Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 128: Chapter 128

DEMI

"Are you sure you’re ok? You suddenly disappeared from the hospital."

Anna drags a deep breath on her end of the line. "I’m fine. I’ll be back to see him some other time."

I can’t help but feel like she’s hiding something from me.

"Did someone say something to you, Nessa perhaps? Anna, if that’s the case..."

"No, Demi, it’s nothing like that." Another indulgent sigh. "I don’t know if I can be around him yet. I rushed after you when you got the call but I am not prepared. I know Asher and I ended things on a very rough note but before we even got together, I always promised him I’d be there for him when he finally booked his surgery. He used to worry that he’d be alone at the hospital and I assured him he’d wake up after the surgery and I’d be by his bedside. I broke that promise for good reason but seeing Nessa at the hospital today and learning that she had brought him there...I don’t know how that makes me feel."

I exhale deeply. "You don’t have to force yourself to hate him on my account, Anna."

"I don’t hate him. I strongly dislike him at best and that is owing to the fact that he betrayed you and I. However, I can’t seem to hold on to that dislike seeing his condition. I would love to be there when he wakes up but not with his entire family in the room. I’d like a moment with him if only to fulfil the promise I made to him. I think he’d appreciate it if I do. He would understand if I don’t visit but I feel like he would be hopeful that I do."

"That can easily be arranged. You have nothing to worry about. I’ll let you know when the coast is clear."

"Thank you." The sound of sheets rustling follows. "What’s going on over there? Have your in-laws arrived? Liam is hitting hard with his posts on Billion-Err. I hope you aren’t being suspected for it."

I crane my neck to reaffirm that I am alone in the restroom.

"I don’t think so. Ashley is pissed at me and Ashal is distracted. We’ll have to wait for Brett and his wife to get here to know if any blame or accusation makes it my way."

"How about Nicci? Has she contacted you since then?"

"No." I shake my head and play with the running water from the faucet which I intentionally flicked on to coat the details of my phone call. "I can’t reach her on the same number with which she called me the last time. I am worried. I managed to sway Ashley to let me join him in visiting her but then Asher collapsed. I’m sorry but his timing sucks. I need hard evidence. I am running out of playing cards."

"I’m sure Liam is working on something."

"It’s MY revenge plan. I can’t leave it up to chance. I have to make it happen no matter what. I’m running out of time. I don’t think I can wait six months. I have to find a way to deliver my revenge and be done with the Rollins."

Anna remains silent for a few seconds. "Is this about Ashton? His upcoming wedding with Mila must be a hard pill to swallow."

"I couldn’t care less who he married or when. Sure, it stings to see him with her but as time passes, that’s no longer as painful to watch. I am more worried about losing my rage the longer I take to execute my revenge. I have to avenge my parents without batting an eyelid, just like Brett and his family do when they trample on people’s lives."

The sound of the entrance door to the female restroom swinging open cuts me off. A lady rushes in, crying profusely. She looks startled to see me. Before I can say Jack, she locks herself in one of the stalls and bawls her eyes out. I stand a bit perplexed.

"Turn the damn faucet off. You’re wasting water!" She croaks out from behind the door. When I end my call and turn off the water, she resumes her wailing. Indifferent, I slip my phone in my bag and walk away.

When I return to the waiting room, I am informed that my in-laws already arrived and they were now consulting with doctor Ezra in his office. With a lot of restraint, I refrain from rolling my eyes as I backtrack to the doctor’s office.

"What do you mean by that? He’s been living with it for months and you didn’t deem it necessary to tell me?" I hear father yelling at his friend, the doctor. One of the specialists who assisted doctor Ezra, a young lady in her early to mid-twenties, stands with her head bowed next to her superior. Silently, I let myself into the office and stand mute by the door.

Mother is sunken on the couch, tears streaming down her face. She is flanked by Mila to the left and Ashal to her right, both of whom continue to console her. Ashley is competing with his father in staring daggers at the poor doctor for keeping Asher’s secret irrespective of the fact that the doctor was right to keep his adult patient’s medical info confidential.

"I’m sorry Mr. Rollins but Asher is not an infant. He is my patient. It was my duty to keep our sessions confidential. Beyond our relationship as doctor and patient, I encouraged him as a friend of the family to have the surgery on time but despite taking the horse to the stream, I couldn’t force it to drink. You know how stubborn your son can be. I did my very best to sway him but his phobia got the best of him."

a tad bit scared. "I could have lost my son today. Would you have had the heart to tell me this load of bullshit? I don’t care if you have to strap him to the damn table and induce him with anesthetics to get the procedure done. I EXPECT YOU TO SAVE MY BOYS’ LIVES HOWEVER YOU CAN. I’LL HELP YOU DEAL WITH WHATEVER CONSEQUENCES MIGHT ARISE FROM YOUR ACTIONS AS LONG AS THE MOTIVE WAS TO

Rollins, if I may..." Doctor Ezra cuts off the young doctor with a hand on her wrist. Her eyebrows slash up at him, miffed

of this,

dad...." Said

"Keep quiet!"

and informs us that Asher is finally awake. This helps to diffuse the tension in the room as Ashley bolts out the door, almost knocking me to the side. Father follows suit

help mother to her

Ashton?" She asks

calm his mother’s nerves or telling the truth. Where exactly is Ashton by the way? It’s unlike him to not have showed

files out, I step forward and apologize to the doctor and his daughter on behalf of the family before we all head over to see Asher. Just then, my phone rings on the way. I slow down to take the

This isn’t really a good time." I whisper into

grievances against my brother-in-law but it won’t look good making that painfully obvious around the hospital by appearing nonchalant over his condition, such as being on my phone while

over there." He replies crankily. "Do you want to know the result of the DNA tests run for Brett

quirk up.

would come out negative but having it confirmed is a different thing.

huge buzz. It won’t be a

"Who’s adopted?"

slips from my hand as I whirl to face Ashton’s impatient face. I end the call and struggle to breathe properly.

his face. His voice

that way." I

hastens in the direction of my hand, his blazer billowing like a superhero’s cape. I dash after him. It’s as I suspected.

nose. Mother grabs one of his hands and holds it to her cheek. Everyone else pulls a sad face even though the doctor has clearly said

in the direction of the door as Ashton and I make our way in.

have you been? Your brother almost died!" Father growls. He

town and got stuck in traffic while rushing back." Ashton sidesteps his fuming father, pats Ashley on the shoulder before going to stand by Asher’s bed. By his side, he

all the worried faces. On cue, the doctor and his daughter exit to give our family a moment. When father attempts to scold Asher for playing with his life and keeping his family in the

don’t need him under any kind of stress that could aggravate his condition." Behind him, I see

forehead. The doting starts. "How

can talk, Barbara." Father

to, though?" She responds, making Asher

partly in denial because I take great care of my health and a sudden brain tumor didn’t seem right to me." Now, his eyes find father’s. "There was always something to do at work that made taking some time off to check into the hospital and get my surgery

dabs her tears

in a low voice that somehow manages to echo in everyone’s head. Silently, we all begin to exit the room. Nessa finally agrees to go home and

eyes meet. It’s been so long since we exchanged warm glances, especially

cheer mother up and win her heart and all I can think of is how badly that will backfire. Unless a daughter-in-law from a wealthy and influential family like the Spellman family is automatically entitled to a more humane treatment than I have been receiving, I find it sickening to watch how desperately she’s trying to make a place

mother rushes back in, with Mila in tow, to

saying?" Father

far, nothing concrete. I think they’ll eventually get tired

them guessing for too long or they’ll end up fabricating lies that could hurt us. Let’s give them something believable to run on their blogs so they’ll be sated for a few days and get off our

family. He doesn’t even have to say anything. One look at his sons and they get the picture. The next thing I know, I am being given a scripted response for

bite down on my lower lip to stifle my rage as I watch father address the journalists on the plasma TV in my hospital room, assuring them that my

agreement. I almost fling a pillow at the TV. Once again, my feelings don’t matter. I am only a puppet for the Rollins to pull in whatever

the journalists are dismissed, I scowl at Ashley as he comes into

discreetly transported home.