Chapter 4

Orlena's POV 

My phone suddenly rang the moment I stepped into the parking lot, my fingers tightening slightly around my bag as I slowed down. 

Brent and Joan were already heading toward my car, their steps unhurried like they had all the time in the world.

I paused, glancing down at the screen.

It was the hospital.

My heart skipped.

Huh?

They had never called me like this before.

A strange feeling crept up my chest.

Did something happen?

I quickly swiped across the screen and brought the phone to my ear.

“Hello…”

“Hello, Mrs Orlena,” the voice on the other end said, hurried but controlled. “We would appreciate it if you can arrive at the hospital in a few minutes. There is an emergency concerning your father.”

Everything inside me dropped at once.

My grip on the phone tightened as my legs suddenly felt heavy.

“I… is my father okay?” I stammered, my voice shaking.

There was a pause.

“Well, we do need your presence before we can say anything.”

The call ended.

I stared at the screen for a second, my eyes wide, my mind refusing to process what I just heard.

No…

No, no…

“Brent!”

I didn’t even realize when I called out, my feet already moving as I rushed toward them, my breath uneven.

“I… I need to get to the hospital right now,” I said quickly, my voice breaking slightly. “I think something is wrong with my father. The hospital just called.”

For a brief second, something flickered across Brent’s face, something I couldn’t quite place before it disappeared again.

“Then do you want me to get the driver for you?” he asked.

I shook my head immediately. “No.”

I didn’t have the patience to wait. I turned to Joan, stretching out my hand toward her. “The car key.”

She hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around it.

“But Brent… I wanted to ride in this one,” she said softly, her voice dragging slightly. “Isn’t there another car you can use? I’m sure there are others.”

Something snapped in me. I didn’t have the energy for this now.

I stepped closer, grabbed her hand without thinking and pulled the key out of her grip.

“I don’t have time for this,” I said, my voice low but firm.

I didn’t wait for a response.

I turned and rushed to the car, my hands trembling as I unlocked it and got in. The engine roared to life almost immediately, and I drove out without looking back.

I didn’t care about the looks on their faces.

I didn’t care about anything else.

All I could think about was my father.

The drive felt endless.

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel, my heart pounding loudly in my chest as my thoughts ran wild.

Please be fine.

Please just be fine.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight as I pressed harder on the accelerator.

Nothing will happen. He will be fine.

He has to be fine.

By the time I got to the hospital, my hands were already shaking. I parked carelessly and rushed out, barely remembering to grab my bag as I hurried inside.

“Mrs Orlena?”

A nurse approached me immediately.

“Yes… yes, that’s me,” I said quickly. “My father… what happened?”

“Please come with me.”

Her tone was calm but it didn’t make me feel any better.

I followed her down the hallway, my steps unsteady as my heart kept racing.

“He had a routine checkup this morning,” she explained as we walked. 

“Everything seemed stable at the time, but his condition suddenly worsened in the afternoon. He hasn’t been responding well, so we had to call you.”

My chest tightened painfully.

Suddenly worsened?

How?

We reached the ward, and the moment I stepped inside, I stopped.

There were more machines connected to him than before.

The steady beeping filled the room, loud in my ears as I stared at him lying there, so still, so pale.

“Dad…”

My voice broke immediately as I rushed to his side, my fingers gripping his hand tightly.

It felt colder than usual.

“No… no, please…” I whispered, my vision blurring as tears filled my eyes. “You’re going to be fine… you always are.”

He didn’t respond.

Not even a slight movement.

My chest tightened as the tears finally slipped down my cheeks.

“Please wake up,” I said softly, shaking his hand slightly. “Dad… it’s me.”

Nothing.

The machines kept beeping, steady and cold.

A doctor walked in quickly, his expression serious as he moved toward the monitors.

“Please step aside,” he said.

I shook my head immediately. “No, I…”

“Please,” he repeated, more firmly this time.

My fingers slowly loosened around my father’s hand as I stepped back, my heart pounding.

The doctor moved closer, checking the machines, adjusting something as another nurse rushed in.

Everything started happening too fast.

“His vitals are dropping,” one of them said.

“What is happening?” I asked, my voice shaking as I looked between them. “What’s wrong with him?”

No one answered me.

My father’s body suddenly jerked slightly, and my heart jumped into my throat.

“Dad!”

I took a step forward but the nurse held me back.

“Please stay back,” she said.

I shook my head, panic rising. “What’s happening? Why is he…”

The machines started making a different sound.

Louder.

Faster.

Then suddenly…

It slowed down.

Everything went quiet.

My ears rang as I stared at the monitor, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

“No…”

The doctor moved quickly, pressing something, calling out instructions.

“Come on… come on…” he muttered.

I stood there, frozen, my hands trembling as I watched them move around him, trying to bring him back.

“Please…” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Please don’t do this…”

Seconds passed.

Or maybe minutes.

I didn’t even know anymore.

Then the doctor stopped.

The room went still.

I stared at him, my chest tightening painfully as he slowly turned to look at me.

“I’m sorry, Mrs Caldwell,” he said quietly. “We lost him.”

I just stood there, staring at him, my mind blank.

Lost him?

No…

“No…” I shook my head slowly. “No, that’s not…”

But they were already moving.

The nurse reached for the sheet, gently pulling it over my father’s body.

“Wait… wait, no…” I rushed forward, my hands shaking as I grabbed the sheet. “He’s not gone… he’s just… he just needs…”

My voice broke completely.

“Dad, please… wake up,” I cried, my tears falling freely now. “You can’t leave me… you can’t…”

But he didn’t move.

He didn’t respond.

And slowly, painfully, it started to sink in.

He was gone.

A loud cry escaped my lips as I bent over him, my shoulders shaking.

“Please don’t leave me…” I begged, gripping the sheet tightly. “You promised me…”

But promises didn’t matter anymore.

Nothing did.

I don’t know how long I stayed there.

At some point, they gently pulled me away.

At some point, they told me to gather his things.

At some point, they took him away.

I watched them go, my vision blurred, my body numb.

My father was gone.

The only family I had left… was gone.

By the time I stepped out of the hospital, the day was still up, people still moving around like nothing had changed.

But everything had changed for me.

I stood there for a moment, staring ahead, my mind empty.

Then slowly, my hand moved to my stomach.

Barely looking like there was anything there, but something was there. A shaky breath left my lips.

“This is all I have now,” I whispered to myself.

My baby. I didn't plan for you but you are all I have.

I closed my eyes briefly, my fingers pressing lightly against my stomach.

“I’ll keep you,” I said softly. “I’ll raise you… I’ll love you.”

No matter what.

Even if I had to do it alone.

I wiped my face slowly and walked to my car, my movements heavy as I got in.

For a moment, I just sat there.

Then I picked up my phone and dialed Brent’s number.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then he picked up.

“Hello?”

“I want to end the contract,” I said immediately, my voice calm despite everything.

There was a pause.

“What?”

“The marriage contract,” I said. “Let’s end it. We can get divorced tomorrow. I’ll leave.”

There was a cold silence on the other end. For a second, I thought the call had ended.

Then his voice came again.

“Come home.” Then the line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my grip tightening.

“Idiot…” I muttered under my breath, hitting the steering wheel lightly. I wiped my tears again and started the car.

The drive back felt quiet.

Too quiet.

When I got home, I walked in slowly, my steps heavy. Brent was in the living room.

Joan sat beside him, her hand wrapped around his arm while his elbow rested on his knee, his head slightly lowered.

He looked worried.

I didn’t care.

I had already given up.

“The divorce documents you mentioned before,” I said immediately, my voice steady. “Can we sign them now?”

He looked up at me, his brows pulling together.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked. “Why would you want that now? It’s not even six months yet.”

A small, dry laugh left my lips.

“I know,” I said. “I just don’t have a reason to continue anymore.”

I swallowed hard.

“I raised Eli well. I did my job. The marriage can end now.”

His expression hardened slightly.

“Did you forget that if you end the contract early, you won’t get the remaining benefits?” he asked.

“I remember,” I replied.

“And you still want to leave?”

“Yes.”

Before he could say anything else, Joan spoke softly.

“Brent… if she wants to go, just let her,” she said, her hand tightening slightly around his arm. “There’s no difference between now and six months later.”

For the first time, I agreed with her. But Brent didn’t look convinced.

“Why are you refusing?” I asked, my patience thinning.

He suddenly straightened slightly, his expression shifting.

“Eli is in his room,” he said. “With a doctor.”

I frowned. “A doctor?”

My heart skipped again.

“What happened?”

Before he could answer, footsteps echoed from the stairs. The doctor came down with Cassandra and his mother.

“Mr Caldwell,” the doctor said, his tone serious. “The boy needs to be brought to the hospital immediately.”

My chest tightened.

“What is wrong with him?” I asked quickly.

Brent’s hand clenched slightly.

“It’s Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,” he said quietly. “And he’s been calling for you, so you see why…I…I can't let you go Orlena, you're the only one he wants. You're his mother.”

Ah, my voice broke. What kind of mess is this? Is the universe playing a cruel joke with me?

I looked at Brent, his eyes pleading. His hands were trembling. What now? 

I can't even leave now that I've decided to?