CHAPTER 2
872 Words
Lexi’s POV
I was so caught up in my emotions, my vision blurred, endless tears streaming down that I didn’t notice the car speeding toward me until it was almost too late.
The sharp screech of tires against the pavement jolted me back to reality. I froze, my breath stucked in my throat as the car skidded to a stop a few inches from my face.
“What the hell, young lady?! "Are you trying to get yourself killed?” The driver, a middle-aged man with an angry scowl, leaned his head out of the window, glaring at me.
My heart pounded erratically, the near accident shook me to my core. I stumbled backward, my hands trembling. “I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered, rubbing my palms together, trying to steady my breathing.
The driver scoffed, shaking his head before speeding off. I let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand against my chest. That was too close.
But the pain in my heart was still far greater than any momentary fear of death. The betrayal, the lies, the sheer audacity of Phillip and Rachel. it was all too suffocating. The tears kept flowing, hot and uncontrollable. My body felt weak, but I forced my feet to move forward.
Then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, barely glancing at the screen before answering with a trembling voice.
“Hello?”
“Lexi, it’s Dr. Parker from the hospital.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
“I’m afraid your father’s condition has worsened,” he continued. “We need to proceed with the treatment immediately, or… he might not make it.”
A chill spread through me. My father… dying? No. No, that couldn’t happen.
“How much time do I have?” My voice came out hoarse, barely audible. I felt numb all through..
“We need the money within the next seventy-two hours," Lexi said. "If we don’t receive it…” He hesitated. “We’ll have no choice but to take him off life support.”
My world spun. I thought I might collapse right there on the sidewalk.
“I-I’ll get the money,” I whispered, gripping the phone so tightly against my ear that my knuckles almost turned white. “I will find it ASAP by all means.”
Dr. Parker sighed. “I know this is difficult, Lexi, but time is critical. Please, do all you can.”
I ended the call, my fingers cold and stiff as they dropped to my side.
I had to see my father.
Maybe if I saw him, I’d find the strength to figure something out , just maybe by looking into his tired eyes, I would be reminded of 'why I had to keep fighting'.
I wiped my tears away and dragged my feet forward. I just had to make it to the hospital.
My father was all I had left.
With each step I take, my mind trailed back to the painful past I had tried so hard to forget. Memories resurfaced, gripping my heart like clawed chains.
Back to the day my mother left us.
******
I was a teenager then, barely old enough to understand what was happening. My little sister, Emily, had only seven. Too young to grasp the extent of our mother’s decision.
But I remembered it vividly.
I was thirteen when my mother, Sarah, shattered our family. That very day etched into my mind like a scar that is not ready to fade out.
She came home unexpectedly wearing a cold expression. Her shoulders squared with determination. My father and I were sitting in the living room, laughing at something silly on TV, when she finally dropped the bombshell.
"I want a divorce, John," she announced firmly, her voice unwavering. "I'm leaving you. And I’m taking Emily with me."
The room went silent. My father’s face turned pale, his mouth gaping in disbelief and confusion.
"What are you talking about, Sarah?" His voice trembled. "Why are you doing this?"
Her lips curled into a dreadful smile. "Because I want to be happy," she said, her tone disturbingly casual. "And I’m not happy with you." She turned to me, her eyes indifferent. "Besides, Emily isn’t even yours, so it's no much of a big deal."
The words landed like a physical blow. My father’s breath hitched, his hands tightening into fists. "What?" he whispered, clutching his chest in agony.
"You heard me," her voice was devoid of regret. "Emily isn’t your biological daughter." She added.
I had never seen my father break in my presence before that moment. His love for Emily had been unconditional, he had raised her, adored her, protected her. And in an instant, my mother was about to snatch it all away.
She left that night, taking Emily with her as she said. She left ever since then and didn't look back.
My father was left shattered. The man who had once been my protector, my rock, became a shell of himself. The heartbreak sent him through waves of conditions like depression, high blood pressure and endless hospital visits.
And now, here I am, years later, standing outside the very place where his life was slipping away again.
- Writer
