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CHAPTER 130
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A vow of hate CHAPTER 131
The site wasn’t an actual site. It was just what I called my childhood home. It was a three hour drive from the city and sat on a large expanse of land. And I hadn’t been back there ever since I left for college. It was a grand house, and maybe if the walls weren’t tainted with my father's sins,Maybe I would’ve loved it. I didn’t want to be there, but I felt like I needed to go back to the place where it all started in order to talk to my father, and I needed the long drive anyway. Dennis wasn’t with me, I had given him the day off. So I spent three hours in silence zipping through traffic and wondering what I would even say to my father. Sure I felt like killing the man, there had been many occasions where I had come close to doing it. But was that even the right course of action to take?The house was pretty much the same as the last time I saw it when I arrived there. Still large, still daunting, and still obnoxiously expensive. “Welcome sir, we’ve been expecting you. Your father
A vow of hate CHAPTER 132
My father was arrested a week later. I had carefully gathered all the evidence that Mark had left behind and submitted it to the authorities. He had spat in my face and called me the devil’s spawn, I smirked at him and told him it was fitting. My mother knew nothing about Mark– I made sure to hide everything that tracked back to that fact. She had suffered enough in the hands of my father. It was better if she didn’t know about his other son. Life went back to normal and I was finally able to relax with my family without having to constantly watch our backs.Hazel and I got closer– a lot closer. Walking into the office on a monday morning, I looked exactly like someone who had gotten himself some. It was all smiles galore in the office. I felt like I was walking on clouds, and everyone noticed from the moment I walked through the doors. I said hello to the doorman with a wide smile on my face, and even chatted a bit with the concierge. My head was filled with thoughts of Hazel, and I
A vow of hate CHAPTER 133
HAZELI woke up to a room full of flowers and Valerie nuzzled tightly next to me. Smiling sleepily, I kissed her hair and inhaled her sweet scent before I sat up, looking around the room in wonder. Red roses filled every corner, and each one had a note sticking out of them. Butterflies erupted deep in my belly and my toes instantly tingled. I’d been waking up to flowers and handwritten notes and other gifts for months, and you’d think I’d be used to it by now, but no, I wasn’t. Even though I now had enough flowers of different kinds and colors to open a floral shop, the excitement never died. I still felt like I was on cloud nine every single day.I had no idea how my husband was able to pull something off this measure everyday, but he did it. Yesterday, I had woken up to boxes and boxes of Van Cleefs, and the other day, it was Birkin bags from Hermes. I’d never been one to be super interested in things like that, even though I had always admired them and wished I could have them some
A vow of hate CHAPTER 134
I tucked Valerie into her bed, brushing my fingers over her fat little cheek. Her lips pursed in sleep, and she looked so much like Christian, it made me grin. She had his eyes, full lips, and his smile. She also had his temperament, and when she was frowning, she looked even more like him, right down to the furrow between her brows. I had a feeling she would keep us on our toes for the next twenty years or more. In mere seconds, she was sprawled out on the bed like a starfish. I glanced at my watch, knowing I had thirty minutes of peace at the most. Probably more like twenty if I was being realistic. At almost four years old, Valerie had become a light sleeper and would be up and raring to go in no time. She had been that way for a while now. Down fast, up quick.I walked downstairs, listening to the sound of the rolling thunder that had begun a while ago. I had noticed the dullness of Christian’s eyes this morning and made sure he had some pain medication in his pocket. Storms like
A vow of hate CHAPTER 135
I shivered, unable to get warm. Grandpa frowned and pulled off his cardigan, draping it around my shoulders. I pushed my hair off my face, trying to gather my thoughts. I barely remembered the drive to the hospital. Sarah stayed home with Valerie until Tina came home. Grandpa remained calm, taking control when we arrived at the hospital, speaking with the nurses at the desk, who directed us to the waiting room. We were still waiting to see a doctor.“How long have we been here?”“About an hour, Hazel,” he soothed. “The doctors are working on them.”The hurried click of heels on the floor caught my attention, and I glanced in the direction of the sound. Mia and Sarah were approaching, Olivia following behind them. I met Sarah’s eyes. She reached out and pulled me in for a hug. “Tina is at the house with Valerie. She said she will handle everything, and you be here for Christian,” she murmured. “Oh, Hazel,” she added when a sob escaped my throat. I could see how strong she was trying to
A vow of hate CHAPTER 136
I stepped beside Christian’s bed, my legs trembling, tears clouding my eyes. I signed the forms where the doctor indicated, anxious to get to Christian. The doctor had explained how much machinery Christian was hooked up to and warned me not to panic. “It’s all there to help him, Mrs. Walker. The machines are doing the job his body can’t do right now.”I heard what he said. I carefully processed it. So I thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t.The room buzzed with activity, the entire team focused on getting Christian upstairs to the OR. I knew I only had mere seconds before they whisked him away. I stepped forward, laying my hand on his forearm—one of the few areas not covered in wires or bandages. He was cool to the touch…and unresponsive. I stared at him, the tears streaming down my cheeks. His handsome face was a mass of bruises, barely recognizable with the swelling. A jagged cut stretched horizontally over his left eyebrow and disappeared into his hair that had been shaved. A brea
A vow of hate CHAPTER 137
Dr. Fletcher walked through the door, exhaustion written on his face. He pulled off his surgical cap and ran a hand through his hair. Grandpa, Sarah, Mia, and I all stood as a unit when he approached. Sarah wrapped her hand around mine, her grip tight. She had been a rock for me the entire time, refusing to be anything except positive, despite the inner turmoil she must be going through too.I tried to read Dr. Fletcher’s face. I had no clue what he was going to tell me, but his expression was grave. My stomach clenched, and I had to reach for Grandpa's hand as well to stop from falling. Dr. Fletcher stopped in front of me. “He pulled through,” he stated simply.Hot tears spilled down my face.“He isn’t out of the woods yet,” he cautioned. “There was a lot of damage. He took a substantial blow to his spine and his head.” I could only nod, unable to speak. Christian was still alive. He was still here—fighting. “He’ll be in a special ICU and closely monitored once he leaves recovery. In
A vow of hate CHAPTER 138
The waiting room upstairs was much quieter. Sarah and Mia left to go see Valerie and get a few things for me. Tina insisted that Valerie stay overnight in her own home, stating she could be with her for a few days without issue. I felt bad. Very bad. Tina was supposed to be on a one month leave, and now… this.“Valerie will be happier surrounded by her own things and her routine,” she insisted when I spoke with her. “I’ll be praying for Christian, Hazel. For all of you. I’ll take care of your daughter. You take care of him.”Her barely concealed distress tipped me over the edge, and I shut myself in the washroom and fought through a panic attack, begging and pleading with God for another miracle and for the strength to get through this for him. Christian got through the surgery—now I needed him to come back to me.In whatever state he could.Together, we would handle it. The other option was unthinkable.Grandpa sat, his fingers flying over his phone, constantly checking on me. I kept
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