The Rejected Wife: Chapter 49

‘Mama?’ She searches the room until she finds me. ‘Mommy.’ Her lips tremble.

It’s the first time she’s calling me Mommy. She must be really upset.

The doctors stitched her up and completed the blood transfusion with the blood I donated. They also conducted a few tests on her. They told us she’s going to make a complete recovery. Thank God. Thank you, universe, for showing up for my daughter.

‘I’m here.’ I sit down in the chair next to her bed and carefully put my arm around her. ‘How are you, baby?’

She sniffs; tears roll down her cheeks. My heart squeezes in on itself.

‘Oh, honey.’ I kiss her forehead. ‘Does it hurt?’

“A little.” She cuddles closer.

I use a paper napkin to wipe off her wet cheeks.

She sniffs again. “I’m tired.”

I take in the dressing on her forehead. It seems innocuous enough, but the doctor told us the cut was deep. Enough for her to have lost a significant amount of blood, and to receive fifteen stitches. They promised us that they were careful when they stitched her up and that the scar should, hopefully, fade with time. Also, it’s close enough to her hairline that it shouldn’t be too noticeable.

Though she didn’t fall from a great height, she lost enough to warrant a transfusion. I’m so glad I was on hand to help. I take her hand in mine. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

She looks into my face. Whatever she sees there seems to reassure her. ‘I love you, Mama.” She yawns, then closes her eyes.

‘I love you too, sweetheart,’ I whisper. My heart swells so much, I’m sure it’s going to burst out of my rib cage.

In a few minutes, her breathing deepens. I cradle her hand gently between both of mine. Her skin is cool, her complexion washed out, and deep shadows bruise the delicate skin beneath her eyes. My chest tightens at how fragile she seems—like the smallest gust of wind might carry her away.

And that fall she took, I swallow. When she hit her head against the edge of the pool, my heart seized up. And when she fell into the pool, my entire body froze. My brain couldn’t begin to comprehend what had happened. But my body was already reacting. My feet didn’t even seem to touch the ground as I raced toward her.

And seeing her lifeless body made me feel like I was about to die. I recovered quickly enough to begin to resuscitate her. And thankfully, Tyler was able to revive her. I am so grateful the EMTs reached us so quickly, and that I could save her by donating my blood.

Thank God, our blood types are compatible.

Serene’s going to be fine. Tears squeeze out of the sides of my eyes. My poor baby. She will be fine. I place my head on the bed next to her, and for the first time in hours, allow myself to relax.

The next thing I know, a hand on my shoulder has me snapping my eyes open. I look up into the gorgeous, mismatched eyes of my husband. He urges me to my feet.

‘You look exhausted.’ His gaze lingers. ‘Are you okay?’

I nod. ‘And she’s going to be okay, thanks to you.’ I glance toward our daughter. ‘If anything had happened to her—’ I tremble. He pulls me close, and I let him draw me into that wide chest of his. Pressing my cheek into the warmth of that solidness, I continue to look at her features.

‘It’s my fault. I should have ensured there was more security who would have stopped that woman from approaching us.” His Adam’s apple bobs.

‘It’s not your fault. We’re in Bali. The last thing you could’ve anticipated was for her to turn up here.’ I look up at him. ‘How did she find us, anyway?’

A shadow crosses his eyes. Without looking at me, he rumbles, ‘We need to talk.’

‘Okay’—I frown—’but can’t it wait until Serene is awake?’

‘The doctor says it might be hours before she’s fully awake. For now, she’s out of danger.’ When he finally meets my eyes, there’s something in them which makes the fine hair on the nape of my neck rise. ‘Is everything okay?’

He doesn’t reply. Instead, he urges me toward the door.

‘Tyler, you’re worrying me.’

He sends me a lopsided smile. But his eyes are serious. ‘I’m sorry about that.’ His voice softens. ‘There’s something I needed to talk to you about, and it’s best we do it now.’

I nod, somewhat mollified by his words. But the dread which crept in earlier intensifies into a knot in my chest. ‘Does this have to do with her birth mother showing up?’

He guides me down the corridor and into an empty waiting room. I take in the couch, the comfortable chairs, and the window from which I can see the sea in the distance. The space is air-conditioned, and my feet sink into the thick carpet. It’s a tastefully appointed room. I realize, we must be in a private hospital.

I’m grateful my daughter is getting the best care possible.

For the first time, I appreciate that my husband has money. For the first time, I don’t knock the fact that I grew up surrounded by luxuries. I’ve spent all my life running from it. I felt compelled to rebel against the kind of lifestyle my father afforded me and my brothers. I wanted to be more ‘normal.’

I felt it was wrong that I had access to wealth when there were so many people in this world who had nothing. It’s what made me turn my back on my family. And I concede, it was so I could get more attention from my father. Becoming a mother has made me more appreciative of how difficult bringing up a child is. For the first time, I empathize with how much stress I must have caused my family.

When Tyler coaxes me to sit down in the comfortable settee, I don’t demur. He walks over to the nearby counter, then makes me a cup of tea and an espresso for himself before he returns.

He hands the tea to me, and I accept it with gratitude. I cup my palms around the cup and let the heat seep into my bloodstream, then take a sip. Feeling better, I glance at him. ‘So, it does have to do with her birth mother showing up?’

He nods slowly, tosses back the espresso and sets the cup down on the coffee table.

‘You already know that neither Lauren’s blood type nor mine were compatible with Serene’s.’

‘That’s not unusual, is it?’ I frown, wondering what he’s getting at.

He shakes his head. ‘Not in itself. But then it turned out that your blood type was the same as hers.’

‘So?’ I tilt my head. ‘I’m aware my blood type is rare. I didn’t realize Serene’s would be the same.’

He nods. ‘That in itself is, again, not uncommon.’ He hesitates.

And that’s so unusual for this man. He’s always so confident. So in control. The only time I saw him shaken was the day Serene was left at his doorstep. And then today, when Serene was hurt. I sink back in my seat. That nervousness which gripped me earlier tightens into a ball of apprehension in my throat.

‘Is it about Serene?’

He nods. Then he sees the panic in my eyes and squeezes my hand. ‘You heard the doctor. She’s going to be fine.”

Some of the tension drains from me. ‘What is it then?’

‘Because her blood and yours are uncommon, and because the doctor wanted to be extra careful, I agreed to them cross-checking genetic markers to ensure there are no underlying conditions that could impact clotting or immune response.’

I rub at my temple trying to make sense of the words. ‘You wanted to verify her blood type against mine for safety reasons?’

He nods.

‘I assume it’s normal protocol to do so?’

He nods again.

“So, what’s the problem?’ I half-smile. ‘You had me worried.’

He doesn’t return the smile. ‘When they ran the genetic markers test, they found a maternal match.’

My heart seems to stop in my match. ‘A maternal match?’ I croak. Surely, he doesn’t mean—I shake my head. ‘Not sure I’m following.’

He presses his lips together. ‘The tests indicate you’re Serene’s biological mother.’