Chapter 30 The hospital
Lily's POV
As I stepped inside the white hall of the hospital, the sharp scent of antiseptic already familiar to me from the frequent visits with Mum filled my nose. Nurses walked briskly past me, their faces set in practical calm, while the distant beeping of machines created an uneasy rhythm that made my chest tighten.
I increased my pace to reach Wade’s ward quickly, keeping my face straight to avoid looking at the pitiable state of the patients. Then a soft, feminine scream broke from behind. It was so raw and broken that I couldn’t resist turning back.
A little girl the same age as Mia clutched the edge of her mother’s gown, screaming as two ward attendants wheeled a body out of the room. Her mother froze, and I saw tears streaming down her eyes. The little girl ran towards the stretcher, crying,
“No! Wake up, Clinton! Please wake up!”
Her voice was broken and desperate. At that point, the corridor felt colder and heavier, and I became too numb to move.
I looked at the little girl closely again, and for a second she turned into Mia. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Thankfully, I wasn’t.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I took to my heels, running towards the emergency ward where Wade was kept.
I veered into the hallway that led to the emergency hall and spotted them pacing back and forth in front of the door.
I slowed down immediately at the sight of Clara. What the hell was she doing here?
Mia ran towards me and clutched my hands tightly.
“Lily!” Mr. Gambino called out as I walked up to him.
“Good afternoon, sir,” I greeted respectfully.
“How have you been, dear?” he asked, his voice thick with concern.
I felt guilty immediately about my earlier decision. “I’m really sorry for—” I stammered.
“I understand that you have a choice, Lily. Whatever made you make such a decision was worth it, and I respect that,” he said, patting my shoulder gently and filling me with the fatherly love I had always craved. I looked up into his eyes and saw warmth, concern, and understanding. Then, without warning, I hugged him tightly. Hesitantly, he returned the gesture.
I pulled away after a few minutes and sniffed back the tears already welling up in my eyes.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, my voice cracking at the end.
Suddenly, Clara ran towards us, breaking the atmosphere.
“Oh, Lily! I’m so happy you came to see Wade,” she smiled at me, hiding the rage beneath. She turned to Mr. Gambino.
“I know you’re worried about your son, Mr. Gambino, but you don’t have to worry about him. I’ve known Wade for years, he’s a very strong boy who fights no matter where he finds himself—” she blabbed busily without stopping.
Mr. Gambino stared at her in confusion and disbelief. “Hey, girl! Calm down,” he interrupted, and she swallowed her saliva, embarrassed.
Chris let out a mocking, mischievous laugh, and she winked at him.
Mia held me tighter and tried pulling me away, but I patted her hair.
“Daddy’s here, everything is okay,” I whispered into her ear, and she nodded.
“At least you should introduce yourself,” Mr. Gambino continued, sounding very formal and strict. “That’s the polite thing to do when meeting a person for the first time. You walked in a few minutes before their arrival and never bothered greeting me. You have manners, don’t you?” Mr. Gambino scolded, and Clara’s face tightened.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. After taking a deep breath and clearing her throat, she spoke.
“My name is Clara Jenkins, and I am Wade’s girlfriend. We are so in love with each other,” she said. Everyone gasped in shock. Mr. Gambino’s eyes widened. “It’s a shame he never mentioned you,” he said.
“Oh dear Wade! I know, right? He’s so secretive, always keeping to himself and not letting others know what he values so much—like me,” she said.
Chris scoffed in disbelief.
“But that’s why I worry about him a lot,” she continued. “When I heard that Lily took up a nanny position at your place, I was so relieved! Oh dear Lily…” She turned and hugged me forcefully as I stiffened my body. Mr. Gambino furrowed his brows, but she continued.
“When Wade passed out, honestly, I was pissed at you, Lily,” she said, placing her hands over her chest. I stepped back, lifting my lower lip.
“You were pissed at me?” I asked, confused by her act.
“Yeah, Lily. You knew how he was, and you didn’t look after him. Were you even doing your job right?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, anger brewing in my voice.
“For God’s sake, Lily, you are the live-in nanny at the Gambinos’ home. How could you not notice that something was wrong with Wade? That’s very wrong of you, isn’t it, Mr. Gambino?” She turned to Mr. Gambino, trying to paint me black, not knowing she was making a fool of herself.
She claimed to be close to Wade but didn’t even know I had quit my job?!
Mr. Gambino shook his head disappointedly and adjusted his glasses.
“Seems like you’re not as close to Wade as you claim to be,” he replied. She was taken aback.
Chris burst out laughing while Clara stood there, lost and confused.
Then a nurse came out of Wade’s room, and Mr. Gambino hurried towards her. While they were discussing, Clara turned to me, her face turning cruel.
“Why did you show up here?” she asked harshly.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I retorted.
She stepped closer to me with a wicked smirk on her face, and Mia shook with fear. Spontaneously, Clara switched and crouched down to Mia’s height, stroking her hair.
“Mia, baby, don’t mind cruel Lily. She’s been harsh to you, right?”
Mia stepped back immediately, frightened.
“She doesn’t want you, Clara. Let her be,” I said calmly.
“And who asked for your opinion?” she snapped at me.
“Obviously she did,” I said, showing her how tightly Mia was holding my hands.
Clara let out a loud hiss and faced me.
“You think acting all good would earn you a place in the Gambino home? You will never be anything to them more than a maid,” she spat.
“Noted,” I said calmly.
“I am his girlfriend and future in-law to Mr. Gambino,” she said, turning around.
“Girlfriend indeed. The one who got slapped by her future husband,” I mocked, and her face flushed red.
Then Mr. Gambino called out to Mia, “Come on, baby, we need to see your brother.”
I let go of her hand, and she ran towards her father.
Surprisingly, Clara followed, but Mr. Gambino sent her back.
“Lily, come on. Are you not part of us? Wade asked for you specifically,” Mr. Gambino called out to me instead.
“But sir! I am his girlfriend and she’s just a maid!” Clara protested.
“Miss, you can wait on the other side,” the nurse said, pointing to where Chris stood with a smirk on his face.
I could imagine the embarrassment on Clara’s face as I walked into Wade’s room.