Looking at the gentle light on Carl’s face, Nana’s deep and bright eyes were sincere.
If Grace weren’t pregnant, to be honest, Nana wouldn’t believe that he would cheat on her.
Unfortunately, there are no “ifs” in this world.
Nana knew that they could never go back, even though there was regret in her heart. She could only gather her courage and speak the words that followed.
“I…”
Nana’s tone was tepid as she took a deep breath and informed him, “Let’s break up when our daughter recovers, and let’s not entangle ourselves anymore.”
Upon hearing these words, Carl, who had been full of expectations, was suddenly stunned.
He raised his head in astonishment, feeling as if something had suddenly blocked his chest.
Although Nana had mentioned their separation several times before, Carl knew she was just venting.
However, at this moment, Nana’s voice was calm, devoid of any emotions in every syllable.
“Are you really deciding to break up with me?”
After a few seconds of silence, Carl suppressed his sadness and mustered the courage to ask.
Nana nodded gently. “Yes, I don’t want to drag things out anymore. But you will have visitation rights in the future. You can come and see our daughter whenever you want.”
Faced with Nana’s generosity in handling their relationship, Carl felt grateful in his heart.
At least they wouldn’t end up like those couples who couldn’t stand each other after breaking up or divorcing.
But the problem was, Carl didn’t want to break up. Since his conversation with Jerry in the hallway yesterday, he had been daydreaming.
“No, can’t we stay together?” Carl’s emotions started to get agitated as his beautiful fantasies shattered.
He reached out and grabbed Nana’s hand, desperately trying to salvage the situation. “Give me a chance, just one chance, okay? If I can’t prove myself, then you can break up with me.”
Carl firmly believed that he hadn’t been involved with Grace, so he was still waiting.
As long as he waited for Grace to give birth, he would immediately do a paternity test with the baby.
Then everything would be revealed.
With this belief in mind, Carl continued to plead urgently, “Nana, I know you have reservations, but our daughter is still young. She needs a complete family!”
Carl, who had been deprived of a father from a young age, had always envied others.
If he couldn’t fulfill it himself, he wanted his daughter to have it at least.
Unfortunately, no matter how earnestly he tried to persuade Nana, she remained unmoved.
“Don’t force me anymore. My decision won’t change.”
Nana slowly withdrew her hand and smiled as she advised him, “You’re going to have a bone marrow transplant tomorrow, so go home early today.”
There really was no room for negotiation, and Carl knew it all too well.
All the good feelings vanished in that moment, and Carl felt an indescribable sense of disappointment. He reluctantly agreed, “Okay, then I’ll go home.”
For the rest of the day, Carl stayed in his apartment, feeling gloomy and downcast.
He scrolled through the news on his phone and frequently came across online comments calling him a scumbag. Negative news about himself was everywhere.
Carl felt a mix of anger and amusement towards it all. He could only treat it as a joke and look forward to the day when the truth would be revealed, proving his innocence to everyone.
In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. Carl woke up early, forgetting to shave as he hurried to the hospital to extract his bone marrow for his daughter’s transplant.
The bone marrow extraction went smoothly, and the child’s surgery was scheduled for two days later.
However, at this crucial moment, the child’s condition worsened, and the lead surgeon had to move the surgery up by one day.
The next day.
Carl rushed to the hospital in the pouring rain and watched as his daughter was wheeled into the operating room. He stood at the door, waiting anxiously.
Every passing minute felt like an eternity, and his mind was filled with unease and emptiness.
Jerry and Tracy were waiting nearby, accompanied by Nana, who was sitting in a wheelchair.
“Mom and Dad, don’t worry. The surgery will definitely be successful!” Nana reassured her anxious parents, patting her mother’s hand.
Carl also walked over and spoke to the elderly couple, “Before the surgery, I asked the doctor, and they said they have confidence in this operation.”
Although he said so, everyone present was filled with anxiety, fearing that the child might not make it through the surgery.
A few hours later, Nana couldn’t support herself in the wheelchair any longer, and the red light on the door of the operating room suddenly went out.
Immediately, a nurse walked out with a joyful expression and announced, “The child’s surgery was successful. You can rest assured now!”
As soon as the words fell, Jerry and Tracy hugged each other and burst into tears.
Tears shimmered in Nana’s eyes as well, and Carl’s heart was filled with joy.
He took out a tissue and handed it to Nana, smiling with relief and emotion, “I told you our daughter would be fine!”
“Yes! I want to see Janelle…” Nana responded excitedly, wiping away her tears with the tissue.
Until now, she hadn’t seen her own daughter.
After another ten minutes or so, a nurse pushed the unconscious child out.
Nana’s heart instantly melted as she looked at her daughter’s peaceful sleeping face and her small, fragile body.
“Janelle!” She called out the child’s name, longing to hold her daughter’s tiny hand.
Seeing Nana’s excitement causing her to be unable to sit still in the wheelchair, Carl was afraid she would fall and quickly went forward to support her.
But just as Carl took a step forward, he suddenly stumbled inexplicably, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
“Mr. Waters, are you okay?”
Fortunately, a doctor passed by Carl and reached out to steady him.
Carl gave a faint smile, disregarding his dizziness, and quickly shook hands with the doctor. “Thank you, Director. Thank you for saving my daughter!”
“No need to thank me. Saving lives is my job,” the doctor responded nonchalantly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the doctor noticed that Carl’s complexion didn’t look quite right.
“Mr. Waters, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Hearing the doctor’s inquiry, Carl didn’t want to lie and truthfully said, “I feel a little dizzy, probably because I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.”
Just as he finished speaking, he couldn’t control himself and let out a loud sneeze.
Nana looked at Carl, who appeared exhausted, and suddenly remembered that his clothes and hair were wet when he came to the hospital.
“Carl, are you catching a cold? You got wet in the rain this morning!”
Carl glanced around and raised his hand to touch his forehead.
“Oh, indeed, I feel a bit warm. I probably caught a fever after getting wet in the rain.”
Carl’s tone was casual, as if it had nothing to do with his own body.
But Nana couldn’t help but worry instinctively. She quickly spoke up, “Then you should go to the outpatient clinic downstairs and get checked. If the fever is severe, take some fever-reducing medicine or get an IV drip.”
“I understand, but first, let me push you back to the ward.”
Nana’s health had just improved, and Carl didn’t want her to worry about him.
Although he agreed verbally, he ended up not going to get fever-reducing medicine all day, and he even dozed off on the chair bed at night.
The following two days were the same. He focused all his energy on Nana and the child, completely disregarding his worsening cold.