Chapter 2
Somehow, I found myself outside the hospital, not even sure when I'd left.
The sky was pitch black, and before I realized it, fat raindrops started pouring down.
In an instant, the downpour erased the horizon until there was nothing but water.
I'd rushed out so quickly that I didn't grab a coat, and I was still in my slippers.
While others hesitated in the doorway, I was already striding straight into the storm.
The rain drenched me through and through, its icy touch chilling me to the very core.
Strands of wet hair plastered against my cheeks, water streaming down my chin—I honestly couldn't tell if it was just rain or if I was actually crying.
Edward and I had gotten together because we truly loved each other—not because anyone arranged it—but Alina had never respected me or my family.
In her eyes, we were just people with dead-end jobs, struggling to make ends meet, completely different from someone like Grace, whose rich family funded Edward's startup and opened doors for him.
With Grace setting the bar so high, I never stood a chance in Alina's eyes.
But Edward stood by me, loving me like nothing and no one else mattered.
It was because of his love that I felt like I could survive anything, no matter what life threw at me.
But it turned out, that love wasn't mine anymore.
I didn't even have anything left to hold on to.
When I got home, my phone was blowing up with messages.
Gracie's kindergarten teacher had left me a voice message.
It was from Gracie herself: [Mom, are you still busy? Don't worry. I'll call Grandma Claire to come pick me up.]
That was when it hit me—I'd totally forgotten to pick up Gracie.
Helplessness crept through me, heavy and suffocating.
I forced myself to pull it together, took a hot shower, and then headed to my parents' place to pick up Gracie.
Kids couldn't hide how they felt, and on our way home, Gracie kept sneaking glances at me.
"Gigi, what's wrong?" I asked. Gigi was Gracie's nickname.
She fiddled with her nails anxiously and finally asked, "Mom, why didn't Dad come pick me up today?
"He promised he'd come with you, and he said we were going to the amusement park. Dad broke his promise."
I crouched down and gently patted her head. "Hey, sweetie, don't worry. Your dad's just super busy right now, but as soon as he's free, he'll take you to the amusement park, just like he promised."
"Really?" She looked up at me, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Of course. Pinky swear," I said, hooking my little finger with hers.
After finally soothing Gracie to sleep, I got up—only for my vision to suddenly go black.
I reached up to touch my forehead; it was burning hot.
I toughed it out at home and didn't go to the hospital.
The next day, Edward texted me.
Edward: [Bella, I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm fine. The doctor says I'll be discharged on Monday. You don't have to come to the hospital. Just stay home and take care of Gigi.]
I wanted to call him out.
I wanted to ask if he was still hung up on Grace, and if he thought it was fair to use our daughter's name to keep his love for her alive.
But after typing and deleting my message again and again, all I sent was: [Okay.]
Most of the time, words just couldn't keep up with what people were really feeling.
That was true when someone was in love, and it was just as true when love faded away.
I really didn't want to go to the hospital, but the fever hit me so hard that I couldn't take it anymore.
When I woke up, the sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the air.
On the cot next to me, a little bump poked up under the blanket.
Just seeing Gracie there made my heart soften all at once.
I tried to get out of bed, but my legs were so weak that I was seconds away from making out with the floor. Right then, a pair of hands swooped in and hauled me back up.
The man's voice was clear and soft, with that teasing, lingering note that somehow wrapped itself around my heart.
"Where do you think you're off to with a fever like that?" he teased.
His face appeared in my line of sight—so devastatingly handsome.
He raised an eyebrow, amusement sparking in his eyes as he watched me stare, completely dazed.
He reached out and tapped my head—not hard, just enough to make it feel a little itchy.
"What, you seriously don't remember me, my old classmate?" he teased.