Chapter 4

Mary marched right up to one of the better-dressed colleagues, grabbing her hand as tears instantly welled in her eyes.

"Oh, thank you all so much for making the trip."

"My heart has been in my throat the entire drive here."

"Our Chloe... ever since she was little, even a paper cut would break my heart."

"She was supposed to walk down the aisle tomorrow in her wedding dress... How could something so awful happen?"

With that, she shot me a venomous glare, deliberately raising her voice so everyone in the lobby could hear.

"That's why I always tell women: never marry down!"

"I warned Chloe from day one. What's the point of an unrefined upstart with a bit of dirty cash? When life gets tough, he's totally useless!"

"He can't even keep his own fiancée safe! I should've let Chloe stay with her photographer ex-boyfriend!"

"At least he was an artist! He understood romance, he knew how to cherish a woman! Not like this classless nobody who brings nothing but bad luck!"

The colleagues exchanged awkward glances. Nobody dared to jump into that minefield.

Richard clasped his hands behind his back and walked up to me, his voice dropping into a harsh hiss.

"Brandon, look at them. Look at all these people who came to visit!"

"These are the connections and goodwill Chloe built at work through her own grace and talent!"

He poked a finger inches from my nose, dripping with contempt.

"Now look at you! A crisis happens, and all you can do is stand there playing dumb!"

"Deep down, you're just like your broke parents. Pinching pennies, incapable of guaranteeing my daughter's safety!"

"I must've been blind to ever agree to this wedding!"

I kept my eyes on the polished floor tiles, letting them vent every drop of their poisonous arrogance.

Out of their sight, the corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile.

Go on. Keep barking.

The harder you trash me now, the more priceless your faces will be in a minute.

I led the massive entourage toward the elevators.

The doors slid open on the sixth floor.

A sharp whiff of clinical antiseptic mixed with the faint smell of baby formula hung in the air.

Mary pinched her nose in instant disgust, her face twisting in revulsion.

"Brandon! Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"Even if you couldn't pull strings for a decent private room, how could you shove her into a dump like this?!"

"Uncultured people really do uncultured things. Zero class, dumping my daughter in such a cheap ward!"

This time, I didn't answer, nor did I put on the meek smile I used to wear.

I walked right past Mary, taking the lead down the quiet hallway.

My eyes scanned the digital nameplates outside each room, searching for the name "Chloe."

Seeing me ignore him, Richard blew a gasket, trailing behind and barking at my back.

"Who do you think you're giving attitude to?! Can't even handle a little criticism, can you..."

Before he could finish his sentence,

at the nurses' station down the hall, a nurse flipped open a medical chart and called out:

"Is Chloe here? Get ready for the post-abortion D&C procedure!"

"Julian? Where are you? Come sign the consent form for your girlfriend!"