed with anger.

"H-How dare you do this to him?"

His eyes widened as he spoke, but the shock was too much. His eyes rolled back, and he crashed to the floor.

"Dad!"

I rushed over before shoving Kevin out of my way. "Get out of my way!"

Kevin froze, his hands clenched tightly into fists. Autumn's expression turned icy as she immediately stepped in front of him protectively.

Clutching her stomach, she took several deep breaths. "Clark, do you really have to be this cruel?"

But by that point, I couldn't care less about what she was saying.

We rushed Dad to the hospital, only to be told that all the operating rooms were occupied and we'd have to wait. With every passing minute, Dad's face grew paler.

My heart was pounding with worry when I suddenly remembered the hospital had a backup operating room reserved for doctors' family members in emergencies.

But when I mentioned it, the nurse sneered.

"Dr. Freeman is having pregnancy complications, and her husband is with her in the room next door, helping her stay on bed rest. And who are you to claim you're family? If you want a room, get in line!"

I stood there frozen. Dad's breathing grew weaker, and he was in so much pain he could barely speak. Mom was sobbing uncontrollably, desperately urging me to do something.

I had no time to think about anything else, so I rushed straight into Autumn's room.

I'd barely told her about my dad when Kevin threw the bowl in his hand onto the floor. "Clark, I know you hate me, but Autumn and I almost lost our baby.

"Isn't that punishment enough? Do I really have to die before you'll forgive me?"

At his words, the hesitation in Autumn's eyes vanished instantly. She turned and took his hand, her face full of concern. "You should leave. Once Kev is calmer, I'll go see your dad."

I stared at her in disbelief, as though I were looking at a complete stranger. She caught my look and frowned.

"Don't look at me like that. When it comes down to it, if you hadn't rushed out and exposed the truth to my parents, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up that it affected the baby…"

She trailed off. I immediately dropped to my knees, biting my lip so hard I nearly drew blood. "Is this enough? Can you save my dad now?"

I slammed my forehead against the floor again and again, each dull thud echoing through the room. Warm blood trickled down my forehead and into my eyes, turning everything in front of me red.

And that was when my phone lit up. It was a message from the nurse. "The patient didn't make it. His heart has stopped. His wife couldn't bear the shock and jumped out of the window."

Something inside my head snapped. And in that same moment, my heart died.

Without even bothering to wipe the blood off my face, I ran out. I didn't even remember how many times I'd fallen while running downstairs. All I knew was that seeing my mom's lifeless body right in front of me crushed me.

"Mom, wake up…"

I sat there, dazed, holding that ice-cold hand and giving it a little shake. Alas, the woman in my arms was never going to open her eyes, touch my face, and lovingly call my name again.

I numbly got to my feet. The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn't even scream or cry. Then, swaying, I started forward. "Mom, Dad, let's go home…"

Autumn came rushing out of the hospital when she heard the news. But as soon as she saw the scene before her, her face turned deathly white, and she screamed, "Clark!"