The curtains in the VIP ward were drawn tightly shut. Post-surgery weakness and the lingering aftereffects of a miscarriage still clung to me, yet I insisted on staying in the same room with my daughter, who had yet to regain consciousness.
These past few days, Payton had been unusually gentle to me. He was so gentle that he’d even tested the temperature of my food several times before feeding me, his voice low and coaxing.
“Delane, I know you’ve suffered too much,” he murmured. “It’s my fault for not protecting you… and our baby.”
“You can’t have children anymore, and I can’t give you another baby. But if you’d like, we can adopt one. I’ll treat them as if they were my own flesh and blood,” he suggested.
I pulled my hand from his grasp, unable to even look at him without feeling sick.
He froze for a moment, a flicker of confusion flashing in his eyes. But quickly his brows knitted, irritation creeping in.
“I know you’re still mad at Sherree… but she’s just spoiled. Growing up in the Frohlichs, she never suffered a single grievance. She truly wants to apologize this time,” he said. “I’ll wait for you to come around.”
Seeing I remained unmoved, he had no choice but to leave.
He’d been gone for less than ten minutes when the door to the ward was suddenly shoved open from the outside.
A group of young people, grinning and laughing, strolled in. They carried bottles of alcohol and lugged in a portable speaker.
At the front stood Sherree, her posture bold and her smile triumphant. “Delane, it’s my birthday today, and I thought—why not share my happiness with my dear sister-in-law?”
“This is a hospital ward, Sherree!” I shot to my feet, ready to throw them out.
But her smile only widened. She leaned in, her tone dripping with mockery. “Oh my, such a big temper. But I guess it’s understandable—you lost both children, and I heard you can’t have any more… So what will you use to compete with me for my brother?”
Her smirk stretched even wider. “The more miserable you are, the happier my birthday feels!”
My face went pale, fury rising in my chest. I couldn’t stop myself—I slapped her hard across the face.
The sharp crack rang through the ward.
Sherree’s smile froze. For a heartbeat, she stood still—then she lunged at me, her hands wrapping around my throat.