Chapter 10
Audrey also promised me that she would wait a month postpartum for her body to recover before preparing for her GED. Since she had run away from home, I had the honor of going into the delivery room with her.
Dad had made his stance on this clear and simple. “What are the chances that this young lady’s path has crossed with ours? You can either become the godmother of her child, or I’ll become her godfather.”
Needless to say, I chose the former. And because of that, I was left checking off the list of things that Audrey would need when she went into labor.
Despite the rest Audrey had gotten after all she had been through, she had a tough pregnancy. When the doctor came with a notice of critical condition and asked for my signature, my hand shook so badly that I could barely hold the pen.
Just as I was about to sign off on the notice, a bunch of voices sounded from behind me.‘ Save the child!”
“Save the child at all costs!”
The doctor and I were both confused, but the overlapping voices did not stop me from signing the notice. “Please take good care of her,” was all I said to the doctor.
Only then did I turn to find four men standing behind me, two of whom were older than their companions. All of them shared the same tanned skin and gangly build.
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A bad feeling rose within me as I took in their expressions, but before I could say anything, one of the older men thundered, “Who the hell do you think you are to sign on my family’s
behalf?”
One of the younger men with a limp banged his hand against the door of the operation theater, all the while rattling the doorknob. “Our family wants to save the baby!”
Behind the rowdy foursome were Lillian and Mike. They looked older and more haggard than the last time I saw them. Pointing at me, they spat venomously, “That’s the bitch who convinced Audrey to abandon her pride and humiliate herself in court!”
“What?”
I saw a large hand come down upon me, aiming for my face. I backed away in alarm, but just as the hand was about to strike me, someone hauled me back.
The doctor from earlier had one foot wedged between the doors. He held a walkie–talkie in one hand while gripping my arm with the other. “Paging security. Paging security. Please come up to the 12th floor.”
The man with the limp who had been banging against the door earlier hurried to accost the
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Chapter 10
doctor. “This woman is not from our family, so her signature doesn’t count! I’m the patient’s husband, and we want to save the baby!”
The doctor stepped back.
“Keep your hands to yourself! This woman has been appointed by the patient herself to sign on her behalf.” He shot the limping man a disgusted look as he continued pointedly, Also, at this time and age, who we save is not up for debate. In any event, the mother’s life is prioritized!”
The man let out an anguished cry and barreled past the doctor to shove his weight against the doors. “I don’t care! I will make the hospital pay if I lose my son!”
The automated lead doors were knocked out of their frame and fell with a heavy thud. Within moments, the security guards flooded the hallway and pinned the man against the
wall.
I stared at the scene in shock, but the doctor behind me simply mused, “Our security team is made up of military police officers after one of our consultants was injured last year.”
The man was still wailing as the guards held him in place. His three companions, who struck the guards in protest, were restrained and taken away.
I had more or less figured out who the four men were. When Audrey had been wheeled out of the operation theater and regained some of her consciousness, I described the four men’s appearances to her.
There was no telling if the panic that flickered in Audrey’s eyes was out of pain or fear. She said anxiously, “It’s them, Harley. They’ve come for me.”
We had chosen one of the top three public hospitals for Audrey’s delivery, but it seemed we needed to get her to a private hospital with better security. After some thought, I had her and the child transferred to another hospital.
Upon getting word of this, Dad specially arranged for two bodyguards to watch over Audrey. The day after the baby’s birth, my assistant informed me that the four men had been brought to the company. They stayed outside the company the entire day, refusing to move. Meanwhile, Audrey was able to sit up on her own at the hospital.
