"Sis, you're awake?"
Opening my eyes, I saw Lara's eager face. She called out to Eithan with a smile, "Brother, great news! Sis is finally awake."
I glanced at Eithan as he slowly walked toward my hospital bed. Fear flickered in my eyes, and I noticed a brief flash of satisfaction in Lara's eyes before it vanished.
"I feel so bad," Lara said, pretending to be concerned. "When I tripped on the stairs, I instinctively grabbed onto Sis, and it caused... her baby..."
Eithan snorted nearby, his voice icy. "If she hadn't deliberately pushed you, nothing would have happened. It's her own fault."
"Brother, I'm sure Sis didn't mean to," Lara said, trying to sound gracious. "It's my fault for taking Mom and Dad's love, and maybe yours too, so Sis acted impulsively. Don't blame her."
The door opened, and a nurse named Hadlee entered, holding a swaddled baby. I noticed a flicker of mischief in Lara's eyes before she quickly moved to take the child.
"Sis, I know you're heartbroken over losing your baby," Lara began. "I talked to so many people at the hospital, and they finally agreed to let this newborn stay with you for a while... I hope it helps you move on."
I stared at the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms. My heart twisted painfully.
My child... should have been like this, wrapped in a soft blanket, quietly sleeping. But now, he was just a cold, lifeless corpse.
Tears stung my eyes. I turned my head sharply and pushed Lara's extending hand away, my voice raw and shaky, "Take him away! I don't need your fake sympathy!"
In a corner where no one else was watching, Lara's fingers tightened ever so slightly. The baby in her arms suddenly shivered and began to cry with heart-wrenching wails.
Lara quickly put on a confused expression, as if she had no idea what had happened. "Sis, I know you have issues with me, but you can't take it out on an innocent child!"
Predictably, Eithan's expression darkened immediately. He grabbed my wrist—still connected to an IV line—with such force that I thought he might break my bones.
"Amiyah, how long are you going to carry on like this over some mistake!" Eithan shouted.
Mistake? Eithan, that was your child! You let your own child die! And the one you're protecting is the person who took your son's life!
"When I asked you to help Lara, you hesitated, and now Lara has gone through a lot to bring the baby here for you, yet you insist on making things difficult for her!"
"I think you're deliberately targeting Lara! Apologize to her now!"
I looked up, staring blankly at Eithan, as if I no longer recognized the man before me.
Eithan wasn't going to accept a refusal. He cruelly yanked me off the bed, letting me fall to the cold, hard floor. The impact on my knees sent waves of pain that curled me into a ball.
I gritted my teeth, trying to push myself up. But Eithan gave me no opportunity to recover.
He looked down at me with cold disdain and barked, "Amiyah, apologize!"
My fingers clutched at the hem of my clothing, knuckles turning white. The pain in my knees was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
I lifted my head, my gaze passing over Eithan's indifferent face and landing on Lara's mock-innocent face. My throat felt constricted, and breathing grew difficult.
I knew I had no choice.
Lowering my head, my voice was faint, as if squeezed from the depths of my soul, "I'm sorry..."
A small, almost imperceptible smirk appeared on Lara's face. "Sis, it's okay. I know you didn't mean it."
I kept my head bowed, tears blurring my vision. Yet I stubbornly refused to let them fall.
It was the last scrap of my dignity.
