Chapter Four

The waiting room feels smaller now. Damien’s words still echo in my head. What if I do not want you to be second anymore? I want to scream at him. I want to hit his chest and ask why now. Why after nine years of nothing?

Victoria stands near the door. Her eyes burn when she looks at us. She walks over slowly. “Damien, can we talk outside for a minute?”

He does not move. “Not now Victoria.”

Her face changes. Pain flashes across it before she hides it. “Please. It is important. About my father too.”

Damien looks at me. His grey eyes are full of something I cannot read. Then he follows her out. The door closes behind them. My stomach twists so hard I feel sick.

Sophia squeezes my hand. “Do not go after them. Let him go.”

But I cannot sit still. I stand up and walk to the hallway. Their voices reach me before I see them. They stand near the vending machine. Victoria speaks fast and low.

“You cannot be serious Damien. You hated her for years. You told me every night how trapped you felt. Now suddenly you want her back?”

Damien runs a hand through his hair. “It is not sudden. I have been thinking for weeks. When she handed me the papers today something broke inside me.”

Victoria laughs but it sounds broken. “You are lying to yourself. You love me. You always loved me. She stole you from me with that pregnancy. She ruined us.”

My heart pounds so loud I am scared they will hear it. I step closer without thinking. Damien sees me first. His face goes pale.

“Lila…”

Victoria turns fast. Tears shine in her eyes. “You heard everything? Good. Maybe now you understand. He never wanted you. He stayed because of Liam and because our families forced him.”

The words cut deep. I feel them in my chest like knives. “I know that Victoria. I lived it every single day. But I am done. I am not fighting for him anymore.”

Damien steps toward me. “Stop. Both of you. This is not the place.”

“No,” I say. My voice shakes but I keep going. “This is exactly the place. My father is fighting for his life in there and you two are out here talking about who you love more. I cannot do this anymore.”

Tears fall down my face. I do not stop them. “I loved you Damien. I gave you everything. My youth. My body. My heart. You gave me cold nights and empty words. You made me feel like nothing. And now that I am leaving you want me? It is too late.”

Victoria smiles a little. It looks cruel. “See? She knows her place.”

“Enough!” Damien shouts. His voice echoes down the hospital hallway. People turn to look. He grabs my arm gently but firm. “Lila listen to me. I was wrong. I was so angry about the forced marriage that I punished you for it. Every day. I see that now. When you walked away today with those papers I felt empty. Really empty.”

I pull my arm free. “Empty? I felt empty for nine years. Every time you looked at Victoria like she was the sun and I was the shadow. Every time you came home late smelling like her perfume. I stayed for Liam. I stayed because I hoped one day you would see me. But you never did.”

My chest hurts so much I can barely breathe. “I am scared okay? I am terrified. Because part of me still loves you. But I cannot go back to being invisible. I will not.”

Damien’s eyes look wet. I have never seen him like this. “Then let me prove it. Give me time. Let me show you I can change.”

Before I can answer a doctor walks toward us fast. “Harper family?”

We all turn. My mother comes out of the room behind him. Her face is white.

“The police are here,” the doctor says. “They have information about the shooting. It was not random. Someone targeted your father on purpose.”

My blood turns cold. “Targeted? Who?”

The officer steps forward. He looks serious. “We found evidence it connects to Voss Enterprises business deals. Mr. Voss, your company had a big contract fight with Mr. Harper last month. We need to ask you some questions.”

Damien freezes. “You think I had something to do with this?”

The officer shrugs. “We are looking at all possibilities right now.”

Victoria gasps. She looks at Damien with wide eyes. “Damien… did you?”

“Shut up Victoria,” he snaps. Then he looks at me. Real fear shows on his face. “Lila I swear I had nothing to do with this. I would never hurt your family. Never.”

I step back. Everything feels too much. The divorce. My father. Damien’s sudden words. Now this. My legs shake. Sophia runs to me and holds me up.

“I need air,” I whisper.

I walk outside into the cold night. Tears run down my face fast. Damien follows me. He stops a few steps away.

“Lila please.”

I turn and look at him. “If your business caused this… if any part of our messed up marriage put my father in that bed… I will never forgive you. Never.”

He looks broken. “I did not do this. But I know I broke us. I broke you. And right now I would do anything to fix it.”

I shake my head. “Fix it? You cannot fix nine years of pain with a few soft words in a hospital hallway.”

My phone rings. It is Liam. I answer with a shaking voice.

“Mom? Grandma said Grandpa is hurt. When are you coming home? I am scared.”

Fresh tears come. “I am coming soon baby. I love you.”

I hang up and look at Damien one last time. “Go answer their questions. I need to be with my son.”

I walk back inside without waiting for his reply. My heart feels torn in two. Part of me wants to run back to him. The bigger part knows I have to walk away.

But as I sit next to Sophia and feel Damien’s eyes follow me from across the room, I know one thing for sure.

This is not over. Not even close.

The drama has only just started.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​