Chapter 36

 "WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS MY WIFE?!"

Her father instantly looked up. Before he could say anything, the young man approached him, grabbed him by the collar, and said in a low pitch, "I asked where is she?"

Venelope barged in between them and tried to push him away. She was holding his arm, but before she could make him loosen his grip, he pushed her aside and shoved his hand into the old man's neck. Her father coughed at the sheer force.

"Who is she?!" he shouted.

"UGH!" The young man pushed him away and cried, "Where is JAY?!"

Venelope, who was helping Jay's father to the seat, asked him,

"Sir, do you know this man?"

He shook his head.

"Look… don't waste my time. Tell me where is Jay!" the young man cried again.

Venelope shouted back, "You just shoved an old man and are asking about his daughter without even introducing yourself! Who do you think you are?!"

"Who do I think I am?!" he cried, his voice cracking with emotion.

"She is mine! I have every right to know everything about her! What about you all?! You couldn't even take care of a little girl—you nearly drove her to death!"

As he was speaking to Venelope, he didn't see her father coming until he punched him hard across the face, knocking him to the ground.

Before the young man could get up, her father had already sat on him and began punching him over and over.

"YOURS? SHE IS MINE! SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!"

In between the punches, he roared,

"YOUR DAUGHTER? YOU NEARLY KILLED HER! DON'T YOU SEE?!"

At this, her father hit him even harder. Some male nurses and guards rushed in to stop the fight, but the young man raised a hand, signaling them to stay back.

He didn't hit back. He let the old man vent every ounce of his fury.

Finally, when all the rage and strength had drained from him, her father collapsed to the floor beside him. The young man had a bloody lip and a few bruises. Though her father had struck hard, he didn't have enough strength left to damage his handsome face but his arms were covered in bruises from shielding it.

"She is your daughter," the young man said, panting,

"And now, she will be my wife. I can't let her suffer like this. I can't wait until next week. I want to take her in…right now. From this very instant."

Her father buried his face in his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me it was you… I didn't recognize you…" he muttered, suddenly going off-topic.

"It doesn't matter," the young man replied, sitting up.

"Where is she?"

Her father didn't respond.

"Hey! You!" he turned to Venelope, who sat frozen on the bench, white with horror.

"Where is she?"

Venelope hitched a breath and looked away.

"Very well…" he said, rising to his feet. He marched to a nearby nurse and said firmly,

"I need records for Jay Miller. She was admitted a short while ago."

"Yes, sir. Coming right up," the nurse replied and hurried away.

He turned to the people staring.

"What are you all looking at? Never seen a circus before? GO AWAY!" he bellowed.

The crowd quickly dispersed. The stunned guards and nurses began pushing people back to their rooms and duties.

Soon, the nurse returned, slightly breathless.

"Sir, follow me," she said.

Her father stood up, stumbling from exhaustion.

"Not you, sir," she said gently.

"I AM HER FATHER!" he cried.

"I OWN THIS PLACE," the young man replied coldly, not even turning back as he followed the nurse with quick steps.

He reached a glass window and looked through.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"We suspect appendicitis and are preparing her for an ultrasound," a senior doctor answered.

"Is she in danger?"

"She's not in immediate danger," the doctor replied, "but yes… it's admirable how long she's been silently suffering through this pain."

"Can I go in?"

"Will you stop if we try to stop you?"

"No."

The doctor sighed.

"Well… on your way in, young master."

He put on the medical kit and stepped inside the ward. Jay was lying on the bed, tubes connected to her body, with the steady beep of a monitor sounding in the background.

He held her hand and looked at her for a moment then let go, and sat beside her, staring at his own hands.

A faint voice interrupted him.

"Who are you?"

He looked up. Jay's eyes were half open, and she was staring at him.

He stood instantly, took her hand, and gently stroked her head.

"You're alright. Everything's alright. Don't worry."

"Dad?" she whispered.

"You want to see your dad?" he asked, then ran out of the ward without waiting for a reply.

Jay watched him go and slowly shut her eyes. One sentence drifted through her thoughts like a whisper from the past:

"This smell… I know this smell…"

A few moments later, her father came running in, Venelope close behind. But the young man was gone.

Her father sat by her side.

"Jay! My child, are you okay?"

She nodded weakly.

"Jay, you gave us a fright, girl!" Venelope cried.

Jay, still not fully conscious, smiled faintly. She looked at the door, beyond both of them.

"Are you looking for something?" Venelope asked. Her father looked at her too, concern in his eyes.

"There was a man…"

"Where?"

"There was… a man… before you…"

Venelope looked at her father. He met her eyes, and with an unspoken understanding, Venelope said,

"Must've been a doctor, Jay… what happened to him?"

Jay didn't look convinced, but before she could say more, she fell unconscious again.

A nurse entered.

"You have to leave now we're taking her for the ultrasound."

Her father watched her with teary eyes as the nurse gently pushed him out and closed the door behind him.

Venelope, still standing beside him, asked quietly,

"Uncle… are you sure you don't want to tell her about him?"