Accidentally Mrs Moretti

Chapter 3: Maria.

Myra drove directly to the hospital, gripping the steering wheel tightly as it vibrated subtly in her hands. The city lights streaked past her windshield, but she hardly registered them, her mind feeling oddly vacant.

Just an hour ago, her marriage had crumbled before her eyes. The image of Rob and Jennifer together in that bed kept trying to resurface, but she constantly pushed it away. Not now. She had other things to focus on, her mother needed her.

As the hospital finally came into view, a breath she hadn't realized she was holding escaped her lungs. Her mother finally had a donor. A hint of a smile crept onto her face after a while. “Just hang in there a little longer, Mom,” she whispered, placing a hand on her stomach. “Everything will be alright now.”

The hospital lobby bustled quietly. The faint scent of disinfectant hung in the air. Myra approached the front desk where a familiar nurse was waiting. The nurse immediately recognized her.

“Mrs. Wood?”

Myra nodded, offering an apologetic smile. “Yes, and I’m really sorry about earlier. It’s just been a rough day.”

The nurse waved her hand reassuringly. “It’s alright. I understand.” She extended her hand slightly. “I’m Gia. Please follow me.”

Myra trailed behind her down a quiet hallway. Gia stopped at a small desk and began to pull out several documents from a folder.

“These are the consent forms for the surgery,” she explained, neatly laying them out. “You’ll need to sign these before we can proceed.”

Myra stared at the stack, her eyebrows rising. “Why is there so much to sign?” she squinted at the documents.

Gia smiled sympathetically. “It’s just hospital protocol, legal forms, consent forms, surgery risks, etc.” She pointed out some highlighted sections. “If you don’t want to read it all, you can just focus on the highlighted parts and sign at the bottom.”

Myra breathed a small sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she said, taking a pen and starting to read. The words began to blur as her tired eyes swept through the paragraphs. Just as she finished the second page, another nurse hurried over to whisper something to Gia.

Gia’s expression shifted slightly. “Oh… I see,” she murmured, quickly gathering another document from the nurse. Turning back to Myra, she said, “Apologies, there’s one more form.”

Myra looked at the new paper, irritation rising. “Oh no…” she groaned softly.

Gia chuckled. “Just the highlighted parts,” she reminded her gently.

Myra nodded wearily. “Right.” She leaned in closer, reading the bolded lines before signing at the bottom. One signature. Then another. And another. Finally, she pushed the pen away. “There,” she said, rubbing her exhausted eyes.

Gia collected the papers with a satisfied nod. “Great! You can see your mother now.”

Myra straightened up immediately. “But please remember,” Gia added kindly, “if she’s asleep, don’t wake her. She’s been having trouble sleeping lately.”

Myra nodded quickly. “Okay. Thank you again, Nurse Gia.”

Quietly, she opened the door to her mother’s hospital room and paused. Maria lay in the bed, appearing smaller than she remembered, fragile. The woman who once belonged to one of City Z most powerful families now looked pale and thin against the stark white sheets. Myra's heart constricted painfully.

Maria Metzler, her mother who had sacrificed wealth, status, and comfort for love, her love for Myra’s father but what had he done in return? The moment cancer entered their lives, he had replaced her with his secretary. Now, the proud Maria lay here, just a faint shadow of who she used to be.

“Myra…” The soft voice broke through Myra’s thoughts. She snapped her head up. “Mom!”

Rushing to the bedside, her face lit up. Maria smiled faintly as Myra approached. “Oh wow,” she said softly, glancing at Myra’s stomach. “You’ve really grown.”

Myra laughed awkwardly. “Yeah… the babies are getting bigger.” She pulled a chair nearer and sat down. “I have good news,” she said excitedly.

Curiosity sparked in Maria’s eyes. “We found a donor,” Myra continued, barely able to contain her joy. “The surgery is happening soon.”

Maria’s eyes widened slightly. “And that’s not even the best part,” Myra added, her voice bubbling with excitement. “I also found out I’m having twins.”

Maria blinked in surprise. “Twins?”

Myra nodded eagerly. “Two babies.”

A soft smile spread across Maria’s face. “Well… that certainly explains your size.”

Myra laughed. “After your surgery, we can finally travel like you always wanted. Remember how you used to talk about visiting the Mediterranean again?”

Maria observed her daughter quietly. “Travel?,” she said softly. “What about Rob?”

The question made Myra pause. Her smile faltered. “He’s… fine,” she replied cautiously. “Just busy with work.” She forced another smile, unable to share the truth with her mother. Not now, the stress would only worsen things.

Maria studied Myra’s face in silence for a moment before speaking again. “I want to go home.”

Myra blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“Home,” Maria repeated calmly. “But Mom,” Myra gently replied, “your surgery is soon. You can go home permanently after it’s done.”

Looking at the ceiling, Maria remained quiet. “What if I don’t make it out?”

Myra’s throat tightened. “Mom, please don’t say that,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Just don’t.”

“I want to go home,” Maria reiterated softly.

Myra hesitated, her mind racing. How could she tell her mother that their home no longer felt like theirs? That her father’s mistress and her children practically lived there now?

Maria suddenly chuckled softly. “Myra.”

Her daughter looked up. “You’ve always had a terrible poker face.”

Myra frowned slightly. “I know about them.”

Her heart raced. “Huh?”

“Your father’s new family,” Maria said quietly.

Myra’s mouth fell open. “Mom…”

“She visits sometimes,” Maria continued with an unusual calmness. “Just to gloat.”

A faint smile graced Maria’s face. “Like a clown searching for an audience.”

Myra clenched her fists. “You bought a house recently, didn’t you?” Maria asked.

Myra nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Then let’s go there.”

“Just for a few days,” Maria added gently, “and then we’ll return.”

Myra hesitated. “…Okay.”

“But only if the doctor allows it,” she insisted firmly.

Maria nodded without hesitation. “Go ask him.”

Myra made her way toward the doctor’s office, her footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway. She knocked lightly before opening the door. “Oh, sorry,” she quickly said. “I didn’t realize you had a patient.”

Dr. Bryan looked up and chuckled. “It’s fine,” he replied casually, gesturing to the man sitting across from him. “He’s not a patient. Just a friend.”

Leaning back in his chair with a grin, Bryan added, “In fact, you just saved me from his cold staring contest.”

Myra’s gaze drifted toward the man seated opposite. He lifted his eyes, locking them with hers.

Her breath caught. His gaze was icy. Sharp. Like a predator eyeing its prey. Her heart began to race. Afraid, she quickly turned her face away. Why did someone so handsome have such a menacing presence? His silence felt dangerous.

Clearing her throat, she said, “Um… Doctor, my mom wants to be discharged.”

Bryan frowned slightly. “Her surgery is soon,” he replied. “May I ask why?”

“She just wants to spend some time somewhere other than a hospital,” Myra explained quietly. “Just for a day or two.”

She hesitated again. “Actually… could you come convince her it’s a bad idea?”

Bryan chuckled. “You don’t want her discharged?”

“No, I mean…”

“If you can’t take care of her, just say so.”

The cold voice interrupted, causing Myra to freeze. Her eyes widened as she turned to face the man. “What does that have to do with you?” she snapped. “And who said I couldn’t take care of my mom?”

He slowly met her gaze again, and her confidence withered. His stare felt invasive, as if he could see through her. Even his voice sounded oddly familiar.

Bryan sighed. “Hey, cut the girl some slack,” he said with a smile. “She’s heavily pregnant. Are you trying to send her into labor?”

Turning back to Myra, he reassured her. “It’s fine. You can take your mom home for two days. Just make sure to bring her back. We’ll schedule the surgery soon.”

Relief washed over Myra. “Thank you, Doctor Bryan.”

She turned toward the door but paused to glance back at the intimidating man one last time, giving him a final glare.