Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 40

Chapter 40:

Rachel held her silence, which prompted the nurse to reiterate her concern.

“Your condition is quite serious. You’ve had a high fever for the last two days, and it hasn’t let up. It would be safest if your boyfriend could be here with you consistently.”

Shaken from her reverie by the nurse’s words, Rachel muttered in agreement, “Okay, I’ll speak with him.”

“That’s wise. Please call him as soon as you can. I’m genuinely concerned about your wellbeing,” the nurse replied.

Once her IV was set and the nurse had exited, Rachel reached for her phone and dialed Brian.

He answered quickly, his tone revealing his fatigue. “Why are you up so late?” he asked, his voice rough with tiredness.

“Brian, are you still with Tracy Haynes?” she inquired.

“I am. She caught a nasty fever after getting caught in the rain. I’ll visit you tomorrow,” Brian responded.

Her hand clenched around the phone, loosening and then tightening again as she processed his words.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to find the right words to respond. The pause during their phone call was excruciating until he finally spoke up.

“If that’s all, try to rest.”

“Okay.” Her response was automatic, yet immediately she felt a pang of regret.

How could she just pretend everything was fine?

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She was about to end the call but stopped herself.

“Hold on, Brian. There’s something important,” she blurted out, her words rushing to escape. “I also developed a fever last night. The doctors were really concerned—they said I went into a deep stupor. It’s pretty serious, and I really need you here.”

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she finished speaking, waiting anxiously for his reaction.

She held her breath, awaiting his reply with a mixture of hope and dread. Unexpectedly, a soft chuckle came through from Brian’s end, leaving her startled.

His laugh, cold and tinged with skepticism, rang through the line. “Rachel, playful banter and little whims between us are one thing. I can indulge and even spoil you, but not under these circumstances. You know now isn’t the time to compete for my attention.”

At that moment, everything became painfully clear to Rachel.

What more was there to be confused about?

Brian believed she was fabricating her illness just to pull him away from Tracy. Was this how he saw her? As someone manipulative enough to fake a medical emergency?

sorry for bothering you,” Rachel quickly said, disconnecting the

visit her in the following

was a constant presence, bringing her meals thrice

as she asked Ronald, “Has Brian

excuses for Brian’s

she no

lunch, she nonchalantly inquired, “Do you think he’ll show

he has been extremely busy

Busy?

bitter laugh

Yes, busy indeed.

Tracy, being by her

night fell, Rachel’s temperature spiked

was about to rush to find Brian, but Rachel stopped

“Don’t bother, Ronald.”

“But this is serious.”

turning away, her face a mask of detachment. What good would

think she was just trying to get his sympathy, to make him pay attention to

worth it. Better

condition finally stabilized. It was well past midnight when

Brian’s form, a faint, ghostly presence in

again, the

nothing was

been in her

was beginning to

as her health improved, she made the decision to leave

and Trey were there to

got to her hospital room,

patient who was here?” he

few days? Did you know she was suffering from high

the spot, struck by

first time, I urged her

sense of emptiness overwhelmed

had misunderstood the entire

had indeed fainted and been

His reaction? Utterly inadequate.

he realized his

left the hospital swiftly, dialing Rachel’s number,

home, he found it starkly

with Jeffrey and didn’t return until it

was enveloped in silence, with no