Chapter 166: The Life She Never Wished For
"I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you anymore... I love you, Daisy..."
The words echoed, low and fading, as if pulled from far away. She reached for him in the darkness, but her hands only closed around the air.
"No!" Daisy jerked awake, her chest heaving. Sweat dampened her forehead as her eyes darted around the unfamiliar white room. "Theo... Theo..."
Aurora, who had been waiting quietly at her side, startled and leaned forward. "Calm down first... your blood pressure is low..."
But Daisy shook her head violently, her hair falling into her face. "No, no..." She pushed the blanket aside, swinging her legs down despite the weakness in them. "Where is he? Where’s Theo?"
Aurora stood quickly, reaching out to steady her and carefully pushed her legs up backq. "Daisy, please... just breathe..."
"No, I have to see him—" Daisy swung her legs over the side of the bed, stubborn fire in her eyes. Her bare feet touched the cold floor, but the strength in her body betrayed her. The moment she tried to stand, her knees buckled and she crumpled forward.
"Daisy!" Aurora rushed to catch her, arms wrapping around her trembling frame. "I told you... you’re not strong enough yet. You’ll only hurt yourself!"
Daisy’s fingers clawed at the hospital gown, knuckles white. She stared at the floor, eyes empty. "Why? Why, Aurora?" Her voice was small, hollow.
"Daisy... look at me," Aurora said, forcing calm into her voice. "For now... rest. We’ll go see him as soon as you’re steady, okay?"
For a moment Daisy only shook her head. Then the dam broke. She folded in on herself and began to cry, not the quiet tears from earlier but raw, uncontrollable sobs that shook her whole body.
"Why me?" she gasped between sobs, palms pressed against her eyes. "Why God? I just wanted to be happy. I thought... I thought I could start over. I thought—" Her voice hitched. "But the happiness lasted barely a breath."
She pressed her face into Aurora’s shoulder, feeling weak and furious all at once. "I tried so hard. I wanted one small life that wasn’t full of fear. Is that too much?" Her body trembled. "Why does it all fall apart the moment I think it can be mine?"
Aurora held her tighter, one hand stroking the back of her head. "You didn’t do anything wrong," she whispered. "You didn’t cause this. Sometimes..." she bit her lip and swallowed her words, realising no words could comfort her at this moment.
The weight of fate pressed down on her chest, cruel and unrelenting, as if happiness were nothing more than a fleeting breath she was never meant to hold.
Daisy mumbled through her tears, her voice shaking. "You remember, right? When we grew up... everyone admired my life, wishing they could be in my position." She let out a bitter, broken laugh. "But all I ever wanted was to live your life, Aurora... simple, normal, without everyone’s eyes on me, without all this weight on my shoulders."
Aurora’s chest tightened. She cupped Daisy’s face, forcing her to meet her gaze even as the tears streamed. "And I used to look at you and think the opposite," she whispered. "You had the clothes, the name, the attention... but I never saw what it was costing you, Daisy."
Daisy’s lips trembled, her eyes brimming with more than just grief. They held years of silent envy, loneliness, and exhaustion. "Then why... Why can’t I ever trade it? Why does it have to be me carrying all of this?"
Suddenly the door creaked open. Evelyn stepped inside, stopping dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on the scene before her, Daisy collapsed in Aurora’s arms on the cold floor. For a heartbeat, she couldn’t move. Shock rippled through her, rooting her to the spot.
Behind her, Jasmine hovered in the doorway, her expression hollow. She looked smaller somehow, her guilt written in every line of her face. Her feet shifted, but she didn’t dare move forward. She couldn’t. Not when the daughter she had abandoned lay broken just a few feet away.
Daisy glanced up, her blurred vision catching both figures. "Mom..."
Jasmine’s breath caught, her lips parting as if to answer but Daisy’s gaze slid right past her. The word wasn’t meant for her. It was Evelyn’s name Daisy had called.
Evelyn finally rushed forward, dropping to the floor without hesitation. "What is it, honey? I’m here..." She pulled Daisy into her arms, holding her tight against her chest. "You can cry. Cry all you want. Let everything out, so you don’t have to carry it all alone anymore."
Daisy’s shoulders shook, her fists curling into Evelyn’s clothes as though she might disappear if she let go. A broken sob tore from her chest, raw and painful.
Jasmine stood frozen, her hands trembling at her sides. The word Mom still echoed in her head, but it had not been hers. And that truth carved deeper than any knife.
Daisy raised her head, her swollen eyes locking onto Evelyn. "Where is Theo? Tell me he’s okay..."
Evelyn’s lips pressed tight before she forced herself to nod. "He’s okay... he’s out of danger now." She paused, her voice faltering. "But... he’s still very weak, Daisy. The doctors say it’ll take time before he can even open his eyes again."
Daisy’s chest tightened, her breath coming in shallow bursts. Relief washed through her first, then fear, then despair all over again. "I want to see him... please, I need to see him..." She clutched at Evelyn’s arm, desperate.
Evelyn stroked her hair gently, exchanging a brief glance with Aurora. "Soon, sweetheart. I promise. But you need to stay strong enough to walk to him."
"I am okay... see..." Daisy pushed against the floor and forced herself upright, her knees wobbling beneath her. "Where is he? Let’s go..."
Evelyn and Aurora quickly steadied her, each taking an arm as if she might collapse again any second.
"Daisy, no," Evelyn said softly but firmly. "He’s still in the ICU... no one can see him right now."
"ICU?" Daisy’s voice trembled as her fingers gripped Evelyn’s sleeve tighter. "Is it... that bad?"
Her question lingered in the air, sharp and desperate. But no one answered.
"Why aren’t you saying anything?!!"