Chapter 19
Antonio had no idea how many times he felt himself getting heavier, his limbs numb, and his sight going blurry. The world was spinning wildly, and he was unable to keep his balance.
In the end, he rolled down the mountain again and hit his head on a rock.
Before he passed out, all he could think of was Grace.
“Grace. I’m sorry. I really am. But I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you, Grace…”
When Antonio finally came to, he was in a hospital, surrounded by the smell of disinfectant that made him want to throw up.
He forced himself to sit up, yanked out the IV from his arm, and headed
out.
His head pounded with pain, every move feeling like his skull was splitting. His mind was a mess of hazy memories. It seemed that he had. forgotten a lot, but he didn’t care.
That was because he had something much more important to do.
He had to find his wife, Grace.
He searched the hospital for ages but couldn’t find her. Finally, holding his head, he had to walk over to the nurse’s station and ask, “Excuse me, do you know which room my wife is in?”
“What’s your wife’s name?” the nurse asked.
“Grace Parrish,” he said.
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The nurse checked her records. “I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have anyone named Grace Parrish here.”
What? No way!
But why did he remember coming in with Grace?
It didn’t make sense.
“Impossible. My wife must be here. Check again, please. Maybe you missed her name…
Before he could wrap up his sentence, a stranger popped up right in front.
of him.
“Come with me,” the guy said, guiding him back to his hospital room and shutting the door. He looked at Antonio with a cold stare. “Antonio, cut
the act.”
Antonio stood frozen. “Who are you? Do you have any idea where my
wife is?”
“There’s nobody by the name of Grace Parrish in this world anymore,” Jonah replied, lighting up a cigarette and leaning against the window.
He took a drag. “Your wife, Grace Parrish, passed away a month ago.”
Antonio didn’t believe it. “No way!”
“Your wife didn’t make it through surgery,” Jonah went on. “You pushed her to donate her corneas to your sweetheart, and that’s what ended her up. on the operating table.”
“Bullshit!” Antonio balled up his fists and charged, yanking Jonah’s
collar. “You’re talking nonsense. Grace is not dead! Don’t lie to me! Who are you?”
Jonah pried his hands off and shoved him back.
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Antonio, still weak from his injury, lost his balance and slumped against a table, looking totally beaten.
Jonah took a long puff and then doused the cigarette, giving Antonio a look of disgust.
Jonah came across Antonio in a dire state while trying to rescue Grace. If it weren’t for hearing Antonio’s repeated apologies to Grace, Jonah would have just let him lie there.
The doctor said Antonio had a head injury and was in shock, which led to some memory loss.
But Jonah wasn’t buying that amnesia story.
He thought Antonio was just faking it, trying to play innocent with Grace.
But no way was he gonna let Grace fall for the same trick twice.
“Antonio, if you don’t buy it, go check it out in Elmeburg yourself. I don’t have a reason to lie. And who am I?”
Jonah headed for the door. “You’re not in the loop to know that.”
Antonio watched Jonah leave. Feeling gutted, he collapsed to the floor.
Before long, he got a call from Andrew.
“Antonio, come back now. The company is in big trouble. If you don’t return…” Andrew trailed off, coughing.
Antonio clutched his phone, his eyes blurring. “Grandpa, is Grace really dead? Did I really cause her death?”
