Love You Enough to Leave You

“Cassie’s in the operation room right now! How do you expect me to be calm?” Elizabeth exclaimed, overcome with emotions. Just then, a nurse walked over to them and reminded Elizabeth to behave. “Madam, this is the operating room. Please keep your voice down.” Charlie got hold of his wife. “My apologies. Our daughter is undergoing an operation right now and my wife’s awfully worried about her. She’s losing control of her emotions.” The nurse nodded. She sympathized with their situation but it was still her duty to warn them. “Still, this is a hospital. So you have to be quiet.” With that, the nurse walked away.

Elizabeth lay in Charlie’s embrace. When she got much more composed, she turned to face Oscar again and said to him, “Oscar, you should know that I practically watched you grow up. Back then, I can see that you were really in love with Cassie. Yes, she did flee from the wedding, but she was young and naïve then. All these years, she’s always loved you, otherwise, she wouldn’t have given up the opportunity to join a famous orchestra overseas and run back here.

She even turned down all invitations to performances in order to keep her unborn child. Do you see how much she’s willing to sacrifice, all because she loves you so much? Now, she’s in the operating room, maybe even at death’s door, and the baby might not survive. Why can’t you make any promises for her?” Oscar kept silent and merely looked sullen. Elizabeth was about to go on a rampage again when Charlie patted her on the shoulder, soothing her once more. It was his turn to speak to the young man. “Oscar, I understand how you feel. After all, Ms. Winters has been with you for five years.

Even if you didn’t like her in the beginning, humans are emotional beings and love can develop over time. Cassie has wronged you first, and frankly, it stands to reason that we can’t ask you to take responsibility for her. But since you’ve made up with her, and she knowingly fills the role of the loathsome mistress, added on by the fact that she’s in the operating room as we speak, shouldn’t you give her a rightful title?” Oscar and Charlie exchanged glances.

The younger man understood that this was a contest between two men, where one side could stand to lose out if he was not careful. Just when Oscar was about to say something, Olivia’s voice sounded from behind him, to his great relief. “I came as soon as I heard that Cassie’s been admitted to the hospital. What exactly is going on? How did she end up here?” Oscar, clearly relieved to see his mother, crossed the room to meet her. “Mom, why are you here?” Olivia gave him the side-eye. She whispered to him, “Oscar, look at the mess you’ve made. I’ll deal with you later.” Oscar heeded in silence. After another brief glance, Olivia summoned the right amount of worry to appear on her face again. She strode toward Charlie and Elizabeth.

brought to the hospital. What happened? Why is she here?” Olivia asked, feigning concern. Elizabeth glanced at Olivia with complicated emotions in her eyes. “Now that Cassie’s admitted to the hospital, I bet you’re the happiest person around, aren’t you?” Olivia’s expression remained unchanged as she responded, “Your family and ours have been the closest friends for many years. If you really think of me so badly, then there’s nothing I can do to change that. But

the other woman, still simmering with anger. Charlie patted his wife on the shoulder before he turned to face Olivia. “Forgive my wife. She’s gotten overly anxious about Cassie that she’s become very careless with her words. Please don’t take it to heart.” Olivia shook her head, once again presenting the right amount of worry on her face. “How long has Cassie been in the operating room? What did the

up in the hospital?” Oscar shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure either. I came here after receiving a call from someone else. But Cassie hasn’t come out of the operating room yet, so I don’t really know what happened to her.” By then, Elizabeth was already burning with rage. “Oscar, do you still call yourself a man? Cassie

face darkened, and she told the couple, “Charlie, I know you and your wife are deeply worried about Cassie, but Oscar doesn’t even know the whole story. Yet you kept accusing him since the moment you arrived. Don’t you know how unbearable it is for me, his mother, to hear you blaming him?” Elizabeth was about to fire back when Charlie

of medical workers made their exit. Charlie and Elizabeth quickly went to meet them. The latter grabbed the lead surgeon’s hand and asked anxiously, “Doctor, how’s my daughter?” The lead surgeon looked exhausted. Nevertheless, he remained patient and answered her query, “Madam, calm down. The worst is over for your daughter, but we didn’t manage to save her child. Due to excessive blood loss, her uterus is now badly damaged, and it will be difficult for her to get pregnant again in the future. I urge you to be mentally prepared.”

the floor. Charlie’s expression grew grim as well. He put his arms around his wife and turned to the doctor. “You must be kidding, right? My daughter is in perfect health. Even if the baby can’t be saved, surely she can still get pregnant in the future, right?” The lead surgeon explained, “Sir, we’re very sorry that it has come to this. But she’s lost a lot of blood and it took too long for her to get here. We couldn’t save the child, and her uterus is so damaged to the point where I fear it will be extremely difficult for her to become pregnant later

she’s nursed back to health, she may still be able to conceive in the future.” Elizabeth broke free of Charlie’s hold and grabbed the surgeon by his coat before erupting in anger. “What do you mean she may still be able to conceive? What do you mean she has to be nursed back to health? My daughter is a kind and beautiful young lady. She’s practically perfect! She can have as many children as she wants! How dare you curse my daughter like that,