J(0)
Chapter 14
The doctor said nothing more, injecting anesthesia into Marla’s body.
In her extreme terro, Marla didn’t lose consciousness. Instead, she watched helplessly as the doctor cut open her belly. Inside, the child already had a heartbeat, lying peacefully–if they just took him out, the baby could live!
Marla screamed through her tears: “My child! My baby!”
But with one injection, the child who had just been beating with life gradually lost all vitality.
“Ahhh!!” Marla’s anguished wail tore through the air. Even with anesthesia, she seemed to feel the pain.
Her child–the child she had longed for all this time–was dead just like that!
She struggled with bloodshot eyes: “Leander! Leander! This is our child! How can you be so heartless!”
No one answered her. The stillborn was removed by the doctor and thrown into the trash bin, worthless.
Leander turned and left. He had other matters to attend to–he couldn’t stay here.
Marla fainted amid her screams, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t even get a chance to look at her child one last time. After the surgery, she was immediately transferred to the Everhart family’s basement.
Meanwhile, Leander couldn’t reach Elara’s parents, which meant the airline couldn’t process Elara’s remains. He returned to the airport once more, explained his relationship with Elara, and successfully obtained a small box containing ashes.
Such a small, light box–this was all that remained of his Elara.
He brought her home and contacted the cemetery. Just as he hung up, his phone rang again–an unknown number.
Leander answered.
“Hello, Mr. Everhart. This is the Civil Hall. Your divorce certificate from a month ago with Miss Whitlow is ready for pickup. Please come collect it when convenient.”
The staff member’s voice jolted him awake, once again reminding him that he and Elara were no longer connected. His heart clenched painfully, as if pierced by countless needles.
Leander took several breaths before managing to speak with difficulty: “I understand. I’ll come later.”
The call ended. Leander gripped his phone tightly. Not only had Elara left him, but their marriage had also ended by his own doing.
He had truly lost her, never to get her back.
Leander’s eyes stung with tears. If he had driven Marla away immediately, if he had only treated Marla as a surrogate, if he hadn’t repeatedly listened to his parents, if he hadn’t given Elara that plane ticket… would they have avoided such an ending?
The more he considered all those “what ifs,” the more suffocated he felt. He’d had countless opportunities to prevent this.
He had the driver take him to the cemetery, where he personally buried the urn in the earth, covering it handful by handful.
On the tombstone, Elara smiled radiantly–their most beautiful moment together. But how long had it been since he’d seen such a brilliant smile?
Looking at that face so close yet so far away, Leander could no longer hold back. He knelt before Elara’s grave and wept bitterly.
Bain poured down, masking his voice, mixing tears with rainwater, soaking his thin frame and drowning the hope in his heart.
Te Let the Gold Diens
Leander knelt before Elari’s grave all right, speaking countless words of regret, but he would never hear her reply again.
Only at dawn did the butler approach with an umbrella.
“Mr. Everhart, the old master and mistress are demanding to see you, as is Miss Marla. Her condition isn’t good either.
The butler’s voice carried worry–Leander hadn’t rested for several days straight.
The man stood up, swaying before steadying himself.
“First, the old estate. I must settle accounts with them about Elara–even if they are my parents.”
His
eyes
flickered with calm, profound hatred.
