Fallen Leaves And Faded Love

Chapter 6 An Allergy Reaction

Susan stared at the milky-white soup, her stomach churning. "I won't drink it."

The housekeeper gripped her jaw, forcing the soup down her throat. It was unbearably salty and bitter, making her cough violently.

She stumbled to the bathroom and threw up until only acid came up.

Exhausted, she collapsed back onto the bed.

The housekeeper pointed to the bedside table. "Ethan wanted me to give you this."

There lay a faded teddy bear, with a note underneath in Ethan's crooked handwriting: Ethan: Mom, I'm sorry. This is my favorite bear. I hope it makes you feel better.

Susan clutched the bear to her chest, sobbing quietly. She remembered this bear—she had bought it when four-year-old Ethan had a high fever, too scared to sleep without it. It had been his most prized possession.

And now, the little teddy bear that held all her warmest memories lay in her arms, along with Ethan's handwritten apology note. A flicker of warmth melted the ice that had locked Susan's heart.

"Ethan… Mom will forgive you one last time. Please don't hurt me again."

She held the bear and fell into a fitful sleep.

For three weeks, no one visited but the housekeeper and nurses. Amid the steady autumn rain, she counted the thousand-and-first plane tree leaf spiraling down outside her window—and her heart sank, little by little, with it.

On discharge day, she finished the paperwork alone. Suddenly, her throat closed up, vision blurring—she collapsed.

The doctor woke her. "You're awake. You had an acute allergic reaction causing laryngeal edema. We've treated you, and since it happened here in the hospital, we got to you just in time. You can go home now."

After thanking the doctor, Susan racked her brains to figure out what triggered it, until she neared the villa doors—and heard Ethan's excited voice.

"Amber! I stuffed feathers in the bear like you said! Did it make my mom allergic?"

Amber laughed. "You want her allergic?"

"Yes! Then she stays in the hospital forever! No one will give me more homework then!"

The teddy bear slipped from Susan's hand and fell to the floor.

She burst through the door, seizing Ethan's arm, voice shaking. "What did you say? I could've died!"

Ethan shrieked and hid behind Amber, crying. "She's going to hit me, Amber! She's so scary!"

Amber stepped forward, whispering with a smirk, so only Susan could hear, "You can't take it already? Do you know what was in that soup you drank after your miscarriage?"

Susan clutched her throat, her body trembling uncontrollably. "The salt…?"

Amber's smile turned vicious. "How else could we hide the stench of your dead baby's blood?"

Susan staggered backward, her heel colliding with the teddy bear on the floor. She glanced down at the toy, then snapped her head up to meet Amber's smirk of triumph, before her gaze finally settled on Ethan's hostile expression. Her unborn baby… had been turned into soup by Amber. And the teddy bear that had felt like a comfort was nothing but a trap—stuffed with feathers designed to trigger a fatal allergic reaction, to suffocate her!

Her eyes bloodshot, her sanity snapping, Susan grabbed a long umbrella and swung at Amber. "You monster!"

Amber dodged, but the umbrella grazed Ethan's arm. The boy burst into tears.

Catching a glimpse of the figure in the doorway, Amber immediately threw herself in front of Ethan to shield him, sobbing shrilly. "Susan! You can take your anger out on me all you want! Please don't hurt Ethan! Even a wild beast doesn't harm its own cub!"

Jensen burst in, furious. "Susan! Are you insane?!"

He snatched the umbrella, slapping her hard across the face. Her vision swam, nose bleeding.

Before she could even make out Jensen's face, he seized her arm roughly and dragged her away.

"Let go! Where are you taking me?!" Susan struggled frantically.

He shoved her into the back seat and slammed the door shut.

The locks clicked. The engine roared.

He stared at her through the rearview mirror, his eyes dark and icy.

"You like causing trouble, huh? Even your own son isn't safe from you?! I'm taking you somewhere you can work off all that useless anger."