Author’s POV

Janette couldn’t believe what just came out of Lucas' mouth. She glared at him, her eyes literally spitting fire. “Let go of me right now!” she ordered but Lucas shook his head.

He felt like if he left her, he wouldn’t see her ever again. He wasn’t ready to lose her anymore. He has suffered enough trying to find her and is still suffering for everything that happened.

“I can’t let you go, Janette. Please, let’s forget about the past and start over.” he pleaded and Janette couldn’t believe how heartless he was. After everything, he expects her to forget?

Forget? That was not happening!

Janette pushed him away and moved back. “Did I hear you correctly? You expect me to forget everything, act like it never happened and start over?” she snickered as she stared at him with a scowl on her face. “Do I look like a fool to you? What do you take me for?” she snapped at him, fighting back the curses she desperately wanted to rain on him. She was so pissed; so pissed that she wanted to hit him badly.

“Janette, please,” he tried to touch her but her hands met with his cheeks, slapping him hard on the face.

She had wanted to control herself but this was too much. She couldn’t take it anymore. His pleadings only added to her anger. “Incase you have forgotten, let me remind you of what you did to me. I won’t mention the rest, but I will mention the one that hurt me deeply. I was bleeding, Lucas, I was fucking bleeding and you asked me to plead to death!” she yelled, her tears falling now.

“I barely escaped a miscarriage. Even after that I told you about my pregnancy, hoping that would change your mind and make you love me again, but you called me a liar and abused me as well; you still went ahead to divorce me. Now I am back and you’re here babbling nonsense! Do you know how much I suffered to get here? I doubt it,” she sniffled and wiped her tears.

“I don’t want to see you ever again. You are dead to me, Lucas. Everything ended six years ago, so I’d appreciate it if you leave me the hell alone.” she snapped and got into her car, leaving Lucas standing with his hands on his cheeks, his heart aching badly. He was so hurt he felt like his heart was being ripped apart.

After she drove off, he released a long breath. He wondered what he was going to do to make Janette forgive him. He knew he had done numerous things to her in the past and he was ready to make amends. Now that she wasn’t ready to forgive him, he had to look for ways to win her heart all over again.

***

Janette tried to calm herself down as she drove out of the school premises. She didn’t want to drive angry and also wanted to avoid Ethan seeing her angry as well. The little boy was very inquisitive and he would demand to know why her mood was ruined.

Ethan watched his mum closely from the backseat. Janette might try hiding her emotions but he was a smart kid. He could see through her facade.

“Mommy,” he called and Janette cleared her throat before humming. “Who is that man you were speaking with? Is he my daddy?” he asked and Janette was shocked.

She cleared her throat. “He is no one.” she answered but he was not satisfied with her response.

“Mommy, you told me that if we came here, I would see daddy but you don’t want to show me who he is.” he complained, his expression turning sour.

Janette’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and she sucked in a breath. “Ethan, I’ve always told you that Liam is your—”

“Mommy, I call him uncle Liam. How can Uncle Liam be my daddy?” his adorable face contorted into a cute frown.

“Mommy will get married to uncle Liam and he will automatically become your daddy. That’s what I meant when I said that I would show your daddy to you when we get here.” she explained, hoping to make him forget about this issue but the little dude was a persistent and smart fellow.

He snorted. “I am not a fool, Mommy, so don’t think you can twist my brain. If you marry uncle Liam, he becomes my stepdaddy. That man who came to build blocks with me today looks like me. I think he is my daddy.”

Janette couldn’t believe this boy. How on earth did he learn to say all these things? She knew her son was smart, but sometimes, he says things she finds hard to believe are coming from a five year old.

“Ethan, you shouldn’t talk to strangers. Because he looked like you didn't make him your father. And what did I tell you about making friends with people Mommy isn’t comfortable with?” she asked and he took in his bottom lip.

“I am sorry, Mommy. He seemed nice and offered to play with me, that’s why.” he explained himself and Janette sighed.

“We will talk about this later, okay?” she smiled at him through the rear view mirror and he nodded cutely before looking down at his hands.

When they got home, he ran into his room and she sat on a couch in the living room with her legs crossed as her thoughts drifted to what happened today. She knew keeping Ethan away from his father was not the best thing to do as he needed that intimacy with his biological father, but what was she supposed to do when his father was a complete jerk, who almost ruined her life?

She was grateful to have found solace in Liam, who she knew wanted the best for her, and he would come to marry her soon, so what was she supposed to do? Forget about Liam and run into the arms of the man that abandoned her?

She scoffed and shook her head. That was not going to happen. She would just have to make Ethan see that Liam was the best father figure he needed. She hoped the little boy would forget about Lucas soon.

If he doesn’t, she was ready to make him. She knew she was being impulsive by doing this, but she wanted to protect her son from a monster like Lucas.

If Lucas could hurt her, there was no doubt that he would hurt Ethan as well.

Lucas sat in his office, his mind a rollercoaster of thoughts. Ever since his encounter with Janette, he had been finding it hard to think straight. He would zone out at intervals, and his best friend, Alan could do nothing but watch him.

“You do know sulking and getting lost in your world wouldn’t bring her back, right?” Alan tapped Lucas, who sucked in a breath.

“I have pleaded, Alan. I pleaded with her to forgive me, but she acts like I don’t even exist.” he replied and Alan merely shook his head.

“You need to see things from her own perspective, dude. Do you have any idea the weight of what she went through? She could have gone through emotional trauma. Who knows whether she even suffered depression? She left the city and is back now after making a name for herself. Do you have any idea what she had to endure to come this far? You don’t expect her to run into your arms simply because you apologized.” Alan explained.

Lucas thought about his words. “You might be right, Alan, but what else do I do aside from apologizing to make her love me again?” he asked. At this point, he was desperate for help, and was ready to get it from anywhere.

Alan smiled as he leaned back on the chair he was seated on, ready to give advice. “I suggest you take things slowly. You jumping on her and asking her to forgive is a little too much and can suffocate her,” he looked at Lucas to make sure he was listening and Lucas nodded in response. “You have to make her believe that you are truly sorry. Sometimes, action speaks louder than words. You need to behave in a way that would make her feel fluttery. Don’t rush, try spending more time with her and get to know how she has changed.”

Lucas nodded. “I will try doing this then. No matter how much she chase me away, I will not leave her,” Lucas paused immediately he remembered that Janette had mentioned having a fiancé. “She told me she had a fiancé and they would get married soon.”

Alan sighed. “It’s not too late to still do something. They aren’t married yet. Fix your mistakes, dude.”

Lucas took a deep breath. “Janette.” he muttered under his breath.

****

Meanwhile,

Janette dropped Ethan off in school and drove to the hospital. She just opened it newly and new health cases had already come in. This was a good sign that she made the right decision, coming here.

She walked into her office and wore her coat. Rosa walked in and gave her a slight bow.

“The cardiovascular experts and new nurses are in the hall waiting for you. You need to address them before work start in full swing.” she conveyed and Janette nodded.

She walked out of her office with Rosa and headed to the hall where the team of experts and nurses were waiting for her. As she entered, they all stood up, greeting her with respect. Janette smiled, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. She had worked hard to get to this point, and it was gratifying to see her hospital up and running.

"Good morning, everyone," she began, her voice confident and clear. "I'm glad to see you all here today. As you know, our hospital is dedicated to providing the best possible care for our patients. I expect each and every one of you to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and compassion."

They nodded their heads as she addressed them, and those who had questions also asked, causing her to smile as she answered them. Soon, the meeting came to an end and they all returned to their posts.

After the meeting, Janette made her rounds, checking with the patients by asking them some questions and also giving some of her team tips.

She returned to her office after that and picked up her phone. She stared at it as thoughts of Liam came into her head. A smile formed on her lips as she thought about him. She was missing him badly and couldn't wait for him to come back. She wanted to place a call to him, but remembered that he might probably be busy. With a sigh, she sent him a text instead and brought out some of the patient's information Rosa submitted to check.

Suddenly, the door to her office burst open and a nurse rushed in, panting heavily.

"Sorry for barging in but there is big trouble."

Janette quickly stood up and grabbed her coat. "Tell me what's going on."

"A woman just got wheeled in and... and..."

"Let's go!" Janette said and the girl rushed out of the office with Janette behind her.

As they rushed to the emergency room, Janette's mind raced with possibilities. What could be the crisis? She burst through the doors, her eyes scanning the scene before her. A woman lay on the gurney, her face pale and clammy. Janette quickly assessed the situation.

"What's the situation?" she asked the nurse, who was frantically trying to insert an IV.

"She came in with severe chest pain and shortness of breath. We're trying to stabilize her, but her vitals are dropping fast!" the nurse replied, her voice trembling.

Janette swiftly took charge, barking orders to the team as they worked to save the woman's life. She was completely focused on the task at hand, her mind sharp and clear.

Janette's eyes never left the patient as she continued to work tirelessly, her focus solely on saving the woman's life. The team worked seamlessly together, their training and expertise evident in their swift and precise actions.

"Get me an ECG reading, stat!" Janette called out, her voice clear and authoritative.

The nurse quickly complied, attaching the electrodes to the patient's chest. Janette studied the readings.

"Start an IV with morphine and nitroglycerin," she ordered, her eyes never leaving the patient's face.

The team worked efficiently, administering the medications and monitoring the patient's vitals. Janette's hands moved swiftly and surely, her training and experience guiding her every move.

As the minutes ticked by, the patient's vitals began to stabilize. Jeanette's eyes were fixed on the woman. All she had in mind was to make sure she stabilized.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the patient's condition began to improve. Janette let out a quiet sigh of relief as the woman's eyes flickered open.

"We did it," Janette said, her voice soft but triumphant. "She's going to make it."

The team breathed a collective sigh of relief, their faces etched with exhaustion but also pride in a job well done. Janette smiled wearily.

"I believe you can take over from here." she muttered.

The nurses nodded and she walked out of the ward with her hands in her coat pocket. When she was out, she took in a deep breath and exhaled.

Her phone rang and she brought it out to see Ethan's teacher's name flashing on the screen. She quickly took the call and the uneasiness in the teacher's voice made her heart thump.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, hoping nothing had happened.

"It's Ethan... he... He passed out."

Jantette's eyes widened. "He, what?!”