Chapter 4
I glared at the people who had hurt Mia, my fury boiling over.
However, Charlie held me back, not letting me get close.
He said, "Kids fight over toys all the time. Maybe this time it got a little rough, but don't sweat it. We should let her handle it with the other kids on her own."
After hearing Charlie, I was beyond furious. I said, "If I step back now, they'll hurt Mia again."
Charlie insisted, "I know Sadie's mom really well. She'd never let her daughter do something like this."
As he spoke, his gaze softened toward Anna, Sadie's mom.
"Just knowing her doesn't give you the right to let her daughter bully Mia," I snapped, my anger boiling over.
"You're ridiculous," he said.
Later, I found out that Anna was Charlie's first love, the one he could never have.
They had the kind of love everyone envied when they were young, but they were torn apart against their will.
Ever since Charlie ran into Anna again, he seemed like a different person, often skipping meals at home and always claiming he was busy with work.
Every time I called, he'd barely say a word before hanging up, and I could hear the annoyance in his voice.
I went all out for Mia's birthday, making her favorite dishes and getting her the big cake she'd been begging for.
With my heart full of hope, I called Charlie, praying he'd come home early and make Mia's birthday special.
However, all I got was his cold refusal. "I'm helping Anna move right now. I can't come home for dinner."
"It's Mia's birthday. I don't care how busy you are. You have to come home," I demanded, my voice trembling with frustration.
"I've celebrated with Mia every year, haven't I? I really can't get away now. Anna's got a ton of stuff to move, and I'm swamped. You just stay with Mia, okay? I'll make it up to her next year," Charlie said.
He didn't even bother to say sorry, like blowing off Mia's birthday was just business as usual for him.
I gripped the phone so tightly that my hand was shaking.
At that moment, it felt like my heart was being ripped apart, and I couldn't breathe from the pain.
A few days later, Mia suddenly ran a high fever, her face pale.
In a panic, I rushed her to the hospital.
Mia was diagnosed with acute pneumonia and had to be hospitalized right away.
I called Charlie again. "Mia is really sick. She's got acute pneumonia. You need to bring her medical records to the hospital right now."
A heavy silence followed, then Charlie's voice finally came, flat and dismissive.
He said, "I'm not in Belcrest. Sadie is feeling under the weather, so Anna and I took her to Moridian for some treatment. You can have someone else bring the documents. I need to stay with Sadie now. I'll talk to you later."
"How could you do this?" I screamed at Charlie, nearly hysterical, my anger blazing inside me.
"When we need you the most, you're with Anna and Sadie. Are you even acting like a father? Don't you know how badly Mia needs you right now?" I said.
Charlie's voice was sharp with impatience. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm just helping a friend, not leaving you. Get someone else to bring the documents. I'll come back after the checkup."
"Haven't I been understanding enough? You keep putting Anna before Mia and me over and over again. How am I supposed to believe she's just a friend to you?" I yelled through my tears, my anger and disappointment overwhelming me.
It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds, the pain so intense that I could barely breathe.
Why was he always gone when we needed him most? Why did he always choose Anna over us?
Did we mean so little to him?
Charlie paused for a moment before replying, "I swear, Anna is just a friend, and there's nothing else going on. Stop overthinking. I'll go back to Mia as soon as possible."
"What kind of friend makes you put your family aside again and again? What kind of friend pulls you away from us right when we need you the most?" I shouted.
After the call ended, I just sat there in silence, my mind a mess.
I had no idea what the future held for Charlie and me, but right now, all I cared about was Mia pulling through this.