14
In the doctor’s office, Liam almost lost his voice.
“What? Say that again.”
The doctor, blunt and unsympathetic, repeated, “The patient stated clearly that the father wa deceased. Normally, we require a family member’s signature for an abortion, but the was an orphan, with no spouse. The hospital made an exception, she signed the comment form herself
“Here’s the original.”
The doctor handed Liam the document.
Liam stared at the abortion consent form, his heart shattering, He checked the date. It was the same day Chloe discovered her second pregnancy…
Chloe had been at this same hospital!
His mind went blank.
Had I seen him and Chloe embracing at the hospital?
If so, how heartbroken must I have been?
God…
Liam felt like a monster.
What had he done?
He was utterly despicable.
“However, the patient left something in our cold storage. She said if someone came looking for her, I should give this to you.”
The doctor confirmed, “Your last name is Sterling, right? The patient specified it had to be a man
with that last name.”
Hearing that I’d left something for him, a spark of hope ignited within Liam. A clue, a way to find
me?
His eyes were desperate.“Yes, my last name is Sterling”
He pulled out his ID.
The doctor checked it, then retrieved a locker key.“Go to the basement of the adjacent building Find the attendant.”
Liam went to the basement.
The attendant’s gaze was cryptic.
When the attendant opened the locker, Liam truly understood hell.
A small vial… my child.
The attendant handed him a letter. “The patient said to give this to whoever opened the locker.
Liam was reeling; his mind blank.
He doesn’t recall opening the letter…
A single sheet of paper with few words:
12:52
༡༣
དེ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་ ་
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“Liam Sterling, you didn’t love this child; it won’t come into this world. You don’t deserve to be a father! And I can’t be a mother. We are both sinners.”
The words sent him spiraling into a dark abyss, a searing pain gripping his heart. His fingers wouldn’t touch the small vial. It was our child…
Liam’s eyes were bloodshot.
He roared, “Why? Summer, why?”
Nothing had ever broken him. But this small vial crushed him; he lacked the courage to look at it
gain.
“Summer… how could you be so cruel?”
“You wouldn’t even keep our child…”
“Were you disgusted by me?”
Liam crumpled to the floor, tears finally falling. He clutched the letter tightly, the coldness seeping into his bones. He wanted to ask why I was so heartless, but he couldn’t even find me to ask.
The attendant asked, “Sir, are you taking this?”
Liam was lost, like a helpless child.“Why was she so cruel? She loved children, yet she wouldn’t keep ours…”
“Did she hate me that much?”
The attendant shrugged.“Sir, we can’t stay here long. Are you taking this, or leaving it?” Liam doesn’t remember leaving the hospital.
He clutched the vial. It was raining.
He stumbled through the downpour, murmuring.
“Summer, why did you leave? Why did you .abandon our child?”
“Summer, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. Please come back…”
Only the cold rain answered him.
Meanwhile, Chloe stared in horror at her phone. Every app, every news headline screamed about her affair with Liam…
(15
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