The Woman He Didn't Value

Chapter 6 The Breaking Point

As soon as Chloe received the Divorce Agreement from her lawyer, she wasted no time in heading to the print shop just below the bustling hospital.

Returning with the freshly printed documents in hand, she was taken aback to find her father sitting in the corridor, trembling slightly, clutching a few pieces of paper with a white-knuckled grip.

"Dad, what's the matter?" Chloe asked, a hint of anxiety lacing her words. But the answer lay in the medical reports her father handed over, words that felt like a punch to her gut.

There it was, in stark and undeniable print, Late-stage Coronary Heart Disease.

Chloe's grasp of medical terminology had always been limited, but she knew enough to recognize the ominous term. Late-stage implied urgency, a ticking clock requiring immediate surgical intervention.

Mark seemed so vulnerable, supporting himself on the bench with a frail semblance of strength. "The doctor insisted that surgery must happen soon, or she won't have long."

Chloe embraced her father, wrapping him in a comforting hold. "Dad, don't worry. Medical advancements today are incredible. Mom will pull through this surgery, I promise."

Her words were meant to reassure both her father and herself, a mantra repeated to ward off fear.

That evening, Chloe orchestrated her mother's admission to the hospital. As she secured her mother's single-bed room in the ward, unsettling echoes of dissent traveled down the corridor.

"This room is abysmal. I refuse to stay in a shared room," Mia's disdainful voice rang out. "Simon, can't you do something about this?"

Simon turned to address Mia's demand just as he noticed Chloe and her mother in the ward. "Chloe, why haven't you left for home?" he inquired bluntly.

Chloe's expression remained steely. "My mom needs me here. I won't be going back."

Mia, unfazed by the tension, entered the private room with a gleaming satisfaction. "Simon, I want to stay in this one."

Simon's smile catered to Mia. "Then you shall."

A frown creased Chloe's brow. "This is my mom's room, Simon."

Simon's voice was dismissive. "Given that it's an extravagance for her, wouldn't it be accommodating for her to swap with Mia? Your mom likes having people around, doesn't she?"

Chloe seethed internally. Her mother's condition demanded a solitary space for recovery, verified by the attending doctor as the last available private room. Mia's demand was absurd.

Desperate for some lingering decency in Simon, Chloe attempted to reason. "My mom is genuinely ill..."

Simon cut her off, his patience worn thin. "Your mother has always exaggerated her ailments. What makes this time any different? Why dramatize a simple room exchange?"

Chloe's resolve hardened. "Say what you will, but I'm standing my ground."

Mia leaned into Simon with feigned fragility. "Simon, you know I was hurt because of you. Surely, the prince of Gray Corporation can secure me a single room?"

Simon turned icy as he addressed Chloe. "This is a matter of obligation to Mia. If you refuse, I'll have the director make the arrangements."

Chloe's eyes filled with unshed tears. "This is my mother, Simon! Can't you understand? She's ill, and changing her room for Mia isn't an option, not even for the entire world!"

Simon's voice sharpened. "Consider this your final chance. Will you comply?"

Tears unleashed, Chloe stood firm. "No, I won't!"

Simon, patience finally depleted, made a decisive call. Moments later, the director arrived, chastising the nurse for failing to accommodate Mr. Gray's friend appropriately. "Rectify this oversight immediately. Mia is to have a private room."

As Chloe watched the staff remove her mother's belongings, her heart ached with each tear that fell. Overwhelmed and constrained by the medical staff, she couldn't meet Simon's eyes, her strength sapped.

Mary pleaded desperately with Simon. "This isn't fair to Chloe. Just let me move. Why make her suffer over a room?"

Simon's reply was blunt as he hovered near Chloe. "The choice was yours."

Chloe's tears tinged the floor dark, her laugh a bitter echo in the sterile air. "Simon, it's clear now. I was blind all along."