Chapter 2
When I opened my eyes again, I was already at the Blake family hospital.
Looking up, I saw Noah wearing an impatient expression. When he noticed I was awake, a flicker of pleasure crossed his brow.
Clara was snuggled up beside him, curiously fiddling with the IV tube in my arm.
"Noah, you were so harsh when you taught me before. Now I can't even handle the IV for Nia to make it up to her," Clara whined.
"Alright, be good and let go. If you keep messing around, the blood will flow back," Noah said gently.
The two of them kept up their flirting right beside my bed, completely ignoring my presence. I forced myself to speak. The joy I used to see in Noah's face was gone.
"Get out. I don't want to see either of you," I said.
Noah gave me a long, steady look, and before turning away, he made sure to take Clara with him. He softly reminded me, "Rest well. Don't tell Grandpa about this. Tomorrow I'll take you to shoot the most expensive diamond so I can make it your engagement ring."
No sooner had he said that than the woman he had diagnosed as mentally ill shot me a jealous look.
Bitterness filled my chest. He hadn't sent me to the hospital out of worry for me. He was worried I would tell his grandfather, Henry Blake, and make things difficult for Clara.
My grandpa and Henry were old war buddies. I moved to the city for my hospital job and to look after my mom. That was how I ended up getting close to Noah and falling for him.
At first, my grandpa didn't really want me to marry into the Blake family, thinking they lived too far away. But when he saw that they'd treated me as one of their own from the start, even handing me their family heirloom bracelet early on, he finally gave his consent.
I took off the high-quality bracelet from my wrist and gripped my phone tightly.
Henry's health was a mess. I decided not to burden him with this.
But there was no way I was letting this go. I called a lawyer friend who had opened a firm to prepare another appeal.
After we agreed on a meeting time, I yanked out my IV. Forcing myself up even though I felt weak, I was determined to visit my mom in her hospital room.
But when I got there, the room was empty. For the first time, I lost all composure, breaking down in sobs as I demanded answers from the nurse.
"Where's my mom? Where did you move her? Don't you realize she could die without those machines?" I choked out.
"Dr. Cooper, we really didn't have a choice. Ms. Parker got a share in the hospital. Whatever she says, we have to do," the nurse stammered.
I froze, remembering how I'd spent two whole weeks prepping for my interview just to get into this hospital. And yet, Noah had turned around and handed Clara, who couldn't even pass the internship, a piece of the hospital, all just so he could keep her happy.
My heart sank. I called their numbers again and again, but no one answered. Not a single response.
Seconds dragged by, my tears making everything blur. Just as despair was about to swallow me, my phone buzzed with a priority alert.
My screen lit up with a new picture. It was a lively party on a luxury cruise. Noah was holding Clara in his arms, and she was grinning from ear to ear.
The caption read: [Celebrating our precious princess, shaking off all her bad luck. Here's to a year full of blessings.]
Noah called my pursuit of justice "bad luck," but I couldn't even bother to argue anymore. I just went crazy and ran straight out of the hospital.
Still wearing my hospital gown, I raced against time, grabbed a cab, and rushed to the cruise ship. I lost a shoe, and my foot got torn open by shards of glass, blood everywhere.
But I didn't care. I pushed through and grabbed Clara in the outdoor pool area, screaming until my throat burned.
"Clara! Where's my mom? Where did you take her?" I yelled.
"Nia, what are you doing? You're hurting me! Let go, it hurts..." Clara whimpered.
As soon as Clara started crying, Noah stormed over with a scowl, shoved me straight into the pool, then wrapped Clara in his arms protectively, murmuring comforts to her.
"It's okay. Don't be scared," he murmured.
"Nia, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Even if you can't have children, I'd still marry you. So why are you acting crazy?" Noah snapped.
Although I had decided to break off the engagement, his blind favoritism hurt me like a knife. I was exhausted.
"Noah, Clara moved my mom to another hospital without permission! You know she's only alive because of those machines. This is my own mother's life we're talking about! Are you seriously telling me I can't even ask Clara what she did?" I demanded.
Noah was visibly shaken by the desperation in my eyes. He let go of Clara's hand, his voice dropping as he urged her sternly.
"Enough, Clara. Just transfer Nia's mom back," he commanded.
"Whatever, I'll do it. It wouldn't kill you to be polite for once, you know. That woman does nothing but bleed this hospital dry. She's just throwing away the Blake family's money staying alive," Clara snapped.
She kept grumbling to herself as she unhappily rattled off an address.
Noah stopped me in my tracks just as I was about to make a run for it, water dripping off me. He reached for his phone and dialed the hospital director.