Chapter 2

At the entrance of the emergency room, Celine Moore waited anxiously as her grandmother was rushed inside. Her inhaler had malfunctioned during a severe asthma attack. Having lost her parents, her grandmother was her sole remaining family. Guillermo Cruz no longer counted.

Madilyn Cox, donning her lab coat, hurried over with a worried expression. "What happened? I heard your grandmother was brought in for emergency care. Is she okay?"

Celine lowered her gaze. "She's still being treated. How did you find out, Madilyn?"

"I bumped into Guillermo Cruz," Madilyn replied, catching her breath. "He was darting around the hospital departments, claiming he was helping with a patient's report. Then a colleague mentioned your grandmother was brought in for emergency treatment..."

Madilyn paused in disbelief, her eyes widening. "Hold on, are you telling me he wasn't rushing around for your grandmother, but for... that troublemaker?"

Celine nodded. "Yes."

Madilyn's jaw dropped.

—

"Brother, the smell of antiseptic in this hospital is so strong, it's making me dizzy," Zoey Gardner murmured, leaning weakly against Guillermo's shoulder in her hospital gown.

"Once we get home, Mom will take good care of you. You can't keep getting dizzy like this."

As Celine exited her grandmother’s room after settling her in, she overheard familiar voices. In the corridor, their eyes met, each reflecting surprise.

Zoey was the first to recover. "Sister-in-law, what brings you to the hospital?"

Celine's expression hardened. "Sister-in-law? More like troublemaker, if you ask me!"

Zoey was stunned into silence.

Celine glared, prompting the two to disentangle their arms. Guillermo approached Celine, trying to calm her.

"What are you doing here so late?"

"I..." Celine started.

Guillermo cut her off, jumping to conclusions. "You know how Zoey's condition is; whenever it flares up, she gets dizzy. I couldn't help it. I know it's wrong to leave home so late, but you didn't have to follow me, did you? She's my sister—"

He stressed the last few words heavily.

Celine's restrained anger erupted. "She sure has issues! Serious ones! How is it she's just dizzy? Why doesn’t she just pass out? You’d be even more concerned!"

Guillermo pleaded, "Please, don't make a scene. It's not good for Zoey to hear."

Behind him, Zoey began coughing violently, making weak sounds. "Brother, it's my fault for being sick all the time, causing arguments between you and your wife."

"Moore!" Guillermo's voice became urgent, "Zoey finally calmed down, why are you doing this?"

He softened his tone. "Don't upset her now. Once we're home, you can take it out on me however you want."

Celine, too furious to speak, could only muster a laugh.

Suddenly, the heart monitor in her grandmother's room sounded an alarm.

"Move!" Celine pushed past Guillermo, rushing inside.

Guillermo wanted to follow, but Zoey let two tears slip.

"Brother... did I upset sister-in-law again?"

Guillermo halted, reassuring her awkwardly. "No worries, she's quick to bounce back. I'll talk to her later and she'll be fine."

"Brother, Mom's still upset. She hasn't eaten in two days. You see..."

"I know. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you home to apologize to Mom."

...

Celine stood in the hospital room, watching as two clear tubes were inserted into her grandmother's nostrils. The heart monitor's alarm finally stopped, and she sighed with relief.

The door to the room was slightly open, but Guillermo only needed to peek in to realize it was Celine’s beloved grandmother who was ill.

But Guillermo did not.