By the time Naomi arrived at the hospital, Celeste had already lost consciousness. The doctor scolded Naomi, saying that she was a terrible mother for letting her child end up in such a state.
Naomi didn't defend herself. She blamed herself for what happened to Celeste, too. She had known that James didn't love Celeste, yet she had still let him take her.
So, this was all her fault.
"Dad… I want Dad…" Celeste called out for James as her fever worsened. "Mom, I want Dad to hold me, too. I'll be good."
She kept crying. Her face and hair became sticky with her tears, causing Naomi's heart to ache terribly. Even in that moment, Celeste was still thinking about James.
Naomi clutched her phone and reluctantly called James. Of course, he didn't answer.
She sent him a message. "Celeste is running a high fever. Please come to the hospital to see her."
But even as dawn broke, there was still no reply from James.
Meanwhile, Sophia updated her social media with photos of herself, James, and Liam enjoying the night view together.
This meant that James had left Celeste behind without the slightest hint of remorse or concern.
The last shred of hope Naomi held out for James died completely. To him, Celeste had never mattered. So, she mattered even less.
Naomi stayed by Celeste's side all night.
Finally, Celeste woke up. She said softly, "Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry."
Her thoughtfulness made Naomi feel even more heartbroken. "Silly girl. There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Naomi said, holding back her tears.
If anyone should apologize, it was her. She had failed to let Celeste have her father's love.
"Mom, don't cry. I'm okay now," Celeste comforted her.
"Okay. I won't cry anymore," Naomi said, holding Celeste and feeding her medicine and food.
Celeste stayed in the hospital for three days. On the day she was discharged, James finally replied to Naomi's message.
He wrote, "Are you still at the hospital? I'll come pick you up."
Celeste read the message just as the notification popped up. She smiled brightly and said exuberantly, "Mr. James said he's coming to pick us up!"
The moment she learned that James was coming, she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful again.
Naomi nodded and silently prayed that he wouldn't break his promise. Even if it was just out of guilt for abandoning Celeste, she hoped that he would at least follow through this one time.
As time passed, Celeste's smile began to fade. From morning till noon, she kept watching the door to her hospital room intently.
Naomi glanced at the clock, then at Celeste.
Celeste noticed and said softly, "Mr. James isn't coming, is he? He must have gotten too busy that he had forgotten to pick me up. Let's go, Mom."
She forced a smile, pretending to be okay. Then, she jumped out of bed to tug on Naomi's hand.
Naomi's chest tightened, and she nodded. "Okay. I'll take you home."
They walked out of the hospital room together. When they reached the elevator, they saw James. "It's Dad…" Celeste immediately corrected herself and said, "It's Mr. James. He came to pick us up!"
But in the next moment, Sophia stepped out of the elevator.
Naomi tightened her grip on Celeste's hand, which was beginning to pull away.
James turned and saw them. The moment he did, he frowned slightly, and his expression became uneasy.
"Is Liam alright?" Sophia asked, looking at him.
He shook his head. "He's fine. It's just a scrape."
Then he turned away and didn't look at Naomi or Celeste again.
Naomi understood that James hadn't come to pick them up. He was only there for Sophia and Liam. Even if she and Celeste had been in danger, it wouldn't stir the slightest concern in him.
There were no words to describe the complicated emotions that were coursing through her at that moment.
She looked down and smiled gently at Celeste. "Come on, Celeste."
Celeste smiled back. "Let's go home, Mom."
The ride home was quiet. Celeste stared out the window, sniffling from time to time. When they got back to the villa, she locked herself in her room.
Naomi didn't disturb her. She just stood silently outside to keep her company.
