Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 602

Seeing how my dad and I were giving her the cold shoulder, Karina didn't persist and the journey to the hospital was relatively peaceful.

It wasn't until she showed up at the same hospital my dad was about to check into that I realized why she had been so calm. We were headed to the same place; she wasn't in a hurry to make small talk along the way.

“What a coincidence, on the same flight and now in the same hospital,” Karina said with a composed smile as we stood in the hospital lobby. “I'm here to visit a friend.”

I didn't respond, just focused on getting my dad admitted for surgery. Although he had been checked out back home, the hospital here wanted their own tests done. I didn't have time for Karina's chatter.

She waited patiently, watching me bustle around. Finally, she spoke again, this time with a hint of bitterness, “Neil pulled some strings for you, didn’t he? To get this appointment?”

Thankfully, my dad wasn’t there to hear her. I shot her a glare, “Karina, thought you were here for a friend? Why waste my time?”

“Hit a nerve, did I?” Her smile cooled. “You claim you want nothing to do with Neil, that it’s over, but that’s just an excuse, isn’t it? After loving him for so many years, how could you just let go? I must say, using divorce as a tactic, that was clever.”

“Is love all you think about?” I was grateful we were overseas; the hospital staff and others couldn’t understand our conversation.

Karina was frustrated, “Do you think I want to be like this? My life’s been turned upside down because of you. I’ve lost everything. Shouldn’t I blame you?”

If I had known you were this tough to take down, I would have never agreed to marry Neil.

I took the paperwork and ignored Karina, heading to the doctor’s office to find my dad and get ready for the tests. With so much on my plate, I just hoped Karina wouldn’t cause more trouble.

While my dad was getting tested, I caught up with my mom, letting her know everything was okay. Stella Wallace and the others were also worried about my dad, so I updated our group chat about the next steps.

Of course, I mentioned running into Karina, which led to a flurry of questions from Stella: What? You run into her even abroad?

Alicia Rider: Were she and Hiram living there before?

Me: No, but she said she’s here to visit a friend in the hospital. Not sure if it’s true.

Barbara Sands: Be careful. After your dad’s surgery, stay vigilant. I’ve always found her a bit unsettling, especially with her medical knowledge.

Me: Got it. By the way, Stella, how are things with Mitch Hebert? Still giving you a hard time?

Stella took a while before responding, this time with a voice message that went from frustration to defeat, “Yeah, he’s nuts. Shows up to bring breakfast before work, as if I hired all those housekeepers just for decoration. Though, Yara’s been under the weather, and he did come with us to the hospital.”

“To hear your dad was having surgery, I thought I’d come to offer my support,” Russel stepped in, his voice gentle.

I was baffled, who asked for his support?

My dad, quicker on the uptake, guessed, “Rena, must’ve been your mom chatting with Russel.”

It dawned on me then, and as I looked at Russel, he gave a small, resigned smile, confirming my mom had indeed talked to him about my dad’s situation.

"Your mom was just concerned that Irene might be in over her head, looking after you here all by herself. After all, being abroad comes with its set of challenges, so I offered to come over and lend a hand. It wasn't your mom who asked me to come," Russel explained to me and my dad, seemingly worried that I might think my mom was behind this.

"I get it. You've always been so considerate about our family, Russel. We really appreciate it, but you didn't have to go out of your way to come here," my dad said, his voice filled with gratitude but also a hint of reluctance to impose on Russel's time. He glanced at me as he spoke.

That look said it all. After being his daughter for thirty years, I could read him like an open book.

If it weren't for me giving up on Russel, would my dad have been this polite? Isn't it just normal for a son-in-law to visit his in-laws?