Chapter54
“Grace“? Grace!”
Grace broke out of her trance and looked at Antonio. She must have stood outside the study for too long, and it annoyed Antonio. This man had smiled so gently at Keyla carlier in the morning, but why did he look so detached when facing her? Grace realized there was nothing she could do to change his commitment to his first love.
“Huh, what is it?”
“Your phone is ringing.”
Only then did Grace feel the vibration in her hand. She glanced at the screen, and it was a call from the hospital. Antonio watched her retreating figure as she stepped onto the balcony, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Today, Grace seemed different.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Parrish, the surgery you scheduled can take place tomorrow.”
Grace unconsciously placed her hand over her belly. This tiny life had been part of her for five weeks, but tomorrow, they would separate. Though reluctant, she knew that if she wanted to leave everything about Antonio behind, she couldn’t keep the baby.
“Can the surgery be done under general anesthesia? I’m a little afraid of the pain.”
Grace tried to sound casual, but the heartache was impossible to
suppress. She had once longed for a child, one who would resemble Antonio or herself.
“It can, but we’ll need your family to sign the consent form.”
Grace froze. She was all alone. Her parents had divorced long ago, and her grandmother, who raised her, had passed away four years ago. There was no one left in this world she could call family.
“I’m an orphan. I have no family.”
The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds before simply confirming the appointment for tomorrow. Grace hung up and turned around, only to meet Antonio’s sharp gaze.
“What surgery requires general anesthesia? Who’s getting surgery?”
Grace averted her gaze. She rarely lied to Antonio, but now she had to hide the truth that she was going to abort their child. How could she even begin to explain?
“One of my colleagues is having surgery tomorrow. I have to be there. for her,” she said as calmly as she could before hastily walking away.
Antonio instinctively reached out to stop her but missed her arm. A strange emptiness settled in his heart. He pressed a hand to his chest. confused. He wasn’t supposed to care about Grace, so why did seeing her avoid him make him uncasy?
“Grace, I don’t get this question.”
It was Lancy Kaufman, Antonio’s younger sister. When their mother passed away, Laney had just started high school. To ease Antonio’s. burden, Grace had taken a teaching job at Lancy’s school. accompanying her to and from school for the past three years.
Steadying herself, Grace walked up to Laney.
“What is the question?”
Lancy didn’t respond. Instead, she slid her tablet toward Grace, displaying an Instagram account with a note reading, “New sister–in- law.” Grace frowned in confusion, but then she saw the profile picture. of Keyla. Her heart sank. So even Laney knew Antonio was going to leave her and get back together with Keyla.
Laney smirked, satisfied with the reaction she received.
“Keyla is back. She and my brother are getting married soon. If you have any self–respect, you should leave my brother now.”
Grace forced a bitter smile. No matter how much she had given to this family, she was still an outsider. Stumbling into the bathroom, she shut the door and stared at her own reflection. How pathetic she was. No one in this house had ever wanted her.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Laney. It was a photo of Keyla taking a mirror selfie in her pajamas. Grace immediately recognized the background. It was Antonio’s and her wedding house in the south district. Grace never liked the interior decor. She knew Antonio had designed it specifically for Keyla. Even after Keyla dumped him, he still loved her.
Back then, for the sake of Lancy’s schooling, Antonio had bought their current place near the school. Grace couldn’t even remember the last time she had set foot in that other house. Maybe Antonio had never intended for her to stay there for long from the beginning.
“You probably haven’t followed Keyla on Instagram, right? Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to forward all of her posts to you.”
Grace knew Laney had resented her discipline, but she hadn’t expected Laney to be so eager for her to leave. Well, they would all get what they wanted soon enough. She would be gone, and Keyla would be Antonio’s new wife. Grace wouldn’t get in the way, and Antonio. wouldn’t let her even if she wanted to.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.