Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 563

In the evening, Mom came back from the office, tired and worn out from her day.

As soon as Dad saw her, he rushed over, eager to fill her in on my health situation and how he believed I needed to be hospitalized immediately.

I'm their only daughter, their pride and joy. Dad was certain Mom would be on his side, pressuring me into getting the treatment he deemed necessary. What he didn't expect was for Mom to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance of exhaustion and resignation.

"I can't deal with you two anymore. If you don't want to go to the hospital, Rena, that's your choice. When you're both gone, I'll be the lonely old bird left to raise Serena and Brandon. I've come to terms with it," Mom said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she snatched from the table.

Dad was dumbfounded, watching Mom's theatrical sobs, then glanced at me.

I kept my head down, drowning in "shame," letting Dad stew in his internal conflict.

Before Dad could muster another argument, Mom had already retreated upstairs, seemingly giving up on the conversation.

Afraid of what Dad might say next, I quickly took Serena upstairs, while the nanny helped with Brandon. I locked my bedroom door, determined not to come out.

That night, I was sure Dad's emotions were in turmoil. With both of us resistant to the idea of hospitalization and Mom's apparent surrender, he might just reconsider his stance. The most important thing was to wait it out.

I fell asleep, only to be awakened by my phone buzzing relentlessly.

Sixteen missed calls, nine texts, and eight WhatsApp video calls—all from Neil.

Another message popped up: "Come out, or I'll break down the door."

Panic set in. What could this mean?

I hurriedly called him back, worried about Hiram's well-being. Neil picked up after just one ring.

Before I could ask, Neil's voice, laced with barely contained rage, filled the line. "Irene, are you deaf?! How could you miss all those calls?"

"I was sleeping, for heaven's sake! Do you know what time it is?" I replied, exasperated.

"Get out here. I'm at your door," Neil snapped back, his tone suddenly more aggressive. "You have three minutes."

"Has it gotten that bad? I thought it was early stages," Neil said, concern evident in his voice as he rubbed my back.

Puzzled, I straightened up and met his gaze, my voice hoarse from coughing. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry," Neil repeated, his eyes reddening, not from the cold but from genuine sorrow.

"Why are you apologizing?" I pressed, trying to understand the source of his regret.

"It's because of me you're in this condition, that you're sick. I won't abandon my responsibilities this time. I'll take care of you and the kids. You can trust me to do that," he said, his voice thick with unresolved pain.

As it turned out, Mitch was the one who had informed Neil about my supposed late-stage breast cancer, having overheard Stella and me discussing it.

It's fair to say the guy's got guts, or maybe he's just plain nuts. To catch a glimpse of his kid after a messy divorce, he went full Mission Impossible—scaled a wall only to break his leg in the process. Then, as if that wasn't enough drama, he spent his hospital days covertly snooping on his ex-wife's texts, relying on his best buddy to relay the latest intel.

If Stella ever finds out about his little espionage operation, he might just end up with his other leg in a cast too.