Chapter 6
Chuck sounded displeased. “What are you getting at now? Don’t tell me you think there’s anything between Val and me again.”
I snorted. “Let’s get a divorce. I’ll make way for you two to be together. I don’t want your mother to keep thinking that I stood
between you two.”
He fell silent. I heard his breathing hitch. Then, he asked, “Divorce? Why? Just because of the abortion? Or is it because Val and I are affectionate with each other? You know that child would bring me bad luck, yet you wanted to keep it around. Do you hate me
that much?”
I said calmly, “You’re letting your diffidence show by overthinking this. I just think it’s time for me to back out. I should return you to Valerie after keeping you around for so long. We don’t have children, so this will be an easy split. You can have all the money and property. Let’s end this on a good note.”
“Are you being serious, Stephanie?”
“Of course.”
The following day, I signed up for a local tour and went to many places. We went to see palaces, churches, and beautiful scenery.
The weather was lovely, and the scenery was breathtaking.
We also saw sprawling grasslands and beautiful lakes. The snow–capped mountains made everything look like a painting.
However, things went wrong when we reached a higher altitude. I had altitude sickness and became short of breath. I didn’t notice anything when we were having fun, but I passed out on the bus.
A man who was on the same tour approached me and failed to wake me up despite calling me several times. Left with no choice,
he’d taken me to the nearest hospital for some oxygen,
It was only after that that I regained consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw him nodding off by my bedside.
Perhaps I’d startled him when trying to sit up in bed–his jaw slipped off his hand, and he almost fell.
I was surprised when I saw his face. “It’s you?”
He scratched his head shyly. “I noticed that you were always alone, so I paid a bit more attention to you. Everyone got off the bus,
but I didn’t see you around. So, I got back on and tried to wake you up, but you didn’t respond. I had no choice but to get you to
the hospital.”
