Chapter 4Tell My Ex To Cut Deeper

But Amber’s hysterical weeping suddenly grew louder.

"Willie! Are you still there? I think someone is knocking on my door. I'm so terrified! Please, you have to come!"

Slowly, deliberately, Willie reached down and pried my fingers off his shirt, one by one.

"Miranda, it's just a fever. Take some Tylenol and try to sleep."

"I need to go check on her. I'll be back as soon as I can to take you to the doctor. Just wait for me."

Before I could say another word, he grabbed his keys and his umbrella, turning his back on me as he rushed out into the storm.

Lying on the sofa, I listened to his car engine roar to life and fade into the distance. The tears finally slipped silently down my cheeks.

To him, my life-threatening fever didn't weigh as much as Amber’s fear of a thunderstorm.

A sharp, violent cramp seized my stomach, and the room began to spin.

"Miranda! Miranda, please look at me!" Delia rolled her chair close, her trembling hands cupping my burning face, her tears hot as they splashed onto my skin.

"Delia, don't cry..." I managed to whisper, before the world dissolved into pitch black.

My sleep was filled with nightmares of Willie’s retreating back and Amber’s mocking laughter—a suffocating net tightening around my throat.

When I finally opened my eyes, the sharp, sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nose.

"Miranda, thank god you're awake!" Delia’s hoarse, exhausted voice came from beside me.

I turned my head weakly. She was sitting in her wheelchair right next to the bed, her eyes swollen and red. It was obvious she hadn't left my side all night.

"Did you... bring me here?" I muttered.

Delia nodded, her eyes welling up again. "You passed out. I called my brother dozens of times, but he never picked up. Eventually, he turned his phone off."

"I didn't know what else to do. I called 911."

Hearing her speak, a sharp pain bloomed in my chest. "I'm so sorry, Delia. I'm so sorry I put you through that."

"Don't say that, Miranda. You've spent years taking care of me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even want to be alive," Delia said, wiping her face. "The doctor said your fever hit nearly 104. If we had waited any longer, it could have been fatal."

I closed my eyes, unable to find any words to fill the heavy silence.

I remained in the hospital for three days, and during that entire time, Willie never once showed up. Only Delia was there, keeping me company in the quiet room.

By the fourth morning, my fever had completely broken.

Delia mentioned she wanted to go down to the courtyard to get some fresh air.

When she didn't return for a long time, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest. I unhooked my IV, threw a cardigan over my hospital gown, and walked out into the corridor.

I searched the halls of the building and finally found her near the elevators on the second floor, crying silently.

"Delia? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" I rushed over and gripped her shoulders gently.

Delia looked up, her face streaked with tears.

"Miranda... I saw Willie..." her voice shook so hard her teeth clicked.

I followed her gaze toward the end of the hall, where the sign for the OB-GYN department hung.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was Willie and Amber.