Losing a child

“You cannot be here.”

“Out of my way.” Blaine stared the young nurse down in her white dress. 

She was evidently scared of offending someone as powerful as him, but she was even more scared to offend whoever it was that she was protecting.

“This is a private area, chairman. I cannot let you in.” She pleaded, even as her lips trembled.

“You said Sullivan was here. Oliver Sullivan.” He studied her intently as he spoke, observing the way her body jerked to that name.

Her reaction confirmed he had not heard wrong earlier.

And that name confirmed that his suspicion was not wrong either. 

His son was alive and Ariel was trying to keep him away.

It makes sense now why she reacted that way to Olivia’s name last night, just before Ophelia interrupted them.

Oliver and Olivia. Why? Why the hell would he be of the same mind as that gold digger? 

His mind traveled back to the days leading up to the pregnancy, and the reason for the intimacy in the first place.

It was because of the similarity of their minds.

“Get her out of the way.” Blaine said over his shoulder to one of his assistants standing behind them, suddenly feeling irritated with himself at that memory.

His stupidity all those months ago embarrassed him. The bond he thought he had with Ariel in those three days leading up to her pregnancy had all been an act, but somehow he had fallen for her deceit.

This had been the woman’s plan the whole time he was baring his soul to her and telling her things he never even admitted to his best friends.

The whole time, her only interest was in having his child and then using that to control him. 

He had no idea how she managed to get even Father eating out of her hands too. 

But he guessed that was what gold-digging social climbers did. Charm you into falling into their trap. 

Blaine stood stiff as the nurse stubbornly resisted the guards' attempts to pull her away, begging him with tears in her eyes.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” A female voice said behind them.

Blaine turned to see a woman in a severe-looking pair of brown suit and nerdy glasses watching them with a disapproving frown.

“Only brutes would put their hands on a woman.”

“Mind your words, lady.” One of his assistants put himself between her and his boss, looking down at her with threatening eyes. “You are speaking to Chairman Tucker.

The woman looked away from his assistant with a smirk. “I apologize for not introducing myself.” She gave a slow bow. “I’m Eleanor Santos, the secretary to the only chairman of Mõshon.”

Blaine felt the sting deep in his chest. She had just insulted him in the most veiled manner.

“You cannot be here. Please leave, or I will have to call the chairman.”

Blaine held his lips, wondering whether it was worth his time to engage her in this power contest. 

He decided against it. The one he had problems with was Ariel. Kan and all his minions would only feel the heat of his fury if they tried to step in between him and Ariel.

He turned and walked away, back towards Olivia’s ward.

When he walked in, he saw his daughter was alone with his wife’s assistant.

“Where is Ophelia?” He asked the tiny woman who could never meet his eyes.

She jumped as soon as she heard his voice, bowed and kept her eyes on the floor.

“She said she had to be somewhere.”

“Where?” Blaine could not help barking. She knew exactly where her boss was, and his patience was too chaffed to stand any of that pretentious ignorance and timidity the woman always wore like a cloak.

She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, and bowed her head again, “She went to the Inoue’s memorial.”

“What?” Blaine’s eyes went to his daughter, her chest rising and falling, her little head all bandaged. 

He turned back to Ophelia’s assistant, the silent question in his eyes. How could Ophelia leave her daughter in this state and go anywhere?

One of his assistants walked up behind him, and whispered in his ear, “The Madam is causing a scene at the memorial.”

“What?” He squinted at the guard who shrunk away at his reaction. 

Had Opheila not caused enough scandal as it was?

“What did you just say?”

I walked towards the minister’s wife to calm her down, and she whipped her head around to look at me.

“Did you hear her? Did you hear this witch?”

“Honey.” The minister joined me to hold her back from attacking Ophelia, who was still on her knees, her head touching the wooden floor.

“Hansei shite orimasu ” Ophelia apologized. “I almost lost my daughter last night. Now I understand better how you must have felt all this time. How you must still feel.”

“Someone get her out of here before I shred her to pieces.” The minister’s wife finally shrieked, unable to maintain composure anymore. “I swear I will forget who her father is and kill her.”

I held her as my mind tried to quickly process all that was happening. 

Was Ophelia truly sorry? She was a very proud and arrogant woman, for her to appear in public like this and cry and beg..

What exactly happened to their daughter that caused this change of heart from her, and made Blaine cry in the dark?

The image of a purple-skinned and limp Oliver flashed across my mind and I shuddered. 

I could see Kan glance at me from the corner of my eyes, and then he walked towards where Ophelia still had her head to the floor.

“Mrs Tucker, you can always come some other time. I think it’s best for you to leave for now.”

The guests were becoming rancorous now, and the guards hung around in uncertainty. Ophelia was still the National leader’s daughter, and they were unsure whether they could touch her.

“I will not move an inch till I prove my repentance.”

“Repentance.” The National leader’s wife flew out of my grasp. “You think knocking your head means anything to me? Will it bring back my Airi from the ashes?” She yelled, and then she was grabbing Ophelia’s hair and pulling her off the floor.

Everyone gasped collectively as those of us closest to her rushed forward and attempted to pry her hands off Ophelia’s hair, who was sobbing louder now, although she did not even try to defend herself.

I glanced at her just once, before escorting the minister’s wife upstairs to her bedroom, with her husband's permission.

If Ophelia’s repentance was fake, then she was really a great actress. 

If I did not know how evil and vicious she was, I would have been totally convinced by now.

I helped the minister's wife to her bed as her maids ran around to make sure she was comfortable.

“She killed my daughter. That witch killed my daughter. Airi was such a good girl.” The older lady sat on the bed and beat her hand against her chest again and again, “she never hurt anyone.”

I nodded, as my heart squeezed. I knew the pain of losing a child.

I wish I could make Ophelia experience the same pain too, but in my heart, I knew I couldn’t do that to anybody.