Chapter 244 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

James opened the doors gingerly, but stayed at the doorway.

“Mr. Althoff…?”

“Find a place where I can keep her–the surroundings must be ideal. Build it if there isn’t such a place.”

James did another double take. What was that supposed to mean?

Was Diarmuid saying that they would preserve Abigail’s body?

Would it not be better to bury her?

“I’m sorry, M–Mr. Althoff,” James stammered as he tried to put together the right words. “I think it would be better to bury her…”

Diarmuid leveled a cool look at James.

His expression was not severe, and it seemed like he calmed down.

However, his lack of emotion, and the absence of warmth in his eyes was actually intimidating just to look at.

“Are you questioning me?” Diarmuid asked evenly.

“No, sir,” James quickly replied. “I’ll get it done right away.”

With that, James turned and hurried off, as if he would get eaten if he lingered a second longer.

When Diarmuid was being calm, the pressure he seemed to project was much more suffocating than when he was angry.

Meanwhile, Stephen was in another room within Melville Hospital, staring at the patient in bed as he asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

The patient on the bed was burned from her right cheek down to her neck.

Although it had been bandaged and medicated, the gruesome carnage underneath could not be concealed.

Unlike incisions or lacerations, burn scars remain because the dead skin cells would linger.

While grafting and plastic surgery were advanced enough to restore Abigail’s face completely, the problem was that she was pregnant right now.

She must get an abortion for the antibiotics necessary for surgeries, and even if she did not, it would lead to defects in fetal development or a miscarriage.

Stephen tried to reason with her, saying, “You can have another baby…”

Abigail was staring blankly up at the white, fluorescent lights that were dizzying, and closed her eyes. “No. There’s a reason I survived that explosion… Maybe it’s someone up there intent on having me keep my baby.”

In the instant she was falling into the river, she somehow slipped out of the explosive vest, which only detonated after she dropped underneath the river.

Though the resulting flames and shockwave still struck her while she was underwater, she survived her injuries.

Disfigurement certainly did not matter to her.

Even if beauty was life and death for the ladies, she had no use for it. Was there anyone whom she wanted to look pretty for?

Stephen sighed. “Diarmuid Althoff is devastated about your death.”

“He’s not grieving me. He’s probably just sorry for his son who doesn’t have a mother,” she replied.

Her tone was cold and devoid of her usual passion and liveliness–what Diarmuid said before left her feeling a fool for all the love and adoration he had for her.

Turning to Stpehen, she said, “I would recover in five days at most, but I don’t want to stay or I might have second thoughts. Book me a flight to Mead Clinic in three days, and thanks for saving me a spot all this while.”

She had somewhere to be, at least.

“After you helped me so much with Mick, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Stephen then held her gaze for a while, and told her what was weighing down on his mind. “I’m worried that the body we used wouldn’t keep Diarmuid fooled. There’s a chance that he’d notice…”

“He probably wouldn’t notice. He was there, and he knows how powerful the blast was, and that the bomb was tied to me. He should actually be surprised that there was a body at all, since I should be in pieces.”

“Your body was fully intact when you were brought in–it’s only natural that we used an intact body as well, “Stephen pointed out. “His subordinates might get suspicious since they’re constantly watching.”

“Then I should thank you for getting the perfect replacement,” Abigail replied.

“Call it a coincidence that there was a fire at the orphanage north of the city. There were five dead, and one of them was a woman with around the same weight and height. She was burned extensively to the point there’s no chance of recognition, so Diarmuid won’t be able to tell as long as he doesn’t do a DNA test.”

“Oh, right… About the other favor, I have footage here of one of Diarmuid’s boys holding your baby. Suffice to say, I think he had been rescued along with your mom.”

Stephen had recorded the video in secret and showed it to Abigail. Although he was too far away to capture Tommy’s face, Abigail could recognize her baby’s cries.

Her baby… She felt as if a meat hook was driven through her heart at the thought of leaving him and not seeing him, suffocating her from sheer agony.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

She did not deserve to be a mother for what she was going to do to him.

Like a broken string of pearls, her tears streamed out of the corner of her eye, trickling into her hair.

Stephen sighed. “Why hurt yourself like this?”

Abigail pursed her lips. “Diarmuid will definitely protect Tommy as long as he stays at his side. The life and education he would have is much better than anything I have to offer-”

“That’s not what I mean–you have no reason to leave. You have a child, and Diarmuid would never blame you for Yvaine Lynd’s death.”

“Have you ever been in love?” Abigail asked, cutting him short.

“Things are fine between my wife and myself,” Stephen replied.

“Then how would you feel if the person you love and thought was in love with you, turns out to not have loved you at all? Would you understand the despair?”

Stephen frowned. “Is it really that complicated?”

“I didn’t know before,” Abigail said bitterly. “But being in love hurts.”

That was when the door swung open, and Stephen turned pale when he saw who it was!

While Stephen was too nervous to speak, the hospital chief gave him a look that said he knew everything, and rebuked him from the very start, “What do you take this hospital home for, your backyard? A place where you can do anything you like?!”

He had been lenient toward Stephen after the drama with Mick Gooding before, but warned him that nothing like that could be allowed to happen again.

This time, Stephen was caught abusing his authority again to help Abigail.

Even if it was the right thing to do, he was committing a serious crime by helping her fake her death, even using someone else’s body in replacement!

“I’m sorry…”

“I don’t need apologies. I’m not playing along this time. I’ll send someone to inform-”

“Sir.” Abigail got to her feet despite much difficulty.

Stephen moved up to help her stand. “You’re still hurt…”

Even so, Abigail kept her eyes fixed on the hospital chief. “I asked him to help me. Blame me if you want, but I hope I have your forgiveness this one time.”

The chief frowned even as he stared at Abigail’s face. It would not be a far cry to compare her to Helen of Troy before, but now…

“Your face…”

“It isn’t serious,” Abigail replied. “I may be disfigured, but I’m alive. Sir, could you please let it go this one time? Seeing that I’ve never made mistakes since I started working here, and have always given it my all?”

The hospital chief actually felt guilty as he watched her face, and eventually heaved a lengthy sigh. “Fine, pretend I was never here and that I don’t know a thing. But this must be the last time this happens, or both of you are out of there!”

While his tone and words were stern, he actually did not press the tissue and turned to leave the room.

Stephen heaved a long sigh after he was gone. “Thank goodness he spared us.”

“Sorry for bringing you into this,” Abigail said guiltily.

“It’s just a little tit for tat. I’ve caused so much trouble for you before, haven’t I? You really saved me with Mick,” Stephen told her.

Abigail tried to smile, but it stung as she tried to move her burned cheek.

“Alright, just rest for now, and don’t say a word. I’ll transport you away from this hospital tonight.”

Abigail nodded, still feeling guilty toward Stephen as if she was exploiting him.

She did not help Mick because of Stephen–instead, it was because of Yvaine’s letter to her.

---