Chapter 20
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This time, Howard didn’t stop. In the emergency stairwell, Megan watched as he walked away.
When they left, Alyssa glanced back at her with eyes full of delight, her expression triumphant.
Megan closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely. Yes–she had lost, completely and utterly. Why had she even called out to him? Hadn’t she already known this would happen?
Was it because she refused to accept it? Or because Howard’s blood also flowed in her child’s veins?
She had warned herself long ago to guard her heart, so why did she
go
Tears wouldn’t stop rolling down her cheeks. Her stomach throbbo her own warning?
might die from it.
“Lena…” She didn’t know what else to do but call out weakly to Selena.
pain, but her heart hurt even more. The sorrow was so deep she thought she
Selena’s face was streaked with tears. She tried to wipe Megan’s face dry, but no matter how many times she wiped, Megan’s tears kept falling.
“It’s all my fault, Meg.” Crying, Selena hugged Megan tightly. “I’m sorry, Meg. I’m so sorry…”
Megan’s consciousness was fading from the pain. In the haze, she saw that familiar dreamscape again–Olivia’s dress fluttering as she danced with William, and Howard’s youthful face.
It hurt.
It hurt so badly. She cried out for her parents in her heart, begging them to tell her what she should do.
Megan wept until exhaustion consumed her. Just before she fainted, she reached her hand out into the empty air, but grasped nothing.
“Meg!” Selena’s anguished cry echoed when Megan’s hand fell limply to her side.
The stairwell lights flicked on again. Selena saw the pool of blood spreading beneath Megan.
Scarlet soaked through Megan’s clothes and stained Selena’s white coat. Panic–stricken, she could only scream for the doctors to hurry.
The medical team rushed over quickly. They lifted Megan onto a gurney and wheeled her into the emergency room.
“Don’t worry. We’ll save her.” A colleague with whom Selena was close patted her shoulder gently before hurrying after the others.
Selena stared blankly at the blood on the floor. Only when the nurses came to clean up did she finally return to her senses. She wiped her tears away and rushed to wait outside the emergency room.
Meanwhile, Howard had taken Alyssa back to his car. The doors were closed, their seatbelts fastened, but he still hadn’t started the engine. His mind kept replaying the way Megan had looked at him after her fall.
“Howard,” Alyssa said from the passenger’s seat, “you can go back if you’re worried about her. We’re right outside the hospital–you can still see her immediately. I can go home on my own.”
Howard stayed silent. His knuckles turned white from how tightly he gripped the steering wheel.
Lowering her head, Alyssa pulled a wet wipe from her handbag to clean her lips. Her lipstick, smeared with traces of blood from Selena’s blow, stained the wipe. She deliberately placed it where Howard could see.
Then, with feigned guilt, she said softly, “I was too rash and ended up fighting with Dr. Lowe. Even though I didn’t push Megan, I…”
She tucked the wet wipe away and turned toward him, her teary eyes shimmering as she clasped his hand. “I’m sorry, Howard. I just… wanted to protect you.”
Howard looked down at Alyssa’s hand holding his. For some reason, what surfaced in his mind was not her, but the memory of Megan holding his hand years ago when he was distraught over Ronald’s illness.
Chapter 21
