“Can we talk?” Emily asked.
“You haven’t slept yet?” Daniel inquired. “You need to rest. You haven’t fully recovered.”
“Grace,” Emily uttered, her voice slightly trembling. “Forgive her behavior earlier.”
“Which behavior of Grace’s?” Daniel asked, his voice slightly strained. “The one where she said her father didn’t keep his promise?”
Daniel fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Emily’s face. “It’s true that I left her, she has every right to be angry and disappointed.”
“Can you stop pretending again, Daniel?” Emily asked, her voice trembling, her eyes teary. “I know everything.”
“I know why you left,” Emily continued, her voice faltering. “The real reason you left both of us.”
“Why won’t you share this burden with me?” Emily asked, her voice becoming more tearful. “We can face this together. We can find a way out together.”
Daniel was taken aback, his eyes widening as he looked at Emily.
“You distanced yourself from me not because you hate me,” Emily whispered, her voice weak but full of conviction. “You wanted to protect me. It’s all because of fate… the fate of my death if we were together.”
Daniel fell silent, his heart aching at Emily’s words. “Even though you know,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It won’t change anything.”
Emily rose from the bed, her eyes teary, and grabbed Daniel’s hand tightly. “We can find a way out together,” she said, her voice trembling. “We don’t need to separate again. Seven years have passed, and I still love you. I know, you still love me too. Can we be honest with ourselves now?”
“I will take care of myself well,” Emily continued, her voice full of determination. “I won’t let that fate of death happen to me. So can we start over from the beginning?”
Daniel pulled his hand away roughly. “You almost died, Em,” he hissed, his voice trembling with restrained anger. “I don’t want anything to happen to you again.”
“But you still love me, right?” Emily asked.
Daniel fell silent, his eyes fixed on Emily’s wounded face. “Emily,” he said. “Don’t force a love that cannot be together. It will only hurt both of us.”
“This isn’t fair!” Emily exclaimed. “We can find a way out of all this. We can!”
“Don’t be foolish, Em,” Daniel hissed, his voice cold. “Just forget it.”
“After all we’ve been through, I believe we can go through this again, Daniel. We can!”
“I don’t want to continue this conversation anymore.”
Daniel turned to leave, but Emily hugged him tightly from behind. “Daniel,” she whispered, her voice choked with tears. “I’m shattered. I can’t live without you. Don’t leave me again. Let’s live together, the three of us. Me, you, and Grace.”
“Aren’t you afraid of death?” Daniel asked, his voice filled with fear and concern.
Emily fell silent for a moment, her eyes teary, pondering Daniel’s words. “We will all die in the end,” she replied softly. “But I will take care of myself well. I won’t let that fate happen to me. I promise.”
“Let’s start all over again,” Emily continued, her voice sparkling with hope. “Imagine how happy Grace would be if she knew you were her biological father. We will be a complete family.”
Daniel immediately released Emily’s embrace from his waist. “Stop, Emily. Never think like that again.”
“Sean loves you,” Daniel said. “I’m sure he can take care of you better than me.”
“I don’t love him. I only love you, Daniel.”
Behind the slightly ajar hospital room door, Sean heard every word spoken. His hands clenched tightly, holding back the burning anger in his chest. Emily’s rejection, spoken clearly and confidently, pierced his heart like a dagger. Sean quietly slipped away, leaving behind shadows of sadness and disappointment.
“If I have to start over with you but with the fate of your death,” Daniel said, his voice hoarse, his eyes teary. “I choose to be alone until death.”
“Daniel,” Emily called softly.
“You’re still sick,” Daniel said, his voice heavy, full of despair. “Get some rest.”
Daniel turned and walked away, leaving Emily silent in her sobs, her body trembling violently, her heart shattered into pieces.
Daniel left the hospital and looked for a place to smoke. His hands trembled as he took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. He tried to light his cigarette, but his hands were too shaky. “Damn,” he muttered.
Suddenly, a hand appeared from behind the wall, offering a lit lighter towards Daniel. Daniel was startled, his eyes widened, and he saw Sean’s face in front of him.
“Thank you,” Daniel said, lighting his cigarette from the flame Sean offered.
“I wanted to visit Emily,” Sean said, his voice sounding slightly strained. “But it seems my arrival is too late. Maybe it will disturb her. I should visit her tomorrow instead.”
“How did you know she was being treated here?” Daniel asked.
“Why?” Sean asked, his voice trembling, holding back the burning anger in his chest. “Is it that only you are allowed to know about her condition?”
“Not like that,” Daniel replied, his voice sounding calm, trying to ease the tension. “Of course, you can know. I’m sorry I didn’t have time to inform you.”
“So, what are you doing here?” Sean asked, his voice mocking, accompanied by a cold and piercing laughter. “Guarding her?”
“You seem to still be very concerned with your ex-wife, Daniel,” Sean said, his voice full of sarcasm, his eyes hinting at pain and jealousy.
“It seems you misunderstand me, Sean,” Daniel replied, his voice calm. “I brought Emily to the hospital because she fainted in front of me. I couldn’t just ignore her like that.”
“Is that so?” Sean said, his voice flat. “Can I have a cigarette from you?”
Daniel took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to Sean. “I didn’t know you smoked,” he said, sounding slightly surprised.
Sean took the cigarette and lit it with the flame. Smoke billowed, rising high, as if carrying away the buried sorrow in his heart. “The Daniel I used to know didn’t smoke either,” Sean said. “But because of a woman, he’s broken and now smokes.”
Daniel just smiled faintly at Sean’s words. “What do you really want to say to me?”
Sean clenched his hands, anger burning in his eyes. He threw the cigarette in his hand to the ground. “Can’t you go far away from Emily? You shouldn’t be near her and make her hope for you more!” Sean roared, his voice trembling with anger.
Sean immediately grabbed Daniel’s collar, his fingers gripping tightly, his eyes blazing with jealousy. “Leave Emily. I don’t like seeing you too close to someone I like.”
“If you really don’t like it, you should have won her heart over these seven years and made her stop hoping for me,” Daniel said, his voice cold, but containing piercing sarcasm. Daniel looked at Sean with a cold stare, his hand slowly raised, pushing Sean’s hand away from his collar.
Sean’s smile widened, but his eyes still hinted at the buried anger. “You’re right. I can’t win her heart,” he said, his voice containing veiled threats.
Sean fell silent for a moment, his eyes staring sharply into Daniel’s. “I won’t lose to you, Daniel. I will definitely win Emily because I won’t let go of what I like. Let’s see who will win.”
Sean left Daniel, his steps hurried, but accompanied by anger in his heart. He wouldn’t let Emily fall into Daniel’s again, even if it meant he had to fight Daniel. Meanwhile, Daniel seemed to be massaging his furrowed brows, not expecting to ruin his relationship with Sean, which had improved.
Daniel exhaled cigarette smoke from his mouth, the smoke billowing like the doubt filling his heart. When he opened the door to the room, he saw Emily sleeping soundly, her face calm and peaceful. His mind returned to Sean’s earlier words:
“Can’t you go far away from Emily? You shouldn’t be near her and make her hope for you more!”
‘What should I do? Should I leave this town to not endanger you?’ Daniel thought as he gazed sadly at Emily, who was asleep. His face was filled with sadness, but his eyes couldn’t look away from Emily, who was sleeping.
Suddenly, the vibrating phone distracted Daniel from his reverie. He saw an unknown number on his phone screen.
“Is there any latest news from that person?” Daniel asked, his voice cold, but hidden beneath was deep concern.
“That person is still alive,” the voice from the other side replied, sounding calm and professional.
“Where is he now?” Daniel asked, his voice becoming even colder.
Unbeknownst to Daniel, Emily slowly opened her eyes. She hadn’t fallen asleep and heard Daniel’s conversation on the phone.