Chapter 184 Please, Mom, Stay with Dad

Chapter 184 Please, Mom, Stay with Dad

Something struck Gwyneth all at once. She clung to Violette's shoulders, her voice breaking. "Mom, please… don't divorce Dad. He's been through so much. I know he loves us. But he has his own mission, something he can't walk away from."

Tears welled in Violette's eyes. "I know he has his beliefs, his so-called calling. But, Gwyneth… we've always been the sacrifice for it. And why should we be?"

Frank's absences had stretched into years. Sometimes half a year would pass without a single word. Violette was tired of living like a widow with a husband still alive.

Gwyneth hugged her tighter. "I'm not asking you to forgive him. I just… I think he's pitiful. If you two divorce, then I'll be the one who's truly pitiful."

Violette kissed her daughter's forehead. Of all the people she and Frank had wronged, Gwyneth had paid the highest price. She had grown up far too early, always the one holding the fragile pieces of the family together. The thought made Violette's chest ache.

"Fine," she said quietly. "I'll think about it."

In those days, Violette set her work aside completely, pouring all her time and heart into looking after Gwyneth. Nothing was more important than her daughter.  

Just then, the phone rang — it was Frank, Gwyneth's father.

"Violette… it's me."

His voice was hoarse. He hadn't been well. Instead of resting after his injury, he had kept working until he collapsed, and now he was running a fever.

"Say what you need to say. I have to go buy groceries for Gwyneth."

On the other end, Frank hesitated — something she had never heard from him before.

"I know I was wrong. All these years, I've been selfish. I chased my dream and ignored my duties as a husband and father."

Violette let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You diplomats always did have a silver tongue. Get to the point."

Frank swallowed. "I don't want a divorce. My term is almost over. I'll be home soon."

"Those words stopped working on me ten years ago," she said coldly. "For Gwyneth's sake, I won't file for divorce yet. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a husband. My priority is our daughter. As long as she's happy, I can endure anything. You love your position so much? Keep it. I don't care about titles or privilege. Whether you come back or not is irrelevant to me."

She hung up without another word.  

Frank stared at the dead line, his mood sinking even lower. He had been lying in a sparse, foreign hospital room for days, with no sign of improvement.

"Mr. Martinez, this won't do," a colleague told him. "The leadership has decided to send you back home for treatment."

Frank gripped his phone and tried calling Violette again. This time, it went straight to voicemail. The weight in his chest grew heavier.

It was Holden who broke the news to Olivia.

"Dad, is it true?" she asked, eyes wide. "Mr. Martinez is really coming home?"

Holden smiled faintly. He liked hearing her call him Dad. "It's true. I just arranged security for him. His condition is serious. Let the family know — he'll be sent to the military hospital. Because of his position, his return has to stay confidential."

Olivia nodded and hurried off. She ran into Kieran and Alton just as Kieran, freshly discharged, was finishing a training assessment.

"Olivia, what's going on?" Kieran asked.

"Mr. Frank Martinez is back, and he's in bad shape. Kieran, go get the car — we're going to the hospital."

Kieran didn't waste a second. He vaulted over the railing, sprinting toward the parking lot. Olivia called Gwyneth and told her to meet them at the community gate. Autumn joined them, and soon the car was headed for the military hospital.

The ride was tense. Gwyneth's hands twisted in her lap. She had spent half a year with her father before he left, still injured. Now, more than twenty days later, she had no idea how bad things had gotten.

"Mom…" she murmured, clutching Violette's arm.

Violette's face was unreadable, but she had heard the strain in Frank's voice yesterday. She hadn't expected it to be this serious.

At the hospital, Olivia went ahead to speak with the attending physician before leading them to the VIP ward. Frank's position had earned him privacy.

"Mr. Martinez's condition is severe," the doctor explained. "In addition to the injury and infection, he has pneumonia. He's not out of danger yet."

Gwyneth's eyes filled instantly. Violette stayed composed, but when she saw the man on the bed — still handsome, but with hair gone almost entirely gray — her own eyes burned.

"Mrs. Martinez," said Ben, Frank's longtime aide, "he needs someone here with him. Will you…?"

"Find a nurse," Violette said. "His condition is too serious for one person to handle. I'll stay here. If there's a problem, you come to me."

Ben's relief was obvious. In truth, he had been the one to push for Frank's return, knowing the marriage was on the brink. Seeing Violette agree to stay gave him hope.

Inside the ward, the air felt heavy. Violette sat by the bed, Gwyneth tucked close beside her.

"Mom," Gwyneth murmured, "he's… in a sorry state."

Violette arched a brow. "What are you getting at?"

"Don't divorce him, okay? Otherwise he'll be all alone. Look at him — his hair's gone white, his health is failing. And you… you're still gorgeous, you even look younger than me. He's really pathetic."

Violette rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what her daughter was up to — playing matchmaker — but she let it slide, patting Gwyneth's hand.

"I'll stay here with your father. You go home and rest. Come back in the morning to relieve me."

Gwyneth glanced at Frank, worry flickering in her eyes. Violette couldn't help a wry smile.

"What? Afraid I'll kill him?"

Gwyneth shook her head quickly. "Mom, I know he's a pain, but go easy on him, okay? If you make him keel over from anger, I'll be fatherless. That's… really sad."

Violette gave an exasperated laugh and waved her toward the door. "You really are your father's daughter. Now go on — get out of here."