LOGINShare
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Last Updated:
2025-08-13 20:06:25
Latest chapter
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER FORTY
#Dorothy’s POV#I wake up panting.My body’s hot, my skin’s clammy, and my heart’s racing like I’d been running through fire in my sleep. My nightdress is twisted around my thigh and my bandaged fingers are clenched so tight I have to peel them open, one by one. My eyes sting and my throat’s sore like I’ve been screaming.Because I had been. In my dreams. I can’t remember all of it, but there was fire. Screams. Joel’s voice. Blood on my hands. Rico yelling. And then black.I felt trapped again. Like everything I’d been pushing down came back up all at once; all the anger, shame and fear came rushing back. Even in my sleep, I couldn’t escape it.I sit up slowly, blinking at the faint orange smear bleeding in from behind the curtains. Dawn. I hadn’t even gotten two full hours of sleep. Not after what happened last night.What Joel said keeps circling. How he called me a curse, said my body was spiritually tainted. Like I brought this on myself. Like being sick is a punishment. And then…
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
#Joel’s POV#I’m in a good mood today. Not the “happy” kind—don’t get it twisted. It’s that funky, twisted amusement you get when you know you’re about to throw fire on a gas leak and just stand back and watch it burn.It’s been days since we all sat down together. The house has been unusually quiet. Dorothy’s been walking around with those bandaged fingers and distant eyes. Rico’s been acting like her nurse, nanny, and new goddamn husband.And me?I’ve been watching.Every movement. Every lovey-dovey glance. Every whisper they think I don’t hear. Every smile she only gives him now.It’s funny. Disgusting, but funny.So tonight, I’ve planned something. I’ve been preparing all day, even skipped lunch to sharpen it. And now? I’m ready for dinner.The dining room is overly quiet when we gather. The staff already know what’s up. They scurried away like roaches as soon as I walked in. The long glass table holds three plates, steaming. Not a sound except forks tapping ceramic and that stupi
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
#Rico’s POV#I don’t even know this villa had a gym until today.It’s in one of those quiet wings no one really uses; the ones Joel insists are “too modern” and clean. Everything’s white and glass and echoey in here, but I don’t care. I need this.I wrap my knuckles tighter and slam my fists into the hanging bag, again, again, again, and again. The thud vibrates in my elbows but I welcome it. I need it to distract me. I need it to bury the stuff bubbling up inside.Why am I doing all this for her?Dorothy’s asked me, over and over. She’s not dumb. She sees how much I’m doing and how little I’m saying.And I keep playing it cool. Saying it’s nothing.But it’s not nothing.Because the truth is—I don’t know why I’m doing all this. Or maybe I do.Maybe it’s guilt.I hit harder. Let my breathing get ragged.I’ve been a shit person most of my life. I don’t even need Joel or Paulina to remind me. I know.Atlanta. New York. Even before then. My history’s not clean. Not even close.I can’t for
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
#Dorothy’s POV#I should’ve stopped thinking about him by now. I should’ve.I sit outside, hugging my knees on the cushioned recliner, the morning sun barely making a dent in the cold I feel inside. I don’t even have the energy to pretend anymore. I don’t even know what part hurts the most.Maybe it’s because I still expected something. Even if not love… at least basic decency. But no. Joel had to make sure I heard them.Last night was vile. I mean, what the hell was that?He brought Hillary, his plastic toy—I guess from the tone of voice I heard—into the same villa I was returning to after chemo. He knew I’d be tired. He knew I’d be hurting. And he knew I’d hear.The walls aren’t made of concrete. Not when it comes to screams and moans.I hadn’t even fully stepped out of Rico’s car before I heard the noises. They were already halfway into their act like some deranged performance.It sounded like her. Hillary. Of course it did.Rico had pretended not to hear. He smiled thinly, gently
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
#Joel’s POV#It’s quiet down here. Cold, too.The kind of cold that starts in your chest and just doesn’t go away no matter how many times you pace or how much wine you pour. I’ve lost count of the number of steps I’ve taken. Or the number of times I’ve stared at this stupid paper like it’s going to rewrite itself and suddenly make sense.I hate this letter.It’s in my hand, a single page that feels like a loaded gun pointed straight at my face.“Patient: Dorothy A. Hernandez. Result: Significant drop in LH and FSH levels post first round of chemo. Cortisol markers indicate chronic distress. Recommendation: Urgent reevaluation. Discussion of risk mitigation for further fertility compromise. Addressed to: Mr. Joel Hernandez, spouse and emergency contact.”I almost laugh. Emergency contact, my ass. As if anyone even contacts me anymore. She doesn’t. Rico sure as hell doesn’t. Not unless he wants to lecture me about how to be a better man.The wine bottle’s open. Half empty. I don’t
The Fathers of My Child? CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
#Dorothy’s POV#It’s colder today.Not in the air exactly, but somewhere beneath my skin. Somewhere in that part of me I’ve stopped paying attention to because if I do, it’ll become real again. The pain. The grief. The failure.I sit up straighter on the clinic recliner even though my head is already spinning a little. My hoodie feels heavy over my body. My scarf is tight. My fingers keep picking at a loose thread on my sleeve, but I don’t stop.Because if I stop, I’ll look around and remember where I am.And I hate where I am.Chemo day. Second round.There’s this annoying IV beep that keeps reminding me I’m not done yet. That this body I’ve dragged here is still failing. Still bleeding, still rejecting me. I haven’t told Rico yet but I had another faint nosebleed this morning after brushing my teeth. Just a short one. I wiped it off with a towel, rinsed it away, and acted like it didn’t happen. Because if I said it out loud, I would break again.Dr Malik said this was expected. That
You may also like
Even After Death
Lilting Champ6.6M viewsEx-Husband's Regret
Evelyn M.M4.4M viewsThe Deviant CEO
Vampire Whore468.3K viewsMr. Ford Is Jealous
Boat of Peaches752.1K viewsPUCK ME, GENTLY
Vickywrites53 viewsDeal Or No Deal!
Bossladi_Ladiboss99 viewsThe Ruthless Billionaire's Property
Baby Nuella287 viewsThe Unmasked Heiress: Isabella Hartman is back
Nadia Waterman171 views
