Too Late Mr. Sterling

Elowen's POV My hands shook as I stared at the medical report in front of me, unable to believe what I was reading. My eyes moved over the words again and again, hoping I had somehow misunderstood them, but the diagnosis remained the same. “Wh... What? How can this be?” I asked, my voice trembling as I looked at Dr. Edmund Hale. “Please tell me this isn't true.” Dr. Hale lowered his eyes for a moment before looking back at me with a sad expression. “I'm sorry, Mrs. Sterling, but it is true. Your daughter has Acute Leukemia.” It felt as though the entire room had disappeared around me. Acute Leukemia. The words echoed in my head while my heart pounded painfully against my chest. I had heard how serious the illness could be, but I had never imagined that those words would one day be connected to my own child. I turned slowly and looked at my daughter, Maisie, who was sitting quietly across the room. She was only seven years old, yet she already had a smile that could light up any room. The moment she noticed me staring at her, she gave me a wide smile, completely unaware of the storm that had just torn through my heart. She had so much life in her. She was always running around the house, asking endless questions, laughing at the smallest things, and talking about everything she wanted to do when she grew older. How could a child like her be facing something so cruel? “How much time does she have?” I finally asked, forcing myself to look back at Dr. Hale. He sighed heavily before answering. “About a month, based on her current condition.” I stared at him, certain I had heard him wrong. “What? A month?” My voice rose as tears filled my eyes. “That's not enough. She's only seven years old. You can't tell me she has only one month left.” “I know this is difficult to hear,” he said gently, “but we have to be honest with you. There is no way to know exactly how much time she has, but without effective treatment, her condition is likely to become critical very quickly.” My legs felt weak, and I gripped the edge of the chair to steady myself. I wanted to scream, cry, and demand that someone fix everything, but there was nothing I could do. I was her mother, yet I could not protect her from this. “What am I supposed to do?” I whispered, covering my mouth as a sob escaped me. “She's my little girl. I can't lose her.” Dr. Hale looked genuinely sorry. “I'm very sorry, Mrs. Sterling. I wish I had better news for you.” I stared down at the report in my trembling hands as the truth finally settled in. My daughter was sick, and there was a real possibility that I would lose her. Then Dr. Hale spoke again. “I don't want to give you false hope, but there may still be a chance.” I looked up immediately. “A chance?” “There are ongoing clinical trials for a new treatment,” he explained. “The results so far have not been very promising, and we're still in the early stages, but some patients have responded better than expected. If the next stage of the trial goes well, Maisie might qualify for the treatment.” Hope rushed through me so quickly that it almost hurt. I knew he was warning me not to expect a miracle, but I didn't care. Even the smallest chance was enough for me to hold on. “If there's even a possibility of saving her, please put her on the list,” I said immediately. “I'll do whatever is necessary.” “We'll do everything we can,” Dr. Hale assured me. “Mommy?” Maisie's small voice came from beside me, and I quickly wiped the tears from my face before turning toward her. “Are you okay?” she asked, her innocent eyes filled with concern. “What's wrong? Am I going to be okay?” I forced a smile even though my heart was breaking. “Of course you are, baby,” I said, reaching for her hand. “You just need to rest, eat properly, and take all your medicine.” She smiled at me, believing every word. I wanted to cry again, but I held it in as I gathered the medical documents and helped her out of the hospital. On our way home, Maisie talked excitedly about her eighth birthday, which was only a month away. She told me about the cake she wanted, the presents she hoped to receive, and the little party she wanted us to have at home. I smiled and listened to her, but every word felt like a knife in my heart. Her birthday was in a month. The doctors had given her about a month. I couldn't allow myself to think about what that meant. After a few minutes of walking, Maisie suddenly became quiet. I looked down at her and noticed the hopeful expression on her face. “Mommy?” “Yes, sweetheart?” “Can Daddy come to my birthday this year?” she asked softly. “I promise I'll be good.” My heart shattered. That had always been her biggest wish. She never asked for expensive toys or fancy holidays. She only wanted her father to spend time with her, even if it was just for one day. But Alistair Sterling had never made her a priority. Alistair was the CEO of Sterling Holdings, one of the most powerful companies in the country, and he was also my husband. He had never wanted Maisie. He had never wanted me either. Our marriage had become nothing more than an obligation, and Alistair had made it clear from the beginning that he blamed me for the life he had been forced to live. Things became even worse when Seraphina Wren returned to his life with her daughter, Ottilie. Seraphina had been Alistair's first love before she disappeared several years ago. Now she was back, and Alistair had welcomed her into his life as though the years apart had never happened. While Maisie desperately searched for her father's affection, Alistair was busy giving his attention to Seraphina and Ottilie. I had spent years pretending it didn't hurt, but seeing the disappointment on my daughter's face every time Alistair ignored her had become unbearable. That afternoon, as I watched Maisie walk beside me with her little hand wrapped around mine, I made a decision. If she had only a month left, I would make sure she spent that month feeling loved. I would give her every happy memory I could. And, if possible, I would make sure her father was part of those memories. When we got home, I helped Maisie into bed and stayed beside her until she fell asleep. Once I was certain she was resting peacefully, I stepped out of the room and called Alistair. He answered after several rings. “What is it?” His voice was cold and impatient. “I'm busy.” I swallowed the hurt his voice caused me. I had heard that tone from him countless times, yet somehow it still managed to hurt. “Alistair, we need to talk.” “About what?” “About Maisie,” I said quietly. “You need to spend more time with her.” He let out an irritated sigh. “Elowen, I don't have time for this right now. I have too much going on at the company, and Seraphina needs my help with Ottilie.” Hearing Seraphina's name made my chest tighten, but I refused to let myself be distracted. “This is important, Alistair.” “What could possibly be so important that you couldn't wait until later?” I closed my eyes as tears gathered in them. “Maisie is very sick,” I said, my voice breaking. “She's going to die soon.”