Valeria ignored her sister's order of being admitted but still went ahead to the clinic where she worked. She was now on the bed with intravenous treatment passed through the vein in her hand. She had also been given some injection treatments as well.
Mylene was saying something but Valeria couldn't hear. Her mind had been wrapped on the stranger who had called her, telling her about her husband cheating on her.
"Sister?" She called out again, this time calling her attention. "What is wrong?"
Valeria couldn't speak. Why blabber now when she hadn't even confirmed the claims yet?
"It's nothing." She said instead, "what is the time now?"
Mylene looked down to reach the phone in her pockets. "Past two."
"What!" Valeria panicked. "The kids close by three. A drive back home will probably take about fifteen minutes and--"
"Sister? You're not going anywhere! At least not until after that treatment is over. Probably in the next thirty minutes."
"But I'm fine now. See?" Valeria forced a wide smile to appear on her face. "I need to go, Mylene!"
Mylene frownwd. "But I told you to bring the kids over?"
"My sister-in-law will drop them at home soon, and she must meet me at home--"
"Seriously, let me go home and take them from your sister-in-law. I'll even bring them here and in the evening, you'll all go home. Around five!"
Valeria didn't buy the idea. Admist her shaking, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist where the needle had pierced through. "Ouch!"
"Don't shake, sister. Please, stay calm. Let me go home and fetch the kids!"
Before Valeria could protest even further, Mylene rushed out. "Damn it, Mylene!" Valeria cursed. "I just hope sister Desiree can understand..."
***
Mylene got home at exactly 2:50 after managing to convince her sister to let her cater for the kids. She had the key now and just went in for a glass of cold water.
She checked her phone and her heart ached. "No, Mylene. You're over him now..."
She managed to tell herself. Mylene had fallen in love with the man who would break her heart. She knew that much but still wouldn't admit it to herself. Her ex boyfriend was already flaunting his Instagram page with a sexy skinny woman in less that two weeks after their breakup!
"Men...ha! They're all the same." She said, her face filled with disgust. "Oh sister, I hope your marriage ends up working out fine. Men will always dirty your white..." She sighed.
Before she knew it, time had passed. Fifteen minutes later and she could already hear voices of her neice and nephew arguing outside. She rose up to open the door.
"It's mine, give it back!" Her little nephew cried out.
"No, it's mine!" Replied Jose's sister.
"Aww come on now, Jose. Don't be pathetic now. Men aren't supposed to cry, shame on men who do!" A voice tiny and shrill said, forcing Jose to the brink of tears.
"Well men should cry because they're not robots and are totally allowed to show their emotions just as women do." Mylene said without looking at the woman at the door. She reached forward to little Jose.
"Hey aunty." Jose said, brightening up already.
"Hey my love, don't worry. Big sis will hand over your toy soon. She just wants to play with it too," Mylene looked up to her neice, with a stern look now. "Right, big sis?"
"Whatever!" She said, throwing the toy on the floor and walking away.
Mylene sighed, then picked up the toy and gave Jose. "Here you go."
"I hate my sister." Jose frowned.
Mylene's heart sunk low in pain. "Don't say that, my love."
"Are you just gonna pretend I'm not existing??" The woman who had brought the kids said. Makeup was heavy on Desiree's face, and she was dressed so extravagantly in high heels and a fited red dress that made Mylene nod her head in shame.
She hated Desiree because of the way she and her mother treated her sister. "Oh, I almost didn't recognize you in that clown makeup you were wearing."
"How dare you insult me!" Desiree frowned. She made an attempt to walk in, but since Mylene was more curvy and taller, she blocked her with her body, eyes looking down at her. "What is it now? Valeria, can you see this woman here trying to attack me!"
"She's not home. I mean you can get lost now." Mylene looked down at her little nephew and decided she might had been a bit harsh. She would be a hypocrite trying to teach Jose not to hate his sister. So she let go of Jose and leaned closer to Desiree to squeeze her into a hug, making attempts to force a laughter.
"Oh you're so funny, Desiree. Jose, hug big aunty and say a mean word to her. It's 'be sassy' day!" She lied.
Jose who didn't understand that his aunt was lying yelled, "your makeup is very ugly you look like an evil witch!" He laughed as he talked, forcing Mylene to burst out in laughter too.
"Say something about me too."
Jose thought for a while, "you're like mommy, very pretty too!"
"What? Say something mean about her!" Desiree snapped, but Mylene laughed and told Jose to tell her goodbye.
"Goodbye aunt Desiree." Jose said, and Mylene flashed Desiree a murderous glare before taking Jose inside.
Desiree was left to stand in total shock outside. Immediately, she picked up her phone and began to call. Faking a tear, she cried out, "James, oh I've been hurt! Your wife and her family said bad things about me. All because I decide to help your kids by taking them to the parental meeting. I feel so shamed right now, and humiliated! It's high time you divorced this woman! Hmmp!"
She hung up, satisfied with her fake acting. As she was about to leave, her phone rang and she thought it was her brother calling back. But it was her doctor.
Fear gripped her stomach tight, and she suddenly couldn't make her mouth to speak, but finally, the words came out. "H-hello doctor?" She said, "oh no!"
Desiree's eyes filled with tears and she began to cry.
Real tears now.