Fated to Wed (English)

Chapter Fifteen

I woke up to the soft beeping of machines and the faint smell of antiseptic. The sterile whiteness of the hospital room came into focus as I blinked away the grogginess. My head felt heavy, and there was an IV drip attached to my arm. What happened? I tried to piece together the fragmented memories.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Theo walked in. He looked haggard—dark circles under his eyes, his usually neat hair disheveled—but there was no trace of his usual cologne or the smell of alcohol. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me awake.

"You're up," he said, his voice softer than I'd heard in a long time.

I tried to sit up, wincing slightly as I adjusted the pillows behind me. "What... what happened?" I asked.

"You fainted," he replied, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down. "At home. After dinner."

Then it all came rushing back—the kare-kare, the tightening in my chest, struggling to breathe. "The peanuts," I murmured.

Theo's expression hardened slightly. "Why didn't you tell me you're allergic to peanuts?" There was a hint of frustration in his tone, but underneath it, I sensed concern.

I looked down at my hands, fiddling with the edge of the blanket. "I didn't think you'd care," I admitted quietly.

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again, a conflicted look crossing his face. Before either of us could break the awkward silence, the door burst open.

"Delilah!" Aunt Brenda exclaimed, rushing over to my bedside. Linda and Theo's parents followed closely behind.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Linda said, squeezing my hand gently.

Aunt Brenda turned sharply toward Theo, her eyes blazing. "How could you be so careless? Feeding her peanuts when she's allergic! You could have killed her!"

"Aunt Brenda, please," I interjected, trying to calm her down. "It was an accident."

She ignored me, her focus solely on Theo. "I've heard enough about how you've been treating her. This is unacceptable!"

Theo's parents exchanged glances before stepping forward. "We're sorry for what happened," Mrs. Fontalva said, placing a hand on Aunt Brenda's shoulder. "Rest assured, we'll handle this."

Mr. Fontalva looked sternly at Theo. "This is the last straw, Theo. If we hear about you mistreating Delilah again, you'll be removed from the company. No inheritance, nothing."

Theo's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond. I could see a mix of anger and hurt in his eyes.

"Please, everyone," I said, my voice strained. "I'm fine now. Let's not make this into a bigger issue."

Aunt Brenda huffed but finally relented. "Fine. But this better not happen again."

After a few more minutes of tense conversation, everyone started to file out of the room, leaving me alone with Theo once more.

He stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'll let you rest," he muttered, avoiding my gaze.

"Theo, wait," I called out.

He paused at the door but didn't turn around.

"Thank you... for taking care of me," I said softly.

He nodded slightly before walking out.

A few days later, I was discharged from the hospital. Theo drove me home in silence, the tension between us palpable. But to my surprise, things began to change after that. He started coming home earlier, sometimes even helping me with the chores. It was subtle at first—a dish washed here, a toy picked up there—but I noticed.

One evening, after we'd put Tyrone to bed, Theo approached me in the living room. "Hey," he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Hey," I replied, folding the laundry.

"I was thinking of taking the day off tomorrow," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? You never take days off."

He shrugged. "Figured I could use a break. And... maybe we could go out? Just the two of us."

I was taken aback. "Oh. Um, sure. That sounds nice."

He gave a small smile. "Great. I'll make the arrangements."

The next day, we revisited our old favorite restaurant—a quaint little place with cozy booths and the best pasta in town. As we sat across from each other, I felt a sense of nostalgia wash over me.

"It's been ages since we've been here," I remarked, twirling my fork in the spaghetti.

Theo nodded. "I remember how you used to always order the carbonara."

I laughed lightly. "And you always stole bites from my plate."

He smirked. "Couldn't help it. Yours always looked better."

We fell into comfortable conversation, reminiscing about old times. For a moment, it felt like we were back to being friends, before everything became complicated.

As I took a sip of my drink, I glanced up and nearly dropped the glass. Liana. She was standing near the entrance, her eyes locked onto mine. My heart raced. It can't be. She left for Canada three years ago.

"Delilah? Are you okay?" Theo's voice pulled me back.

I blinked, and she was gone. "I... I thought I saw someone," I murmured.

"Who?"

"Nobody. Just... must've been my imagination." I forced a smile.

He studied me for a moment but let it go. "If you're sure."

After lunch, we strolled through the nearby shops. As we passed by a jewelry store, a delicate necklace caught my eye—a simple silver chain with a small pendant shaped like a teardrop.

"You like it?" Theo asked, noticing me lingering.

"It's beautiful," I admitted, but then I saw the price tag. "But definitely out of my budget." I laughed it off, stepping away from the display.

Theo didn't say anything, but I noticed a thoughtful expression on his face.

That evening, as I was getting ready for bed, Theo knocked softly on the bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," I replied, setting down my hairbrush.

He stepped inside, holding a small velvet box. "I have something for you."

I looked at him curiously. "What's this?"

He handed me the box. "Open it."

I lifted the lid to reveal the necklace from earlier. "Theo, you didn't..."

He smiled gently. "I saw how much you liked it."

"But it's too expensive—"

"Happy birthday, Delilah."

I stared at him in surprise. "My birthday...?" I had completely forgotten. Between taking care of Tyrone and everything else, the date had slipped my mind.

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

He stepped closer. "You deserve it. Thank you for being such an amazing wife and a wonderful mother to our son."

Emotion welled up inside me. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. "You've changed, Theo," I murmured against his chest.

He held me gently. "Maybe I just finally realized what I have."

I pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. There was a softness there I hadn't seen in years. Our faces were inches apart, and before I knew it, I leaned in, pressing my lips softly against his.

He responded, his kiss tender and warm. It felt like a new beginning, a second chance.

The next morning, I woke up with a smile. The sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Theo was already up, probably tending to Tyrone. I stretched, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

Reaching over to my bedside table, I picked up my phone. There were multiple messages from Linda.

"Delilah, have you heard?"

"I can't believe it. She's back."

"Call me ASAP!"

Frowning, I quickly dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

"Delilah! Finally!"

"Linda, what's going on?"

"Have you seen the news? Liana's back from Canada. She returned last night."

My heart sank. So it wasn't a hallucination yesterday. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. There are pictures of her at the airport. It's all over social media."

I swallowed hard. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I have to go."

I hung up, trying to steady my breathing. Liana's back. After three years. I felt a mix of fear and anger. Just when things were getting better.

"Morning," Theo's voice startled me. He stood at the doorway, holding a tray with breakfast—pancakes, fruit, and a steaming cup of coffee.

I forced a smile. "You didn't have to do that."

He grinned. "Consider it part two of your birthday celebration."

As he set the tray down, he noticed my expression. "Is everything okay?"

I hesitated. Should I tell him? But then I felt his arms wrap around me, his warmth reassuring. "It's nothing," I lied. "Just a weird dream."

He kissed the top of my head. "Well, I hope breakfast makes you feel better."

I leaned into him, making a silent decision. I won't let Liana ruin this. Not again. Now that Theo and I were rebuilding our relationship, I had to protect it.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"For what?"

"For... everything."

He pulled back to look at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded, placing a hand on his cheek. "I've never been better."

He smiled, and for a moment, all my worries faded.

But deep down, I knew I'd have to be careful. Liana's return could change everything, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I must do whatever it takes to keep our family together.