Chapter 3

My phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It was a WhatsApp message from Dr. Charles Bennett, who worked in the same department as Henry at the hospital.

In the video, Hale was clutching a crumpled medical record, standing awkwardly in the middle of the crowd.

He stared blankly at the registration desk sign, the letters were huge, but it was like he couldn't make sense of them.

Charles: [Isabel, is this your dad? He looks a lot like the guy in that photo you posted on your social media.]

The video was deleted a second later.

Charles: [Sorry, I must've been mistaken. With you and Henry there, your dad wouldn't need to handle registration himself, right?]

I gripped my phone tightly, tears streaming down my face.

Hale hadn't left at all. He didn't want to trouble me.

I had no idea how I ended up at the hospital.

When my eyes finally landed on the bustling crowd, I spotted Hale right away.

He was standing awkwardly by the information desk, his medical record crumpled in his work-worn, darkened hands, his face flushed with embarrassment.

The staff member, probably having been asked the same question a hundred times, was clearly impatient, raising his voice and repeating himself. "I told you, there are no more appointments. Do you not get it?"

The people waiting in line behind him started grumbling impatiently.

"Can you move? You're holding up the line for the rest of us." someone in line shouted.

Hale awkwardly pulled his hand back, nervously rubbing his palms together, then quickly lowered his head and apologized. "I'm so sorry, really, I'm so sorry."

My chest hurt so badly I could hardly breathe, and I was about to rush over.

Someone bumped into Hale, making him stagger to the side. But when he saw who it was, his clouded eyes cleared instantly. "Henry, are you working late again? Did you get a chance to eat those walnuts I brought for you?"

Henry paused, shooting a glance at Hale, who was sweating profusely and wearing worn-out clothes.

Then he glanced at Anna and the famous pediatric specialist, along with the head of pediatrics standing next to him.

He brushed past Hale like he was nothing, murmuring to the doctors beside him, "I don't know him.

"Probably someone desperate for an appointment, hoping to use connections."

The light in Hale's eyes vanished in an instant.

He stepped back twice, his mouth quivering, but not a single sound escaped him.

Henry called over a passing security guard. "Seriously? Is this how you do your job? Now anyone can stand in my way?"

The guard immediately reached out to grab Hale.

Hale hunched over, eyes downcast, and kept apologizing again and again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have presumed. I shouldn't have presumed."

I stood behind a pillar, trembling all over, and called Robert Wilson. "Director, could you come to the first floor of the outpatient department?

"I'm here, it's Isabel."

After putting on a brave face, I finally appeared by Hale's side.

When he saw me, he looked flustered. "Izzy, why are you... why are you here?"

He managed a smile that was more painful than tears. "I'm getting old, Izzy. I'm useless now, my eyes are so blurry I can't even see people clearly anymore."

I fought back my tears, grabbed his hand, and guided him to a seat. "Come sit over here. We're waiting for someone."

After he sat down, he let out a sigh, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't get upset or argue because of me. He's a doctor at a big hospital, he has his pride. I get it.

"You're the first from our village to go to college, even to get a master's degree. It's not easy making it in the city. You have no idea how much everyone envies me, for having a daughter with a great job, a son-in-law who's."

He patted the back of my hand with his rough, calloused hands, smiling. "As long as you're doing well, that's all that matters to me."

I couldn't hold it in anymore, my tears came pouring out, and I completely lost control.

It reminded me of two years ago, when Henry and I got married. Hale had said the exact same thing.

We'd arranged for both fathers to give speeches, and then it was Hale's turn.

The host moved on, leaving Hale's speech out.

After the ceremony, during the toast, I tried to get Hale back on stage, but no matter how much I pleaded, he wouldn't agree.

He even stopped me from confronting the host, and kept me from taking it out on Henry.

He said the same thing back then. "I got stage fright with so many people around and decided not to go up at the last minute. Don't blame the host, and don't blame Henry either.

"Izzy, as long as you're doing well, that's all that matters to me."

Suddenly, a tissue appeared in front of me.

I quietly looked up and saw Anna standing there, her face full of genuine sympathy. "Isabel, why are you crying?

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked Henry to pull strings for me. Look, I made you cry.

"Don't cry, okay? If you cry too much, your baby won't be as cute."

I didn't take the tissue. Instead, I wiped my tears away with my hand and spoke calmly. "I don't do subtle. Say what you want, if you want me and Henry apart, you don't have to play games. I'll give you what you want."