"I have done everything I can for Christine, babe, you can't blame me if anything happens to her now. The company is going down every day, do you think this is easy for me?"
"I know perfectly well it's not easy for you, but please I need your help one more time. I can't bear to see her that way anymore."
"And you think it pleases me to see her that way?!" His voice was becoming harsh.
"Tha–that is not what I mean, babe."
"Then what do you mean?! I have always taken care of her sickness till now even though the company is on the verge of collapsing. It hurts me too to see that child die, but what can I do at the moment? Absolutely nothing. You should consider me too. Have pity even for this time...Everything I worked hard for is dying. I'm tired and I hope you understand that."
"Babe, I truly do understand you. Please I'm begging you... No one wished for this to happen. No one would want bad things to happen. Look at me..."
"Don't bring yourself into this!" His order cut me off in a way that sent a shock through my body. His face was darkening, in a way I'd never seen before.
"The last time she was in the hospital I tried to make things clear that nothing should ever make her go back there, at least for the time being."
"Ba–babe, please hear me out. I know..."
"Enough, Olivia!" His voice resonated in the office. "I have done my best to help that girl as I had promised. If anything happens to her now, I am not to be blamed for it, the stars will bear me witness. And I don't think I can continue keeping to that promise. I can't do it anymore, that's the truth. After all, she is not my daughter and I have to sacrifice so much for her! I can't bear this anymore!"
I was dying, I knew I was dying hearing these words come from his mouth.
"Olivia, I believe this is the time to let that child go." Was the next thing I heard from him on top of the shock he had already sent to my body.
I became dumbstruck. "What...are you... saying?"
"Olivia, listen to me. No matter how much we treat that child and spend our money, I don't think she would survive in her state now. So, please, I know it's hard for you to do as her mother, but start now to forget about her if you want our relationship to stay."
"Fe...Felix" Shock was an understatement with the words I just heard. What...what was happening? What was Felix really uttering? "You are asking...me to forget...my own daughter?" My body trembled.
"You must listen to me Olivia, else I might not be the Felix you know anymore. Do what I asked you to do so we can keep loving each other as we have always done."
No, this was not the Felix I know. He already was not the man I knew even before he said it. The Felix I know will not say this.
"Now leave Olivia. Gather yourself, and come back to me with a positive decision."
What positive decision? My head was shaking, never allowing my heart to believe what my ears heard. To leave my daughter to die? I began shuddering away from the man that stood before me. I wanted to run away, in fact, disappear, but my whole body was trembling and it felt like an eternity before I saw myself away from him.
I managed to see myself out of his office with the devastating words he left me with. Shaking my head I didn't want to believe it at all. I picked up my phone and called Gina.
"I can't drive, I need your help." I managed to say and slumped in the car chair. My body shook uncontrollably, my mind reeling from the devastating words still echoing in my head.
How could things about him change in one minute?
'Leave my daughter to die...' The phrase repeated like a cruel mantra, taunting me with its sheer brutality. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to escape the crushing weight of the decision that lay before me.
"I'm on my way," Gina's calm tone came as a stark contrast to the chaos raging inside me.
I waited, numb and helpless, as the minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. When Gina arrived, her concerned expression mirrored the horror I felt.
"What happened?" She asked and entered the driver's seat. I could only shake my head, the words too painful to speak aloud.
We drove back to the hospital in silence, the only sound of my ragged breathing, as I struggled to come to terms with the unthinkable choice that lay ahead.
After over 30 minutes of struggling to calm my head, I told Gina everything he said to me.
"No, no Olivia. You must forget about whatever he said to you. He must have said that due to anger and devastation. He never meant those words, he would do no such thing to you. Forget about it please." Gina hugged me tight. Gina's gentle assurance came as a beacon of hope in the darkness.
"You know what, Olive? I will think of something else to help you, my friend." Gina assured.
Gina always did her best to come up with solutions at difficult times and I hoped she would this time too.
Before we even talk about the money for the blood transfusion, where can we find a blood donor that would cure my daughter's condition? It was another going through hell.
We had only a week to find a donor, it usually took us three to five weeks to find a donor before. It was only possible to find one then because Felix would pay a huge amount of money for it. The doctor would put the information even in hospitals outside the country and that was how we could get a donor.
Now what are we to do?
"I will put this on the internet, Olive, everywhere on social media. I will also post in the rich companies, hopefully, we will find a donor. Some of the good Samaritans can also help pay the bills. I see a lot of people do it. That's how they could save lives." Gina suggested.