Chapter 5
But he remained indifferent, his gaze icy and his teeth clenched as he spat: “Don’t try to play the victim here. If you don’t apologize today, this matter will never be over!” The pain wracking my body made it impossible to respond. Angelo, running out of patience, gave me a cold, disdainful look before carefully lifting Dora into his arms. He glanced down at me, his voice dripping with contempt. “Since you refuse to admit your mistakes, go outside and cool your head in the fresh air.” The winter wind was unforgiving, biting through to the bone. I lay on the frozen ground, watching as Angelo drove away with Dora. He had no idea I’d already lost the baby. In his eyes, I was still six months pregnant. Yet, to appease Dora and vent his frustration, he left me—a woman he believed to be carrying his child—alone in the snow. It felt as though my heart had been submerged in ice. The coldness seeped into every corner of my being, dulling the pain until I was almost numb. Whatever fragile hope I had left shattered at that moment, and I made a decision: I had to leave. Summoning what little strength I had, I struggled to my feet and began walking toward the station, the wind cutting against my face. But my body, weakened from the surgery, failed me. After only a few steps, my vision blurred, and darkness swallowed me as I collapsed into the snow. Meanwhile, Angelo had just carried Dora into his home when an inexplicable wave of unease gripped him. He realized the spot where he’d left me was nearly ten kilometers from the house—a trek that would take all night in this weather. Angelo resolved to return for me once Dora had gone to sleep. He reasoned that bringing me back later would prove he still cared for me, even if I’d been stubborn. But Dora clung to him, her wide, tear-filled eyes fixed on his face. “Mr. Greer, can you stay with me tonight? On my way here, there was this man… he looked at me in such a creepy way. I’m so scared,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Angelo’s resolve wavered. Her vulnerability tugged at him, and his guilt over leaving me began to fade. Sensing his hesitation, Dora leaned closer, her voice soft and pleading. “Just this once, Mr. Greer. You and my sister have a lifetime together, but I only have this moment.” Her words broke through his defenses. Sighing heavily, he murmured, “Fine, fine. I’ll stay. Don’t worry. Go to sleep.” Pushing his unease aside, he convinced himself that I’d be fine until morning. But as he drifted into sleep, the shrill ring of his phone jolted him awake. He answered groggily, only for a frantic voice to pierce his ear. “Sir, are you a relative of Sherry? She was found unconscious in the snow and rushed to our hospital. She’d recently undergone an abortion.” Angelo shot to his feet, his heart pounding. “What did you just say? Abortion? Who gave you permission to perform an abortion on my wife?”