Her feet weak, her steps could only be compared to that of a snail, her face paled, gaze blank, she walked through the hallway lifeless. The spark she had when coming in was nowhere to be found. Her soul appeared to have left her body.
The universe was cruel, too cruel. At the brink of tears, it took all her will power to maintain an indifferent look. Her world, dream, shattered beneath her feet. The universe was taking everything away from her with no remorse, was it in fact, the punishment for her past deed. Was it karma biting her back?
In her misery, she failed to keep noticed of her surroundings and bumped into someone. Feeling her body falling, she closed her eyes, ready for the incoming pain but nothing came. A pair of hand securely held her, preventing her from falling.
Shocked by sudden warm she felt, she opened her eyes and was greeted by the most beautiful pair of eyes she ever saw. The grey eyes in question was looking at her with concern. The familiarity of the gaze brought her back to her sense, recognizing whom eyes it was. Alexander Smith.
"Mr. Smith," she muttered, lost in his eyes, wondering the reason of his presence and then, it doomed her. Upon realizing she was in his arms, she jerked out, repeatedly apologizing.
"I'm sorry Mr. Smith, I was lost in my thought unaware of my surrounding," she said head low.
Seeing the papers on the floor she fast grabbed her file, not wanting him to see its content. The moment her hand was about to take Mr. Smith own, she was stopped by him and he took it himself.
"It's okay, the most important is that you're not hurt," he said ordering the paper in the document.
"Right but thank you," she managed to cracked a smile despite her distraught heart, her eyes never leaving the file in his hand. What she saw troubled her.
"You are welcome then," he said before leaving.
Ivy look at his departing back unease, if she didn't mistaken when she was about to take the paper she read infertility on it. It a medical report, she couldn't see what for no the name but was sure the results was infertility. It was insane, it couldn't to his. Had she wrong read? He had three big children. She nodded to herself, she must be it was someone else result.
The thought brought her to her own problem, she glanced at the file in her hands and clenched it. She walked out of the hospital but stopped herself before the driver could see her disastrous expression. She couldn't let him see her in such a state. No one in that matter.
If he did, he won't delay to tell her father. It was the last thing she wanted to happen. She made a ninety degrees turn, and walked back in. She had to calm herself down before she could meet the outside world. Walking through the hallway, her eyes roaming at each corner, searching for a familiar face but she saw none. Getting in the garden, she left out a loud breath, taking a seat on the bench. Left alone with her thoughts, with no one prying in her business, her mind wondered back on what Dr. Clark said.
"You have polycystic ovary syndrome. It is a common condition that affects hormones. It causes irregular menstrual period, excess hair growth, acne and infertility. Its normally curable but yours is at the last stage and given your answer you belong to rare person who hand now symptoms at all."
"What do you mean doctor, am I infertile? I can't have children is that?" she asked but he only lowered his head, giving Ivy the answer to her question.
He delayed coming back because he wanted to make sure they didn't make an error why conducting the exams but they were no error, she couldn't have children. With no words Ivy got out of his office.
She shut her eyes at the thought, what was she going to do now, she couldn't have children. Silent tears ran down her cheek.
Since she could remember, she always wanted kids. Her desire to me a mother kicked in at an early age, and never left. She knew she would have kids on her own and loved them to death. Just like her parents did for her. She always carried a persona of an indifferent person, fearing to appear to care. It was a weakness she couldn't let display.
She always wished for happy family, like theirs. Full of love though she always stated otherwise. Liam and her would have been a happy family with many children. Life didn't only refused her Liam's love but disproved her of her natural gift.
Now, how could she claims to be a woman. To be Liam's woman, or anyone. She wasn't a woman anymore. Who would want someone like her, unable to procreate.
No family would accept a barren woman like her, she was bound for a life of solitude. Even if Liam ever wanted her, she couldn't let him sacrifice himself like that. It was the last things needed for her to completely put a cross on Liam. She could never be his woman, she wasn't even a woman.
Her tears dried up, but the pain in her heart didn't quenched. How could it! When all her hopes, dream has just been reduced into dust. Now more than ever, she would never be the heir of her family. It was never going to happen. All she ever desired would never happen. For the first time in her life, she felt worthless. Her confidence was none existence. For the first time in her life, she hated herself.
Her phone rang once again. She already ignored it a couple of times. It was a call from her mother. She couldn't answered in her state or else, she would know something was up. Breathing in and out, trying to relax her nerves and heart. Trying to stop her brain from thinking, she stared at the kids playing outside, reminding her of what she would never have.
Feeling calm, she took her phone out of her bag and called her mother. She answered at the first ring,
"Finally! I have been trying to reach out for hours," her mother said exaggerating. It has only been thirty minutes.
"I couldn't answer, was at a meeting," she lied.
"Sorry, am I disturbing you?" she asked worried. It wasn't her intention.
It relieved Ivy, her mother seems not to her picked up her sore mood. It was the last thing she wanted.
"Not at all. I'm free for the moment."
"Good. I wanted to inform you of the dinner at your grandparents house," She said. With the tone she used, Ivy figured it was her father's parents she was referring to.
"I won't come," she declared. She wasn't in the mood nor had the strength to support them. To fake a smile, even to be angry. She was exhausted both physically and mentally
"You should come Ivy. They way your grandfather spoke it was as if he didn't wish for your presence and if it's the case it means,"
"The dinner is in reference to the company," I finished her sentence. It was a logical explanation.
If it was another day. A day she didn't know about her fate, she would gone without a second thought but things changed. Her race for the thrown has been put to an end. There were no way they would give her the direction to her, because to whom would she passed it? An adopted child? Stone enterprise was a family business, no outsider could take the lead. No one would accept it, not even herself.
"Ivy?" Her mother called receiving a death silence from her end.
What to do? It was pointless for her to go and battle. It was a fight she already lost but her not going would be alarming to her parents. They would automatically know something was up. It was unlike her.
"At would be present," she finally said. Curiosity at what he grandfather had in mind got her a bit motivated.
"Good, see you then. I won't distract you any longer," she said and hang up.
Ivy breathed out, looking at time display on her screen. She calculated she still had two hours in front of her before the dinner. She could rest and force her brain to think about something else and train her face to maintain her perfect polite face. She remained in position for few more minutes before heading out to her car. She had a long night in front of her.