"Professor Huntington searched the entire city for you."
"Where have you been hiding?"
The following day, upon reactivating my phone, it was overwhelmed with notifications of missed calls and messages.
Yet, at that moment, I was en route to the hospital, my body utterly drained from days of relentless work and a severe cold.
Sitting idly in the hospital waiting room, scrolling through my phone, I stumbled upon the fact that today was Penelope's birthday.
Her birthday celebrations dominated social media, showcasing scenes from an opulent banquet hall to an open-air garden, each setting adorned with exquisite beauty.
Amid the crowd of admirers, Penelope stood out, yet her eyes harbored a subtle sadness, as if longing for something.
Shortly thereafter, the doctor brought me back to reality with his advice:
“Miss Taylor, you'll need to come in for regular check-ups.” I murmured a soft “Thank you,” feeling increasingly burdened.
Leaving the hospital, I unexpectedly found myself in a familiar embrace. Graham's presence was tinged with the coolness of the winter air, his voice laden with urgency and concern, “Melinda, where have you been?” Instinctively, I took a step back, engulfed in confusion.
Anxiety and bewilderment filled Graham's gaze as he appeared to have been searching for me through the night.
“Why are you avoiding this? Why didn't you inform me in advance?” he asked, gripping my wrist firmly.
At that instant, I pushed him away with all my might, throwing the ultrasound report from months ago at Graham, “What’s this attitude, Graham? Do you see love as merely a casual game?” I confronted him, my voice thick with indignant rage and biting sarcasm.
Graham stood petrified, a mixture of confusion and astonishment in his eyes.
“What’s this?”
He gingerly picked up the report, as though fearful of uncovering its hidden truths.
“Our...our child?” His voice wavered, fragile and trembling.
“It's gone,” I interjected coldly. “I had hoped to surprise you. But in that moment, as you dallied with Penelope, I opted to let go.” My words sliced through him, a direct hit to his core.
Graham’s complexion instantly blanched. Seizing the moment, I pushed him against the wall, my stance resolute and my tone imbued with a chilling detachment, “Do you even grasp the extent of my agony? Thus, I implore you, keep your distance.”
He seemed to crumble on the spot, overwhelmed and powerless against the abrupt revelation.
I handed him a stack of application forms, “I’ve been promoted to associate professor. If feasible, I would like to assume responsibility for some of your students. Consider it, and I expect your decision by tonight at my place.”
That night, just outside my apartment, Graham lingered alone in the frigid night air for what seemed an eternity, on the verge of being swallowed by the darkness.
When he at last resolved to face the situation, stepping through the door to approach me, chilled to the bone by the biting wind.
He pulled me into a tight embrace, his plea filled with desperation, “Mimi, I agree to all your terms, but please, don’t leave me.”
