Chapter 4

The call cut off. I pressed a hand to my chest, gasping, my whole body going numb.

I knew this feeling too well. It was one of the ways my depression announced itself.

I forced my hand up to the call button, and the moment I saw the nurse, I passed out.

When I opened my eyes again, Luke, who'd been gone for days, had finally reappeared at my side.

"The doctor says you fainted again. When did you get so fragile?"

"In the state you're in, when are you ever going to leave the hospital? How are you supposed to take care of a child?"

I only stared blankly at the ceiling and said nothing.

Seeing that I'd tuned him out completely, Luke frowned and spoke again, displeased.

"Anyway, I'm giving the baby to Flo to look after for now. You just rest here on your own and get better."

The instant I heard the baby had been handed to Florence, I shook my head, trembling.

"No. Give her back to me."

"Can you calm down? You're acting like Flo's going to hurt your baby."

I screamed, breaking apart. "I said give my baby back to me!"

Something in my state finally reached him. A flicker of unease crossed Luke's eyes.

"Are you… are you—"

I cut him off and just kept repeating the same words over and over.

Luke finally panicked and hurried to call Florence to bring the baby back.

The moment I saw her again, I snatched her out of Florence's arms.

Florence watched me, her eyes reddening, and spoke gingerly.

"Cece, she's fine. Look, she's sleeping so peacefully."

But I stared at my baby's face and knew at once something was wrong.

She was too quiet. Not the smallest stir.

I quickly flicked the soles of her feet. Still no reaction.

"Why won't she wake up? What did you do!"

Florence answered like the wronged one. "I didn't do anything. I just fed her some milk, and then a little mango juice."

Mango juice?

Rage sent my hand flying, and I slapped her hard across the face.

"Don't you know she's still tiny? She can't have any of that. And you went and gave her mango, the one thing most likely to cause an allergy!"

Luke pulled Florence into his arms.

"What do you think you're doing! Flo's never raised a child. Of course she didn't know!"

I didn't spare them a look. I called for a nurse and had the baby rushed away.

Florence cupped her cheek and cried. "I'm sorry, I really didn't know."

"What do we do? Is the baby going to be all right?"

Luke was quick to soothe her. "Don't worry, we're at a hospital. Nothing's going to happen to her."

"Let me take you to get that face looked at first."

And with that he led Florence away, without so much as another thought for his daughter.

As if he was certain the doctors would save her, that nothing could possibly go wrong.

Only I stood there, heart in my throat, ignoring my own condition, waiting outside the emergency room for the result.

But fate does love to toy with people.

No good news came. What came was the critical-condition notice.

"I'm sorry. We did everything we could."

I held my baby's small body, already going cold.

Ten days. She'd been with me ten days, and then she was gone.

I should have cried, but it was as if my tears had run dry long ago, and I couldn't feel anything at all.

I took out my phone and called Luke one last time.

"What? Come to your senses and ready to apologize to Flo?"

I was silent for a long while before I spoke, slowly.

"The baby's dead. The two of you killed her."

Luke went quiet for a few seconds, then let out a sneer.

"It was a tiny bit of mango juice. And you were right there in the hospital, treated in time. There's no way anything could go wrong."

"If you want me to feel guilty, at least get your story straight."

Then I heard it in the background, the number being called out at the bubble tea shop.

"Enough. Because you slapped Flo, I've had to bring her out for bubble tea to cheer her up."

"She's even thinking of bringing a cup back for you. She's so good to you. It's time you let this grudge go."

This time my silence stretched longer, and at last I called him by the pet name.

"Luke, if time could turn back, I wish I'd never met either of you."

Then I hung up.

I'm sorry. This grudge, I cannot let go.

Holding my baby, I looked toward the balcony not far off, and walked straight for it.