Chapter 2 Two

The steady beep of the heart monitor echoed in the quiet hospital room. The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, mixing with the faintest trace of flowers someone had left on the bedside table.

Wilona's fingers twitched as her consciousness stirred, and with a sudden gasp, her eyes fluttered open.

She stared at the ceiling above her with blurry eyes, thinking about what had happened to her that she was lying on the cold bed below her. Then, she felt a movement beside her. Wilona turned her head.

Sonny was there, sitting on the chair, beside her bed, his hands trembling as he reached out.

Sonny's eyes were swollen, red-rimmed from endless hours of crying. Relief and sorrow clashed in his expression as he whispered, "Wilona..."

Before he could say another word, Wilona got up from her lying position. She stared at Sonny with a sharp gaze.

If Wilona's eyes contained lasers, Sonny would have been lying on the floor many times in a charred state.

Then, Wilona's hand swung through the air, landing sharply against Sonny's cheek.

The sound echoed through the sterile room, but she wasn't done. With rage burning in her veins, she gathered the saliva in her mouth and spat at him, her body shaking with fury.

"You disgust me," she seethed, her voice hoarse and filled with venom. "Honorable Engineer Sonny Kendrick, having sex with his daughter's nanny when he should be on the job saving someone sick, in the bed he shares with his wife at night. You are a despicable man! Disgusting!"

Sonny didn't move. He simply let the sting of her actions settle into his skin, bowing his head as if he accepted it. He knows, he deserved it.

Wilona is always kind, loving, and loyal to him. She is also a proud wife, with her brilliant career and perfect behavior, a pleasant wife and a gentle and loving mother.

They have been married for five years and everyone always praises them as a harmonious and well-matched couple.

"I--" he choked out, struggling to find the right words. "Elsa... S-she teased me first. I c-ca--"

Wilona's eyes burned with fury. " Enough! I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses! Whatever you say now, it's just cheap talk that you don't deserve to say to me! Your actions have already represented your moral depravity!"

Wilona screamed, gripping the thin hospital blanket. "Where is my daughter? What did you do to her?"

Silence fell over the room, thick and suffocating. Sonny's lips parted, but the words failed him. Then, his body trembled, and he let out a choked sob.

"She's... Maya was gone," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "Our daughter is dead, Wilona."

Wilona's breath caught in her throat. Her vision blurred. Had she lost her ability to hear properly? Could it be that the accident that had happened to her had made her ears break?

"No! No, that's not true," she shook her head violently. "She was fine this morning. I was going to pick her up. She--"

"She left the school on her own," Sonny interrupted, his voice broken. "She was anxious because... Ugh... E-Elsa were late. She ran out from school and... She got lost."

Wilona's nails dug into her palms. The image of her little girl walking alone on the street and scared because of the unfamiliar situation for her, made Wilona feel her chest hot.

"The school janitor found her," Sonny continued. His voice cracked, and he let out a sob. "She fell into the lake behind the school."

Sonny's face twisted with pain. "She... Drowned, Wilona. And because of her asthma..."

A strangled sound escaped Wilona's lips. Her world spun, her chest tightened, and before she could take another breath, darkness consumed her once more.

When Wilona awoke again, the sky outside her hospital window was a deep gray, mirroring the emptiness inside her. A nurse was standing by her bedside, adjusting her IV drip.

"You fainted," the nurse said gently, eyes filled with pity. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Wilona."

"What time is it?" Wilona asked in a hoarse voice.

"Eleven o'clock," the nurse replied. "You've been unconscious since last night and the doctor had to check you many times, making sure you were stable."

Wilona stared at the ceiling, unmoving. The grief clawed at her, wrapping around her lungs, making it impossible to breathe. Then, as if realizing something, she turned her head toward the nurse.

"My daughter...," her voice was barely audible. "Her funeral... I have to be there."

The nurse hesitated, glancing at the clipboard in her hands. "Your condition is still unstable. You shouldn't--"

"I don't care!" Wilona screamed, trying to sit up. Pain shot through her body, but she ignored it. "Help me. Please. Let me come to my daughter's funeral. I haven't said goodbye to her, please...."

The nurse bit her lip before finally nodding. "Alright. But you'll need support. I will come with you."

With the help of two nurses, Wilona was dressed in a hospital gown and draped in a coat to shield her from the cold. Her legs felt weak, but sheer determination kept her standing as they led her to the car that would take her to the cemetery.

The funeral was already underway when they arrived. The priest stood solemnly at the front, speaking words that Wilona couldn't comprehend. People were gathered in black, their faces full of sorrow.

Sonny stood beside the small white casket, his hands trembling as he wiped his tears.

"And now," the priest said, turning to him, "As her father, Dr. Sonny Kendrick, would like to say a few words to send your little girl to her final rest."

Sonny stepped forward, his lips parting as he prepared to speak.

But, a loud voice cut through the air.

"STOP!"

All heads turned. All the people were stunned.

Still dressed in her hospital gown, Wilona stood there, supported by the nurses, her eyes burning with grief and rage.

Sonny's hands clenched into fists. He could feel the danger and potential chaos that was about to happen. "Wilona..."

But Wilona wasn't looking at him anymore. She only had eyes for the small coffin before her.

Her little daughter, Maya Rae Kendrick, four years old, beautiful, intelligent, and cute, lay in the sturdy coffin. Alone. Cold. Lonely.

Maya's cheerful smile and chatter, her friendly and crisp laugh, and the warmth of her body that smelled of baby powder, Wilona would never again enjoy. She lost her little angel.

Tears streamed down her face as she sharply whispered, "You have no right to speak."