The doctor pondered for second before he answered, “Leukemia isn’t usually inherited, but it’s not entirely impossible. In most cases, it’s due to lifestyle and environmental factors, such as exposure to chemical hazards.”
He then looked up at us with a curious frown. “On that note, the report indicates that the patient’s condition was likely induced by external substances. Would you mind if I ask, has the child been exposed to any sources of such substances over a period of time? Like a laboratory or a chemical plant…”
I couldn’t take this any longer. Suppressing my raging emotions, I interrupted, “We’ll leave the child in your hands, doctor.”
As we exited the office, Cameron tugged on my arm. “Did you know something behind this, Sienna?”
I dragged my feet in silence as we walked along the corridor.
They had the right to know after all, but where should I even begin? “Sometime last year, Jared took Summer to W City…” I started hesitantly. “He placed her in the Crest family’s factory for some time while using her as a hostage to threaten Anthony. And at some point, there was an explosion which led to chemical leaks. We had no idea about this either until recently.”
Zachary’s face burned with anger. “How rotten! Are the Crests even humans at all?”
Cameron’s eyebrows knitted together as she gasped in horror. “Isn’t Jared her father regardless? How could he do such a thing to his own child?”
I sighed helplessly. Regret filled me as I reflected on my decisions back then. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let him take Summer with him to W City!
A dreadful silence filled the air as a gloomy cloud casted upon everyone’s face. The next moment, Zachary pulled out his phone and began making a few calls.
Cameron and Anthony too, began dialing away on their phones as they tried to contact all the health experts they knew of.
A throbbing pain stung my abdomen yet again. I had felt it from the moment I knew about Summer’s illness earlier that day, and I figured it must have been a symptom of stress and anxiety.
But as time went by, I realized something was wrong. While Anthony was still on the phone, the pain suddenly intensified and I felt a warm trickle down my thighs. Fear poured into my mind in an instant. “Anthony, I have a bad feeling…”
He quickly hung up and rushed over to my side. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
I grabbed onto him and shivered in pain. “My stomach hurts!”
His pupils constricted the moment he noticed the blood in between my legs. “Get the obstetrician!” he exclaimed loudly.
“I-I’m fine…” I resisted, although my legs were giving away under the intense pain.
As Zachary hurried off to get the doctor, Cameron came over and helped support me. “My dear, when was the last time you had your period?”
Cold droplets of sweat had already emerged on my forehead by then. “I don’t know, it’s never been regular…”
Come to think of it, it had supposedly been over a month since I last menstruated. Ever since I lost my baby, my period cycle had never been normal.
Seeing the mixed emotions on their faces, I knew what it meant. I am probably pregnant.
That explained my unusual exhaustion these days! How ignorant I’d been… I’ve always thought that my extra sleepiness was because of the weather.
Everything happened in a flurry as I was wheeled into the emergency ward. The pain in my abdomen became more and more unbearable. The voices around me soon became muffled and distant as my view blurred…
When I jolted awake, I broke out in cold sweat. Cameron and Zachary were by my bedside, but there was no sight of Anthony.
Although my mother sighed in relief as I regained consciousness, I was unable to comprehend the teary look on her face. “Why are you crying, Mom? What happened to me?”
She smiled while wiping her tears away with the back of her hands. “You’re pregnant, my dear! It’s almost two months already.”
Before I could react, Zachary’s face too, lit up with an endearing smile. “The doctor said that the fetus isn’t very stable at the moment, so you have to take care of yourself and be careful!”
I am… pregnant? An indescribable feeling surged up within me. It felt like a mix of delight and loss at the same time, amongst a variety of other emotions.
I suddenly remembered about Summer. “Mom, Dad, what about Summer? How is she now?”
“She’s awake now, and we’ve gotten in touch with the best medical team we knew,” Cameron consoled. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure we get the best possible treatment for her!”
I nodded in slight relief. “Where’s Anthony?”
“He’s making arrangements for you and Summer! You both have to stay in the hospital for a few days. We’ve gotten the maids to bring over everything you need, so just rest up as much as you can. Your
Dad and I will keep you both company as well over the next couple of days,” Cameron explained, joy and concern intertwined on her face.
I understood what she felt. She was happy about my pregnancy and worried about Summer at the same time.
A while later, my parents left and went over to Summer’s ward. I lay in bed in a daze until Anthony came back. He gazed at my blank expression with a gentle smile. It was a rare sight.
He chuckled softly. “What are you thinking about?”
I wriggled upright and leaned on his chest, wrapping my arms around him. “This child is a surprise… I didn’t even expect myself to be able to conceive! But whatever it is, promise me, Anthony. Summer is and will always be our child too, okay?”
Anthony dazed for a moment and smiled at me. “Since when have I started losing your trust? Don’t think too much. We have two kids now, and I’ll do everything to make sure Summer gets well!”
At his reassurance, I buried my head deeper in his embrace. Back then, I once thought that I’d let Summer make her own decision about living with her biological father when she’d grow up one day. But I’ve made up my mind this time—for someone like Jared who would go so far as to put his own child in danger, he no longer had the right to be her father.
“My dear Mrs. Featherstone, please take good care of yourself from now on. You can’t be so reckless anymore now that you’re bearing a child,” Anthony teased jokingly with a hint of helplessness in his voice. “I know you’re worried about Summer and about how I might favor this upcoming child over her. But Sienna, please trust me, okay?”
I nodded, albeit unable to shake off my fears completely. “Do you think Summer’s condition can be fully treated?” I blurted as memories of Renee resurfaced in my mind again. That poor child! She looked so miserably different after a month of chemotherapy. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Summer becoming like that too.
Anthony nodded. “We’ve found the best doctors, and all we need to do now is to find her a suitable candidate for her bone marrow transplant. Once she’s recovered, we’ll be able to spend the rest of our days together as a family.”
Bone marrow transplant!
I was taken aback. “Let’s get Jared. Since he’s Summer’s biological father, his bone marrow should be a match, right?”
Anthony nodded slightly and spoke, “I have something to tell you. Jared had been heavily injured in prison earlier today.”
“Did he get into a fight?” I was shocked. Since Jared entered prison, he had been living fine with the Crest family’s support. How did he get beaten up?
“It must’ve been Uncle Zachery. He must’ve gotten someone to beat Jared up as he was upset by what had happened to Summer,” Anthony replied.
I was in a daze—I could not believe it. “Why would Dad think of getting someone in the prison to…” However, when I thought deeper, I remembered how he became very protective of Rylee when he found out that she was part of the Moore family.
I knew that Zachary was an impulsive person. When he heard that Jared had caused Summer’s illness, it was in his character to beat Jared up.
Soon, I knocked out in Anthony’s arms, likely due to the meds.
I was woken up shortly by a dream of the scene where Renee passed away on the hospital bed. Anthony was not around, and I was worried about Summer, so I went to her ward.
Cameron was there with her. “Why are you here? Go back to your ward and rest. You need the rest now,” she advised me.
I nodded in response while turning my gaze to look at Summer, who was sound asleep. She resembled her mother more as she grew up, though she was pale due to her sickness.
Cameron gestured for me to head back. “Mom, I’m fine. I couldn’t sleep anyway. Let me take a look at her a while more,” I pleaded.
She had no choice but to cave in. Then, she passed me a hand pack and nagged, “Here, hold it. Your body is so cold. You should learn to take better care of yourself.”
I smiled at Cameron in response and turned to look at Summer. I studied her face and couldn’t believe that she was already six years old. Since we returned from R Province, I had placed her under Anthony’s care as I did not have sufficient time and energy for her. For that, I had missed many precious moments with her.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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