Chapter 4

Lucas took Jake to the hospital that night. If it hadn't been for Celine, he wouldn't have found the right department. The doctor checked Jake over, frowning as he finished the exam. "His fever only went down this morning, and the needle marks are still on the back of his hand. Why would you give him an ice-cold Coke? Kids' stomachs are already sensitive. As his father, you really need to be more careful." Lucas replied, "His mother usually takes care of him." The doctor retorted, "It's not about who looks after him. This is basic common sense. Aren't you his father?" Lucas' expression darkened. He remembered he hadn't been so fragile as a child, so he figured Miranda must have spoiled Jake. He'd need to talk to her about this later. The doctor continued, "If a young child keeps having fevers, it can lead to complications. Watch his diet for the next few days. Make sure it's light, and absolutely no cold food or drinks. I'll prescribe the medication to bring his fever down again." Celine took the prescription and thanked the doctor. She then turned to Lucas and asked, "Should we let Mrs. Holden know?" Jake looked up at Lucas, too, waiting for his answer. But Lucas scoffed. "What for? She already handed me the divorce papers. I might as well let her have her way this time." When Jake heard that, his eyes were downcast. Lucas added, "It's not a big deal. I'll stay here with Jake. You can go home and help me pack a few things. I'll leave for the office straight from the hospital in the morning." Celine nodded and quietly let out a sigh of relief. Staying up all night with a sick child was no easy task, after all. She was glad she wasn't the one who had to stay there. That night, Lucas lay on the cot beside Jake's bed. He searched for fairy tales online and read them to Jake. After a while, he couldn't help but laugh. "These stories are so silly. Do you really listen to this every night?" Jake replied, "Mom reads them to me." Lucas shook his head and muttered to himself, "Miranda's being so childish." He remembered that before Miranda's parents passed away, she had been a bright, lively girl with a head full of bold, imaginative ideas. Every time she saw him, she'd run over with a smile, stand on her tiptoes, and call out, "Lucas!" But after her parents died and Liliana took her in and arranged their engagement, Miranda began living like the perfect wife and mother. She lost her spark and became so dull. If not for her, he wouldn't have gotten married so young. He still wanted to have fun, but suddenly, he had a kid. Lucas put away his phone. "Go to sleep. I'm here with you." Jake nodded. He'd always had Miranda by his side when he was sick, but having Lucas there was nice, too. That thought put him right to sleep. In the middle of the night, Jake woke up thirsty, and his hand hurt. The room was completely dark. He called for Lucas a couple of times, but he was sound asleep. Jake finally used all his strength to call out louder until his throat hurt. Only then did Lucas wake up. Jake said, "Dad, I want some water." Yawning, Lucas got up and poured a glass of water. But as he reached the bed, he remembered Jake was still sick. So, he turned back, added some hot water to warm it up, and brought it over. "Here." Jake hesitated. When he was sick, Miranda would always give him a straw and help him drink. Lucas looked at him and said, "You're not expecting me to feed you, are you? You're a big boy now. Be a man. Here, take it." Jake was so thirsty he forgot about the needle in his hand. He reached out for the glass, and the IV needle shifted, leaving a thin trail of blood along his swollen hand. Already weak from illness, Jake burst into tears from the pain. Only then did Lucas notice that the IV was finished, the tube was backed up with blood, and Jake's hand was red and swollen. Lucas pressed the glass of water into Jake's hands. "Go ahead and drink. I'll get the doctor." After that, the doctor arrived quickly. Jake had come down with a fever twice and been given medication each time, leaving both of his hands swollen and sore. He looked absolutely pitiful. It was only then that Lucas realized caring for a sick child was a lot harder than he'd thought. He supposed Miranda had worked harder than he'd given her credit for. Lucas said, "I'll have Eva come and stay with you tomorrow, okay?" Jake replied, "I still have to wait until tomorrow? Why don't we just call Mom?" He clutched the blanket and looked at Lucas' face, searching for a sign. Lucas asked, "Do you miss her?" Jake shook his head quickly. "If Mom knew I was sick, she'd come right away. Then, you could go home and rest. We could just say we dialed the wrong number." Lucas handed him the phone. "Alright, I'll give her a chance. Go ahead and call her." Jake took the phone, found Miranda's number, and dialed. The automated message echoed in the quiet hospital room. "The number you've dialed is busy. Please try again later." Lucas' face instantly darkened. It was now 1:00 am. There was almost no chance Miranda was actually on another call, especially when Jake called three times in a row and got the same message. Miranda had blocked Lucas. Jake looked at Lucas, not knowing what to do. In response, Lucas let out a cold laugh and snatched the phone back. That was it—she had used up all her chances. He wanted to see what she'd do now. Lucas blocked Miranda's number in return once more. "Go to sleep. Eva will come and take care of you tomorrow." Jake asked, "What about Mom?" "She'll come back sooner or later, begging for my forgiveness. Who knows? Maybe she'll show up as soon as tomorrow." Jake nodded and slipped under the covers. "Then we need to teach her a lesson!" Lucas said, "Whatever you say." Satisfied, Jake settled down. After a while, he said, "Dad, I want some ravioli." He wanted the kind that Miranda made. Hearing that, Lucas couldn't help thinking of Miranda's ravioli, too. He said, "I'll have Eva bring some tomorrow." … The next morning, Eva got a call from Lucas, asking her to take care of Jake at the hospital and bring two orders of ravioli on her way. Eva was thrilled. Yesterday, Lucas had asked her to stay with Jake, and today, he wanted her there again. It was both a sign of trust in her and proof of his dislike for Miranda. This was a perfect opportunity. Eva picked up two orders of ravioli from a good restaurant and brought them to the hospital. But she didn't expect Jake to put down his spoon after just one bite. Lucas tapped the bowl with his spoon, refusing to let Jake waste food. Seeing this, Jake picked up the spoon and slowly finished eating. Soon, Lucas had to go to work. Before leaving, he snapped a picture. The morning light was perfect. Eva was peeling an apple for Jake at the bedside, and Jake watched her quietly. It looked like the picture of a perfect family. Lucas posted the photo on Instagram, without filtering anyone out and with no caption. A few friends commented right away. Jasper Young: "Wow, isn't that your beautiful and capable assistant? Who knew she was so good with kids, too? Impressive!" Gary Mann: "Is your kid thinking about switching moms? She really does seem like a better fit." Brett Foster: "Aren't you worried Miranda's going to blow up when she sees this?" Lucas and Hazel shared a lot of mutual friends, and Brett was one of them. Lucas replied to Brett's comment, "She's been moody lately and left her son behind. What can I do?" All Brett responded with was, "..." At the same time, he wondered if Lucas was actually answering his question. What had gotten into him? He had no idea what Lucas was even trying to say. Meanwhile, Hazel also saw Lucas' Instagram post and the comments from their mutual friends. She immediately took a screenshot and sent it to Miranda, then launched into a long rant in the chat, cursing out Lucas, Jake, and Eva all at once. Even after that, she was still not satisfied, so she called Miranda directly, and Miranda answered right away. Hazel exploded, "That jerk did it on purpose! He's clearly trying to get under your skin! How can someone be so petty?" Miranda stayed silent for a moment. The sudden screenshot made her chest ache, making it hard for her to breathe. After all, she had loved Lucas for so many years. She had given everything to bring Jake into this world. The silence over the phone calmed Hazel's anger like a bucket of cold water. "Miranda, don't be upset. He's not worth it." "Yeah," Miranda replied calmly. Then, as if something had just come to mind, she asked, "Did you get the divorce agreement?" Hazel snapped, "No! What is wrong with that jerk? Don't tell me he doesn't actually want a divorce!" She couldn't let Miranda get stuck in this marriage any longer. At that thought, she exclaimed, "I'll go ask him myself!" Miranda said, "Forget it." The two of them always clashed whenever they saw each other. Plus, Hazel was a public figure. Even if she was in the right, things could get messy for her. "Maybe something just came up. Lucas won't back out now. Even back in university, he was trying to get rid of me. He's probably been waiting for this chance to divorce me."