Chapter 401 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

It actually hurt to watch that kick, and Stan thought to himself that Harvey’s balls were definitely gone for good.

Seth Hedge, however, was still cursing at snapping-it was the first time he lost composure to such an extent!

Abigail had been furious at him, but that was because Harvey did something so terrible!

He managed to make it here to Harvey in Franconia because he wanted to find out what Harvey did to Abigail. He cajoled Rosa,

Harvey’s mother, until she relented, but it had been two days since he arrived here, but Harvey was not telling him a thing.

Even so, Harvey’s conversation with Diarmuid answered the question!

“You used me for that?! Fuck you! Do you even have a conscience?!” Seth growled as he choked Harvey. “Fucking die!” ‘L-Let me go, Seth… Are you crazy…” ‘That’s because of you!”

Harvey naturally was not about to let Seth clobber him for nothing and they were soon wrestling.

Stan stood nearby and watched, commenting, “That’s a dog-eat-dog world for you. Neither of them are anything good!

Bzzt-Diarmuid’s phone suddenly started ringing, and he whipped it out to answer it.

There was only silence, so he checked the screen and saw that it was Abigail’s number.

He pressed his phone firmly against his ear, worried that Abigail would hear the commotion over here.She rarely called him, so he was quite pleased to get her call.

His lips curling up, he asked, “Why are you being quiet? Did you miss me?”

Over at a hospital back in Zidonia, Abigail had dropped to a couch as she leaned against the wall of an operating room, her dainty figure curling into a ball as she shuddered.

She collapsed a hand over her mouth, unable to stop herself from sobbing.

Her tears streaked uncontrollably, because he did not know how to face James!

Sensing that something was wrong, Diarmuid called out to her softly, “What’s wrong, Abigail?”

Abigail still could not compose herself, but she asked hoarsely, “When are you coming back?” ‘Were you crying?” Diarmuid panicked right then.

Abigail had always stayed strong when she was around him, rarely revealing her vulnerable side.

And yet, she called him-something must have pushed her off the brink, to the point that she would call him.

Diarmuid took a moment to compose himself. “I’m coming back right now.” “You have to hurry,” Abigail sobbed. “I’m scared…”

Those words left Diarmuid’s heart breaking and he hung up.

“Stan,” he growled.

Stan quickly rushed to his side. “They are still fighting in there-” ‘Just keep a pair of eyes on him at all times. I’m going back to Zidonia.”

“When?”

“Right now!” Diarmuid barked.

‘Okay! I’ll make the arrangements right now!”

Abigail was still standing outside the operating room hours later.

James walked up and asked, “How is she?” ‘You should leave,” Abigail replied. “She said she doesn’t want to see you.”

James frowned. “What? Why not?”

Abigail averted her eyes from his. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

James was sharp enough to understand right then. “Did she suffer a miscarriage? It’s alright, I can take it. She must be sad too, so I have to comfort her.”

He forced himself to look calm even though he was hurting too.

‘No. You should go,” Abigail said —Erin would not refuse to see James if it was just that.

Staring into her eyes, James asked, “Be honest. What happened?”

Abigail turned away. “Please don’t ask…”

James grabbed her arm as an ominous feeling seized him, but he kept his expression calm nonetheless.

“Tell me,” he said, keeping his voice quiet.

Abigail closed her sore eyes. “You have a hunch, don’t you?”

James released her then.

Erin’s clothes were in pieces when they found her, laying in the bushes near the car.

That’s why you shouldn’t ask,” Abigail continued softly, hardly able to stay calm from the travesty. “I’ll stay with her at all times, but she doesn’t want to see you, so don’t try to barge in. You’d only upset her more.”

James’s mouth hung opened, but no words came out

He was devastated, and Abigail felt her chest tighten seeing his reaction!I will take care of her. There will be someone with her at all times.”

With that, she returned inside the operating room.She was the one who operated on Erin, and therefore knew very well.

Worried that she would upset Erin, she tried to keep her voice as mild as she could. “Let’s get you to your ward.”

Erin was staring blankly at the ceiling in silence, as Abigail quietly wheeled her to her ward and then locked the wheels in place, before taking a chair to sit beside her.

Erin lay on her side with her back to Abigail.

Abigail wanted to say something, but she ended up swallowing her words.

Any words of comfort were as pointless as it was unconvincing, and there was no comforting Erin’s wounded spirit.

The room was silent in the dimly lit ward, until Erin’s repressed sobs were heard ever so distinctly.

“Cry if you want. There’s no else here,” Abigail rasped.

Erin’s cries turned loud in a split second and she pulled her blanket over her face, her shoulder shaking as she wailed.The air in the ward was rife with pain and melancholy!

The only thing Abigail could do right now was quietly keep Erin company and stop her from doing anything stupid!

Erin cried for a long while, and it was not until it was almost daybreak that she fell asleep from exhaustion.

Abigail was afraid to move, since she might wake Erin when Erin needed rest.

If she kept being distraught, her body and spirit might crumble.

The door to the ward opened around 7 AM.

Abigail turned, expecting James, only to see that it was Diarmuid who came in.

She stared blankly at him for a moment before rising to her feet the next instant.

Realizing that she might have moved too abruptly, she quickly turned around to check on Erin-who was fortunately sound asleep.

Gingerly walking up to Diarmuid, she mouthed, “Outside.”

Diarmuid headed out, and Abigail gently closed the door behind her, before throwing herself into Diarmuid’s arms right away. “You’re back.”

Diarmuid patted her on the back. “Yeah. | was so worried when | heard you cry.’ “It’s terrible,” she murmured, her voice choking with tears. “It’s all because of me…”

Diarmuid saw James on the way in, and he was sitting on the floor, appearing haggard and exhausted as he did not sleep the entire night!

“They wanted to take me, and Erin told them she was me to protect me…’

Understanding that she was distraught, Diarmuid held her in his warm embrace, offering comfort.

It took a while for her to finally calm down, and she sniffled.

When she looked up, there were still tears on his lashes. “What should | do?

Diarmuid raised his hands to wipe her tears. “How bad is it?”

Abigail’s lips were cracked and dry-she had not had a drink since the incident.

‘She was raped… They took turns with her, and she lost her baby.”

Diarmuid already had a feeling that things would be terrible, but hearing Abigail say it left his eyebrow twitching and his expression darkened.

He was furious because those men had been after Abigail, and how thoroughly depraved it was!

‘Can you resign?”

Abigail did a double take-she did not expect that from him at all, and was left a little confused. “W-Why?” “If you didn’t take the job, I could have moved to Franconia with you. I’ve already arranged everything, and this would never have happened. I can give you everything I have-“

“You think this was my fault?!” Abigail was flustered, glaring at him just then. * I admit that I was the cause for Erin’s suffering, but… you’re blaming me too?!”

Diarmuid was silent for a while. “Calm down…” “Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?!”

She raised her voice for a moment, and realizing her agitation and that this was not the place for it, lowered her voice again. “I’m hurting, and you’re telling me it’s because of me? Do you understand how much it hurts?” ‘Then would you know how I’d feel if it happened to you? You didn’t actually escape- someone took the bullet for you, and you’re still being stubborn about this?”

Diarmuid still felt fear even after finding out the truth.

It was already a close shave with Harvey, and now this?!

Abigail stared blankly at him.

She turned quiet.

Diarmuid spoke reason, but he was not completely right.

She certainly knew that she was inextricably responsible for this, even unforgivable!

She thought she knew him. But she really did not!

“Is that how you see it? That I’m working because I’m stubborn?” “Even if it wasn’t, you’re married now. Having a dream and trying to realize it is good, just like everyone else who wants a successful career, but shouldn’t you think about your family too?”

Abigail pursed her lips. “So I should give up on my career because I’m married? So being with you just means that I would be shackled? Then what is the point of marriage?!”

“Please, stop.”

That was when the door to Erin’s ward suddenly swung open and she appeared at the doorway.

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