chapter 11

Hailey pushed the door open and step in to her best friend apartment. Dylan, Minho followed in soon after and Hanie tip toed in looking for her mama. They glanced around the dark house and when Minho switch the lights on, they saw Sara weeping at the window corner.

Her eyes were puffy red, cheeks stained with dried tears. Her hair looked as if she'd been pulling on it and fretting over something. Hailey notices Sara's bleeding palms and quickly told Minho to look for first-aid kit.

"Oh dear, what did you do to yourself, sweetheart?" Hailey carefully asked, wondering if Sara hurt herself in anger. True enough, a broken glass next to Sara is seen as evidence. The distraught female just stared at her friend and her soft laugh is heard.

"What happened? I was accused of stabbing someone." Sara waved her hands in front of Hailey's face. "See, this is blood, right?"

Dylan walks out from Hanie's room as he did not want his niece to witness her mama in such condition. He shook his head with a sighed. He came forward and forcefully set her in a standing position with Hailey's help. "Listen here, Sara. This is all a misunderstanding, alright? I will talk to Stefan and make sure he fixes everything."

"Dylan, please help, I can't go to prison. What will happen to Hanie? I can let go of Stefan to be with her but I can't leave Hanie on her own." Sara spoke in a shrill voice, trying to steadied her weakling legs while clutching onto Dylan's brown leather jacket. Stress was over coming her. She could feel the anxiety building. Her hands were shaking, heart beating fast. It was stress. Sara tried to calm herself down but she just couldn't.

"Hailey, bring Sara to her room, please. Oh, clean her wound too. Thanks." Dylan instructed softly because all he wants for Sara is to calm down first before they're able to talk again. Hailey and Minho hold Sara by her arms and slowly brought her down to her bedroom.

#

"Tell anyone what just happened and I'll make sure she suffers." Tiffany painfully glared at him. She put her hands up in defense and backed off while smiling after. Stefan sat slumped on the couch; face buried in his palms as he tried desperately to think a way out of this hole he had been thrown into. It had been a little over twenty-four hours since he blast off, ridiculously accusing Sara of something she hadn't done.

"I know you wanted to protect your family. Please Stefan, I just want us to be legally husband and wife. So, don't you back off from our upcoming wedding, please, I beg of you." Tiffany ask desperately.

He sighed and looked at her tiredly. "Yeah, but I told you before, don't you dare to even lay a finger on her or threatened her ever again. Didn't I warn you?" Stefan gave her a stern look. Nightmare's really horrible. Because they scare people and they are always so realistic. Times like when you want to wake up but you can't, you start thinking you're trapped. Trapped inside your own thoughts and fears. Oh, how he wishes all this is just a dream.

"Seriously. Why are you so pissed? I didn't do anything wrong. But of course, if you have an intention of escaping on our wedding day, I wouldn't hesitate to send her straight to prison cell. You should know I'm capable of that and don't forget, you will declared yourself a bankruptcy because I have more shares in your company." She yelled as she kept throwing sofa cushions at him.

For a man normally so sharp with his retorts, Stefan was strangely quiet following Tiffany's outburst. Lost for words.

"I don't care if my billionaire title or being the company CEO is stripped off. Just, do not, interfered my relationship with Sara. Also, we may be married later. But my heart has only space filled for one person. Her name is, Sara. Remember this loud and clear!" With that he left her apartment, he then slammed the door so loud. Behind, he heard her screaming in rage.

#

(telegram text message) Stefan. Hanie's daddy.

I did something that I should not have done to you and said something hurt. I took you for granted. ✔

I am so sorry that my words and actions made you cry. What can I do to make things better? I would do anything to make you smile again but I know it's not that easy. ✔

I am sorry for losing my temper. I love you and you did not deserve any of that. ✔

I deeply regret hurting your feelings. Please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for making you feel this way. ✔

I am sorry that things are so difficult right now. Is there any way that we can work together to find a compromise that we are both happy with? ✔

#

Sara awoke early this morning. She was able to watch the sunrise on those mornings exactly before dawn, and it was such a beautiful sight that everything else seemed inconsequential somehow. At least for those few minutes where the morning sun painted the sky with brilliant yellows, oranges, pinks and sometimes even purple.

But today, she did not have the time to enjoy the sunrise when she read through all the messages Stefan had send her. Her head swam for a few moments as she struggled to remain upright. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily, and waited a couple minutes for the dizziness to pass.

When it finally felt like the world was no longer spinning out of control, she cautiously opened her eyes once again. One problem down, she thought. She will be safe. Another one is for herself to think, how to move on from Stefan once the love of her life weds another woman.

Her fragile heart felt each of Stefan's word like a tiny jab poking and prodding, trying to make sense of it. Hearing whatever Dylan explaining the situation last night, was ultimately implying. It was all a bit too much for her mind to handle. However, she still think everything was somehow better when Stefan was by her side.

She have to push away all her messy thoughts first, she can't be selfish knowing that she had a child to feed. Sara quickly washed up and put on long yellow sleeve t-shirt and grey jogger pants before she went to the kitchen but Hailey and Minho already there preparing food.

"Oh, babe, you're awake. See, Minho and I already prepared breakfast." Hailey said cheerfully but Sara didn't respond for a few seconds because she was too lost in what she would have to go through for the next few days. She did realize that she was very hungry, she hadn't eaten since last night. Poor you, Sara.

"Ah, I'm starving now. Thank you, Hailey, Minho, for helping. You guys are precious. How could I live without you two." She said.

"I enjoy cooking, so I don't mind!" Hailey said smiling. She's irresistible when she smiled like that. Peanut butter toast, jelly sandwiches, pancakes and scrambled eggs to go with fruity tea for adults and milk for Hanie. She's sitting on the highchair, head rest on the counter looking sad.

"Something's wrong, my baby?" Sara asked her precious before she kissed her forehead and her cheeks. That daily kiss she did on her, in returned she would kiss back her mama cheeks.

"Mama, why are you crying yesterday?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Mama just tired, baby. You know aunty Hailey is getting married and she needs my help with decorations."

"Mama, can I stay with daddy?"

"Of course, darling, but not this weekend, okay? Maybe.. next week?"

"Mama, can you follow to sleep at daddy house?"

"No, baby. I'm sorry but I can send you to daddy place. How about that?"

"Mama, Hanie missed daddy, but if Hanie follow daddy, mama will be alone, right?"

"Oh no, my baby. It's fine. Aunty Hailey will stay with Mama. Don't worry so much." Sara could clearly see fear on her face. Poor girl. She needs her daddy but she's afraid her mama would be by herself. Considering that she has been growing up with her only. Sara will let her stay with her daddy of course, but the time isn't right yet.

By the time all her questions were answered the doorbell had just ring. She sat back and grab a plate of food to feed Hanie while Hailey went to the door to greet whoever that person is.

#

"Oh, Stefan, what brings you here?" Hailey was surprised Stefan had come with a bouquet of red roses on hand. But before she could invite the man in, a distress called was heard from the kitchen.

"Mama!"

They both ran to the scene and Stefan tossed off the red roses to the side when he saw Sara looking so pale, unconscious on the kitchen floor. Surely his heart breaks seeing Sara like this. This isn't the first time it's happened though. "What happened?!"

"I don't know, she looked fine earlier but then she suddenly passed out!" Minho chipped in with shaky voice, clearly, he's panic as well.

"I'll bring her to the hospital. You guys stay with Hanie alright?" Stefan scooping her up from the floor and hurriedly off to the hospital.

A couple of hours later, the door opened and revealing the Doctor that is attending to Sara. He stood up, anxious to see if she was alright. The doctor assured him that Sara needed a lot of rest for the time being. She fainted due to stress and exhaustion. He heaved a big sigh of relief and thanked the Doctor.

He steps inside the room expecting to see that Sara is awake, sitting on the bed looking at him as he enters and walked to the bed. "Love-"

"Don't call me that. I'm not your love." Sara chokes out. "Just, don't, please."

"I'll call you what I want. It's my choice." Stefan said, "I love you, alright? Always will." He states as he hugs her. "I'll always love you."

Sara fingers snag in the collar of Stefan's t-shirt and she rests her cheek against him. "Can I go home?" She rasps, her voice still cracking with anguish. Stefan shakes his head as a no. But he suddenly removes Sara's blanket and carry her bridal style. They left the room and he walked towards the doorway and enters the open roof balcony for patients to breath in fresh air there.

He makes Sara sitting on his laps. Her head resting on his chest.

"You love to hear my heartbeat, isn't it? Now my love listens to it. It beats only for you. It will stop beating, if you're not with me for I can't live without you."

Tears filled their eyes. "It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all though." Sara thought with a bitter smile but continue sobbing heartbreakingly on Stefan's chest.