Chapter 6

Gus' face went pale as he shot to his feet. "Amara!" Amara turned and ran. "Wait!" Gus chased after her, catching her wrist in the hallway. "Let me explain—" "Explain what?" Amara jerked free from his grip, her voice breaking. "Explain how you throw me a birthday party and then rush off to celebrate the mother of your child's birthday?" She turned and bolted down the stairs, Gus right behind her. In the darkness, they both burst onto the street, one chasing the other. "Amara!" Gus grabbed her again. "It's not what you think!" Blinding headlights suddenly blazed through the night. An out-of-control car came careening around the corner, heading straight for them. In that split second, Gus shoved Amara hard out of the way. The screech of brakes and the sickening crash happened simultaneously. Amara hit the pavement and watched in horror as Gus was thrown several feet through the air, landing hard on the asphalt. Blood immediately soaked through his white shirt. He was rushed to the hospital while Amara stood in the corridor, blood still on her clothes. "You jinx!" Celia's sharp voice cut through the air as she slapped Amara hard across the face. "It's bad enough you can't give us children, but now you're killing my son, too?" Derek was even more furious. "Get out! Don't ever show your face around my son again!" Amara closed her eyes and turned to leave. But just then, a nurse rushed out of the room. "The patient keeps calling for 'Amara.' He won't let us operate until he sees her. Which one of you is she? We need her in there now!" Celia's face turned dark with rage. "This is a disaster!" In the end, they let Amara into the hospital room. Gus lay on the bed, his face deathly pale. His forehead was wrapped in bandages as he breathed weakly behind an oxygen mask. He struggled to open his eyes, and the moment he saw Amara, his fingers twitched as if trying to reach for her. Amara approached the bed, and his cold hand grasped hers. "Amara." His voice was weak but insistent as he tried to explain, "I threw Rose a birthday party only because the baby is in the wrong position. The doctor said it'd do good for the baby if she stayed in a good mood." He coughed twice, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he still held her hand tightly. "Please don't leave me, okay?" His eyes were red-rimmed, like a child afraid of being abandoned. "I really can't live without you." After saying that, he lost consciousness. The heart monitor immediately began beeping frantically. Doctors and nurses rushed in. "Patient is in shock! Prepare the defibrillator!" Amara stood in the corner, watching as Gus went into shock, his body jerking up and falling back down. She suddenly remembered many years ago when she'd been hospitalized for acute appendicitis. Gus had waited outside her room just like this, staying awake all night. Back then, his eyes had been red as he told her, "Amara, if anything happens to you, I won't be able to go on." And now, he was saying he couldn't live without her, too. But why did she feel like he no longer needed her at all? After a day and night of emergency treatment, Gus finally pulled through. He acted like a stubborn child over the next few days, refusing to let Amara leave the hospital room for even a moment. He weakly tugged at the hem of her shirt, his eyes pleading. "Amara, don't go." Amara sat silently beside his bed, looking at his pale face, feeling utterly hollow inside. She had once thought Gus was her entire world. But now, his world clearly contained more than just her. The day Gus was discharged happened to coincide with the Manning family's monthly dinner. The Manning estate was brightly lit, with household staff bustling about. Amara sat at the dining table, quietly eating her meal like an outsider. Then, Celia suddenly set down her utensils and announced with a beaming smile, "Next month, we're planning to hold a wedding ceremony for Gus and Rose." Amara's spoon froze in midair. Celia continued, "Rose has been in love with Gus for years. Yes, she used extreme methods to get pregnant, but regardless, she's carrying the Manning family's first grandson. "She mentioned wanting to wear a wedding dress just once at her birthday party, and naturally, we want to grant her wish." Amara slowly raised her eyes to look at Gus. He sat right beside her, his fingers gripping her hand tightly, yet he remained completely silent. No objection, no refusal. Amara's heart went completely cold. He had known all along and already agreed to all of this. She calmly looked away, a faint smile touching her lips.