Connor took a deep breath and, touching the wound on his temple with his fingers, continued.
“As soon as I saw that someone could burn alive, I ran straight to the car. I smashed the glass with a cobblestone and started pulling him out of the car. And all around, there was noise, chaos, people shouting that the fuel tank would soon explode. It was all true, but you can’t just leave the driver anyway. I made it. Dragged him about ten meters away, and then it went off.”
“You, my friend, are a true hero, to just throw yourself into the fire for our James,” Henry said sorrowfully.
I looked warmly at the rescued boy and caught myself thinking that all this seemed somehow not accidental. Connor saved James. I saved Connor. After that, it was hard to believe in coincidences.
Since I couldn’t delay any longer, I called a taxi and went home, where four hungry children were waiting for me: Nathan, Anna, Peter, and Emily.
At the same time, lying in the hospital bed, I gradually came back to my senses, although my strength was minimal and I could barely manage to hold a spoon or fork.
Erica and Dr. Merritt had skillfully kept Grace in the dark for five days. She believed I was still in a coma and was planning to disconnect me from life support to claim her inheritance.
On the fifth day, I called Erica over and asked for her help with a daring plan.
“I need to leave for a short while. Do you understand?” I asked the nurse.
Erica looked at me incredulously. Less than a week ago, I had emerged from a coma, and now here I was, plotting an escape.
“James, excuse me, but I won’t take such responsibility. What if something happens to you? What should I do then, stand trial?” Erica objected.
Desperation flickered in my eyes.
“Well, help me. Be a human, will you? I’ll sign any document you want about understanding the consequences and relieving the clinic of all responsibility,” I pleaded.
Erica hesitated, her face a portrait of conflict. Yet understanding the urgency, especially given Grace’s ruthlessness, she agreed.
“Fine, I agree. But only if we go together, okay? It’ll be calmer for both of us. Just in the evening, a couple of hours before lights out,” she proposed.
And I nodded in agreement.
“Okay, Erica. But let’s keep this between us. Not even Dr. Merritt should know, so that no one else knows,” I insisted with a hopeful look.
Erica nodded and began preparing for our covert departure. She gathered necessary medicines and even borrowed a walking stick from the clinic.
Meanwhile, I lay back, gathering strength and contemplating the past events, my thoughts inevitably turning to Emma.
God, she was right all along, I thought, tears welling up as I realized the weight of my previous skepticism.
Later that evening, Erica returned with a set of clothes.
“Here, get dressed. These are my ex-husband’s things. He never bothered to take them. I think they’ll fit you,” she said with a smile.
I dressed as swiftly as my body allowed, staggering under the weight of my injuries, and every few steps required a pause as I caught my breath. But Erica was there, understanding and patient, supporting me every step of the way.
She had even arranged for a private driver who drove cautiously and asked no questions.
Arriving at my home, anxiety surged within me. The familiar drumbeat of my heartbeat echoed in my ears as I approached the front door, keys in hand.
Inserting the key into the lock, I found it didn’t fit.
Grace had changed the locks.
“She adapted to the new reality quickly, I must say,” I muttered, resigning myself to ring the doorbell instead.
The door opened shortly after, revealing not Grace, but her lover, clad in my own bathrobe, a gift from my late mother. The sight triggered a mixture of shock and anger in me.
“Who’s there, darling? Not the utilities again, I hope. I’ve paid everything in advance for a month so we could relax at the resort,” Grace’s voice floated from behind the stranger.
Pale and clenching my fists in pain, I confronted the scene before me.
Grace, realizing her gambit had failed, fell to her knees.
“James, please forgive me. It’s not what you think. I swear, I thought you had only a few days left.”
Teeth gritted, barely containing my fury, I said, “I’ll give you five minutes to gather your things and leave this house.”
Her lover, posturing with bravado, dismissed me.
“Listen, unfinished businessman, go get yourself treated and don’t interfere with normal people’s lives. It’s a pity you didn’t crash back then.”
I gripped my cane, my anger boiling over.
“You won’t have to wait, you bastard. You thought you buried me alive, but I survived against all odds. And I’m certain that the accident was staged. I’ll make sure to uncover the truth.”
As I declared my intentions, the confidence of Grace’s lover faltered, and he retreated into the house to change.
The facade of a happy relationship with Grace crumbled as quickly as it had been constructed.
I proceeded to sever Grace’s access to their shared resources, blocking all her cards and accounts. Years ago, I had elevated Grace from provincial obscurity, shaping her into a semblance of a businesswoman.
But no more.
After such a betrayal, I was determined to see justice served. I contacted an investigator to reopen the fraud case Grace had allegedly not committed.
In a final attempt to salvage her scheme, Grace lunged at me with a vase, but Erica intercepted her swiftly.
The arrival of the police sealed their fate. I watched as Grace was handcuffed and led away, a mix of relief and exhaustion overwhelming me.
Supported by Erica, I did not collapse, but sank gently to the ground.
As I recovered, surrounded not by plots and betrayal, but by genuine friends like Henry, Emma, and Connor, I considered a new future.
Emma, having proved her loyalty and hard work, was offered a promotion.
I openly expressed my feelings to Erica, eliciting joy and a burst of applause from our small supportive crowd.
“Yes, I agree. But please, in the future, stay away from hospitals,” Erica responded, her eyes glistening with tears.
With laughter and plans for a future filled with love and integrity, I finally felt it.
Peace.
Ready to turn a new page.
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