My Handsome Uncle, Please Be Mine!

Part 38

The night grew late. The emergency room of the hospital appeared quiet. There were only a few nurses and staff around.

Joe gazed intently at his unconscious daughter’s face. An IV needle was in her hand, and an oxygen tube was attached to her nose.

“Mom, Dad, you should go home and rest,” Joe said. A mix of sadness and guilt filled his heart.

“No, Mom won’t leave until she makes sure her granddaughter is okay!” Mrs. Linn refused.

“Doctor Gaston will be here soon, Mom, don’t worry,” Joe reassured. He was equally worried as Mrs. Linn.

“What if something happens to Kimmy? Why didn’t you open the door immediately, Joe? Look, now my granddaughter is unconscious because of you!” Mrs. Linn accused, her voice low but forceful.

Silence.

Joe chose to remain silent. Arguing with his mother wouldn’t help. He’d surely lose!

“That’s enough, Mom, don’t blame Joe. Let’s just pray for Kimmy to wake up soon!” Mr. Bond intervened, placing his hand on his wife’s shoulder.

Footsteps approached.

“What happened?” Doctor Gaston asked, examining the condition of the little girl, his friend’s daughter.

“Kimmy fell from the second floor, she might have fallen while walking downstairs!” Joe replied. His eyes continued to watch every movement of Doctor Gaston as he examined his daughter. Starting from checking her pupils’ response, then her heartbeat, and the wound at the back of Kimmy’s head.

“When will Kimmy wake up, Doctor Gaston?” Mrs. Linn asked.

“She might wake up tomorrow,” Doctor Gaston replied casually. He knew Mrs. Linn’s character. She might stay awake all night if she knew Kimmy had a serious concussion. “We’ll do a CT scan tomorrow morning to confirm,” he added.

Joe nodded slowly, hoping Kimmy would be okay.

==❤==

Mrs. Linn had arrived home. The atmosphere in the house was quiet. Only Anik greeted her and opened the door for her.

“Good evening, ma’am, would you like some hot tea or should I prepare something?” the maid asked, playing with her fingers, feeling hesitant.

“I’m not hungry!” Mrs. Linn followed her husband’s steps, who had walked ahead.

Anik bit her lower lip, unsure whether to say it or not.

“Ma’am, there’s something I need to tell you!” Anik said in a loud voice.

Mr. Bond and Mrs. Linn stopped. They both turned sharply toward the source of the sound.

“What’s wrong?” the middle-aged woman raised her head, which had been mostly looking down to hide her sadness.

“I don’t know if this is right or wrong, I just want to tell you. It’s about Mr. Joe and Clara. When I called Mr. Joe in his room earlier, I saw Clara in his room. At first, I thought I was mistaken, but I’m sure it was Clara in Mr. Joe’s room!” she revealed.

Mrs. Linn froze. Some of Kimmy’s words flashed through her mind. She realized one thing, what her granddaughter said must be the truth.

Kimmy had said she heard Clara and her dad talking at night. Not only that, her granddaughter had also told her that Clara and her dad had fed each other. Finally, the four-year-old had said that her dad was going to take Clara to the marriage registrar.

“Am I mistaken?” Mrs. Linn confirmed once again.

Anik nodded.

“Clara was in Joe’s room?” she inquired sharply with a piercing gaze.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Is there anything else you know?” the lady of the house pressed. She tried to contain her emotions. She couldn’t wait to confront Clara.

“Nothing else, ma’am, just that!” she said.

The middle-aged woman walked, hastening her steps up the stairs.

Mr. Bond shook his head. He could guess what would happen next.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

“Clara!” she called out loudly, banging on the door with all her might.

The door opened. The owner of the name stood there with a frightened look. Her hands trembled, and her gaze lowered. She was sure Mrs. Linn would scold her.

Slap!

A hard slap landed on Clara’s right cheek.

“You despicable human, who taught you to seduce my child! You were raised without gratitude! You were cared for without appreciation! What’s on your mind, Clara? You entered my child’s room, seducing him! You’re not a lowly prostitute who uses her body for money, are you? …. Lowly!” she cursed, emphasizing the last word.

Clara remained silent, unable to say anything. Tears had already spread in both her eyelids. This was the first time she had received such a curse. It was very painful. It entered her heart, then sliced it. Until teardrops finally escaped, wetting her cheeks.

“Are you just going to cry? Do you still have the courage to stay in this house? Get out of here, you’re not worthy of being in a relationship with Joe, you’re just a parasite. Understand!” she cursed with a loud voice, ending her sentence with a look of disdain. “You have to leave this house as soon as possible, Clara!” she said firmly, her voice loud enough to deafen.

Mrs. Linn stomped her feet angrily, walking towards her room. She was annoyed. The girl whom she had considered to be like a sister to Joe ten years ago had turned out to be very disappointing.

“Mama doesn’t need to be that angry with Clara!” Mr. Bond pleaded. He opened the door to their room and guided his wife. “Tomorrow, I will talk to Clara,” he added.

==❤==

Clara stared at her phone screen. It was already past eleven at night. She wasn’t sure if Nadia was still awake.

However, since she had been kicked out of this house, Clara at least wanted to find a new place to stay before moving on to the next step.

Clara: [Nad, can I come to your house tomorrow?]

She waited for a response. Only after a while did she feel her phone vibrate, indicating a new message.

Nadia: [Sorry, Clara, I’m on vacation with my mom and dad. You can come to my house and stay in two days.]

Clara: [Got it.]

Nadia: [Are you going on vacation with Uncle Joe?]

Clara: [Not yet, Kimmy is hospitalized.]

Nadia: [I hope your future child recovers quickly, Clara. See u.]© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Clara: [Thank you!]

The girl slid her phone screen, searching for a friend’s number who could help her. There was only one name, Mario. Clara opened a dozen messages from her friend.

Clara: [Mario]

After checking the blue ticks, Clara saw Mario’s name appear on her phone screen.

“Hello!” Clara greeted with a trembling voice.

“Hello Clara, it’s rare for you to reply to my messages!” he complained.

“Are you not sleeping yet?” Clara asked.

“I just got off the plane, I arrived at the international airport in England tonight!” the voice on the other end revealed. “Sorry I didn’t meet you first, I heard you’re going to study here too!” Mario said excitedly. Yes, that’s what he heard from Nadia. Clara was going to study in England.

Silence.

“I’ll wait for you to come here, Clara!” Mario said enthusiastically.

“Um, yeah Mario. It’s late here, I have to sleep now!” Clara asked for permission. She didn’t want Mario to hear her crying.

The call ended.

Clara wiped away the tears that fell on her cheeks. She had cried many times. Not only did she have to bury her dreams of studying in England and finding her family, but… she also had to leave this house soon.

==❤==

The next morning.

Clara entered Mr. Bond’s office on the ground floor. Joe Sebastian’s father had asked her to come to his office.

It was Clara’s first time there. The room was spacious. Larger than Joe’s office on the second floor.

“Please, have a seat, Clara!” he commanded. His gaze was flat as usual. Bond Sebastian finally decided to mediate between his wife and Clara.

The girl complied. She sat in the only chair. They faced each other. Clara chose to remain silent. She continued to bow her head, lacking the courage to look at her interlocutor.

“I’ll give you two options: end your relationship with Joe for two days, and I’ll guarantee your education in England, or you can continue your relationship with Joe but you can leave this house now!” Bond offered.

Clara remained silent.

“If you choose to go to England, I’ll ensure your education, but if you choose to maintain your relationship with Joe, I’ll try to make you two break up. And you have to remember, Clara. Joe has chosen Kimmy to be his priority!” he said again, not showing his true expression.

Clara thought. She couldn’t just leave this house and become homeless, right?

“However, you and Joe cannot be together in any way. It’s better for you to take this ticket and we make a deal!” Bond persuaded. He didn’t want Clara to choose the second option. He wanted Clara to have a guaranteed education.

Clara closed her eyes before finally making a decision.

“I will study in England and I will end my relationship with Uncle Joe!” Clara said softly. She hid her trembling voice.

“I’ll give you two days! End your relationship with Joe, and never try to come back. Understood!” he said firmly.

“Yes, Sir!” Clara replied.

To be Continued.