Chapter 3
I didn't register a single word Ayana was sobbing. My eyes, swollen and red, were glued to the shattered pen in my palm.
I'd already lost my daughter, and now even the only keepsake my grandpa left me had been ruined.
An overwhelming pain surged up from deep inside, stuck in my throat, making it hard to breathe.
I wanted to scream, to break down and sob, but my voice was stuck in my throat. No matter how hard I tried, not a single sound came out.
"Are you crazy? Why did you hurt her?" Harvey shouted.
Harvey's face darkened with fury as he yanked me by the collar.
"Harvey, I'm telling you, she did it to herself! And she broke the pen my grandpa left me. Do you have any idea how much that meant to me?" I shouted, my voice cracked and raw, every word scraping painfully out of my throat.
"It's just a pen! Look what you've done to her, and you're still making excuses. Would you ever hurt yourself like that?" Harvey snapped, disbelief and anger lacing his words.
"If you really cared about your grandpa's pen, you wouldn't have used it to attack someone!" he added, his words cutting deep.
"Apologize to Ayana!" Harvey ordered, his tone icy and merciless.
I'd never heard Harvey talk to me this way. He was so cold and distant.
What was the use in explaining myself to someone who would never trust me?
Grief crashed over me, and before I knew it, I let out a broken, almost mocking laugh.
Harvey froze for a second, then let go of me.
My body, pushed to its limit, finally gave out. I collapsed to the floor, trembling all over.
"Aimee!" Harvey called out.
Harvey's eyes flashed with alarm as he hurriedly reached out to help me.
"Harvey, it hurts so much... The blood won't stop. Am I going to lose my hand?" Right on cue, Ayana's sobs started up again behind him.
Harvey hesitated, his hand hovering in the air, but in the end he pulled back and turned to pick up the still-crying Ayana, leaving me on the floor.
Once again, he did it. He chose someone else instead of me.
All he could see was Ayana. He didn't even notice the silence, the missing laughter that used to fill the room.
He left without even bothering to ask where my daughter was.
I spent the whole night in a feverish, delirious haze, and by morning, my body was burning up. Every inch of me ached so bad I could barely get out of bed.
I struggled to stand, determined to drag myself to the health center for some meds, but I passed out halfway there.
Luckily, Lawson Thom, my neighbor, was just getting off his night shift and spotted me. He rushed me straight to the health center, panic written all over his face.
"How did you end up this sick? You're burning up, almost 104°F! That's seriously worrying. I asked my sister to make you some plain oatmeal. Try to eat a little if you can," Lawson said.
Lawson was taking care of me like it was his own problem. I felt bad and kept telling him to go home and get some rest, but he just shook his head and said he'd only leave once Harvey showed up.
"I sent my sister to go find him. I'll head out when he gets here. With a fever like this, you really shouldn't be left alone," Lawson said, his tone firm but gentle.
"You're going to be disappointed. He's not coming," I said.
I let out a bitter laugh and closed my eyes, drained of all strength.
Sure enough, Molly, Lawson's sister, came back not long after.
"Harvey's tied up at work," Molly said, relaying his message. "He told you to just grab some medicine and not trouble anyone else."
It wasn't until nightfall, when Lawson, who had been resting at the health center, was about to head out for his night shift, that Harvey finally showed up to see me.
"Dr. Bailey, we all respect how hard you work, but you can't just turn a blind eye to your wife's condition," Lawson said.
Lawson probably knew about what happened to my daughter. He shot Harvey a pointed look, tossed out that snarky comment, and walked out.
"Why's he sticking his nose in our business? What's it got to do with him anyway?" Harvey grumbled.
He sat down next to me, looking seriously pissed off.
He glanced at the food container on the cabinet, and his frown got even worse.
"So, he's been taking care of you all day?" Harvey asked.
Hearing that petty jealousy in his tone, I let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Yeah, I was burning up at 104°F and passed out on the street. If Lawson hadn't found me, I probably would've died out there," I replied.
"Why do you always have to talk like that?" Harvey said sharply.
He reached out and touched my forehead.
I was still burning up, my skin scorching hot.
Harvey paused for a moment, and when he looked at me again, his eyes showed a hint of worry.
"It's this bad? Why didn't you call me sooner..." Harvey said, his voice softening as he gave an awkward cough.
He coughed, clearly embarrassed as he suddenly remembered Molly had come looking for him earlier that day.
"Silly girl, you're a grown woman and still can't look after yourself. Did you take your medicine on time? What did the doctor give you?" Harvey murmured.
He kept my hand in his, his voice low and tender, fussing over every little detail.
For a moment, it felt like I was seeing Harvey from when we first fell in love, the sweetest guy ever, who gave me all his love and care.
But I knew all too well that he wasn't that person anymore. There was no way things could ever go back to the way they were.
A marriage without trust was just a pile of sand. One gust of wind and it was gone.