"Did you find the records of my delivery?" She imdiately asked once she saw her friend at the hospital.
After Jacob caught her snooping in Oliver’s office, she had grown impatient and paranoid. Although Oliver acted as if he believed her alibi, she still thought it was a close call. She felt like any day, he might finally catch up to her, especially when Jacob wouldn’t keep his nose where it didn’t belong.
If only she could prove that Oliver had nothing to do with the accident and find the real culprit, then she could finally let go of the past. Then, maybe she could finally be with Oliver without all the lies.
"I had already reviewed the chart several tis, but I really don’t see anything wrong with your delivery." Ashley pushed a copy of her dical record into her hand.
Although she had sustained several injuries from the car crash, the accident hadn’t affected her child, based on her friend’s assessnt.
Her friend had been swamped with patients today and had just finished her rounds. She looked like she was ready to pass out as she dragged her into one of the empty chairs in an empty hallway where they could talk without anyone interrupting.
"The child was not in any danger during your labor. I believed I delivered a beautiful, lively boy that night." Her friend insisted, still looking baffled by the sudden death of her child, just as she had been six years ago when she heard about it.
Ashley had pledged that his child had been alive and strong when he ca into this world. She had no idea what happened once her son transferred to the care of the paediatric doctor.
Besides, her obligation was to the mother and the baby inside the womb. Once the babies were born, they ceased to be her obligation.
"What about Dr. Chen? Did you find him?" She asked, hopeful. She had been looking for the paediatrician who had handled her son’s care after the delivery and declared that her child had died due to a heart condition.
Her biggest regret was accepting that her family’s death was an accident. She had readily believed what the investigators said.
In her defence, at that ti, she was not thinking straight. She was grieving the loss of her family, especially her child. The pain was just unbearable that even breathing had beco a struggle.
After she had buried her parents and her son, she had moved away, unable to accept their fate. For months, she had lived like a ghost, floating through life as if nothing else existed but her pain.
"Based on hospital records, he resigned after a few days of the accident." It was so sudden that nobody had expected it. So of the people who knew him said that he had returned to his hotown. "But no one could confirm it."
"What about my baby’s chart? Did you find anything unusual on it?" She asked, her tone becoming hoarse as tears threatened to spill from her eyes, as disappointnt and desperation crashed through her remaining hope.
"Honestly, I didn’t see anything amiss with Dr. Chen’s report," Ashley swore she had studied her son’s case. So far, she hadn’t found any foul play. Even the autopsy report supported Dr. Chen’s conclusion.
"Why are you asking about your son’s death?" Her friend finally asked, as her eyes reflected her curiosity.
Truthfully, she had no idea how to explain to her friend what was going through her mind. But lately, she had been having this strange feeling. She even had a few bizarre dreams.
"What’s wrong?" Ashley finally asked as if she sensed her unusual and unsettling behavior. "You look stressed. Is there sothing that you’re not telling ?"
One thing, she felt guilty.
Of course, she believed she had every right to investigate her husband and his family. But still, after the way they had treated her and welcod her to their ho with warmth and open arms, she found her conscience nagging at her. She could not help but feel like a traitor as she plotted against them.
Then, another reason was Caleb.
Every ti she looked at Caleb, she could not help but wish her son were still alive. That maybe, just maybe, the doctor had made a mistake. That it was not her son who died but soone else.
"I don’t know. I think I’m going crazy." She finally confessed to her friend. "These last few days, I kept thinking that my son might still be alive." She looked down at her hands, wondering if she had lost her mind.
Silly! Outrageous! Impossible!
She knew that, but as a grieving mother, she wanted a miracle.
Now the only person who knew the truth about her son’s death had suddenly vanished.
"Oh!" Ashley gasped in surprise. "I think it is only natural that you might feel that way, especially when you are going through so overwhelming emotions." Her friend explained. Still, she looked at her as if she were seriously concerned.
"I know what you’re thinking." She stared at her friend. "I don’t need a shrink." She was not about to sit in so office and talk about her feelings. But she needed to do sothing.
"You said Dr. Chen resigned a few days after my accident." The thought suddenly crept into her mind as if it sounded suspicious.
A few days?
"Was that a coincidence, or was the doctor running away from sothing?" She unexpectedly blurted out the question that ford in her mind.
Spontaneously, her eyes had watched the hospital corridors, following the doctors and nurses who had strode the hallways, going in and out of the patients’ rooms to check on their condition.
"What are you saying, Sophia?" Ashley asked, but showing signs that she understood exactly what she wanted to say.
But she suddenly stopped when several hospital staff mbers passed by, afraid that they might hear their conversation.
"What if sobody paid Dr. Chen or threatened his life to do sothing with my child?" Voicing her suspicion was like discussing monsters, ghosts, or aliens.
She knew it was too far-fetched, but thinking about Oliver and his family, doing sothing like that would not be inconceivable.
"Do you really think that is possible?" Ashley’s frown deepened as if she might be considering her theory. "Co to think of it, Dr. Chen had been a candidate for promotion that year. So, his unexpected resignation had co as a big surprise to everyone."
Upon hearing that about her son’s doctor, the uneasiness in her chest only grew. "Why would he suddenly leave?" That was the question. "Do you think it had sothing to do with my son?"
If the doctor had been hiding so information about her son, how could she question him if he had been halfway across the world?
"Do you really think your son is still alive?" Ashley asked, her eyes were suddenly full of hope and determination as she turned to her.
"Yes!" Call it mother’s instinct, but she could feel it in her bones that he was out there.
"Well, there is a way we can test that theory." Ashley abruptly stood up and pulled her toward the nearest elevator.
Stunned by her friend’s action, she stumbled after her, demanding where she was taking her. But her friend only told her to wait and see.
After leaving the elevator, her friend dragged her down the long hallway until they reached the last door.
"DNA test." Her friend pointed to the laboratory testing area. "We will get a DNA sample of the baby you buried six years ago and compare it to yours."
Why hadn’t she thought of that? If the sample didn’t match her, then her baby might still be alive.
"That’s a great idea." She planned to get that done right away. "By the way, do you rember anything specific about my son that you can rember?"
She had never had the chance to see her baby when he was born, since she was unconscious. By the ti she woke up, she only saw him inside a coffin. Already cold and lifeless. She didn’t even have the chance to hold him in her arms.
Thinking about it, she didn’t even know if his son had any unusual mole or birthmark that she should know about.
Except for his heart condition, she knew nothing else about him.
"My poor Edison." She thought, as her mind wandered, if he was actually alive.
"Well, it was a long ti ago." Ashley tried to think. "Hmm!" Her friend seed to dig deep into her mory bank as she recalled that night.
She guessed she would be lucky if her friend could still rember as far back as that night. But she hoped her friend did.
"Let see." Her friend seed to recite every step she took that night, from her arrival in the ER until she was transferred to her care. "I rember your case because it was quite tragic. The entire hospital was talking about your family."
Of course, she recalled that several reporters even wanted to interview her, but she adamantly declined. Luckily, the police protected her, preventing any paparazzi from barging into her room.
"Wait!" Her friend suddenly paused as they stood in the middle of the hallway. She even attracted a few onlookers from the shrillness of her voice.
"I’m sorry about that." She hastily lowered her voice. "But I think I rember sothing."
Then, she whispered sothing in her ears, as if she was sharing a secret that nobody else could hear.
"Are you sure?" She asked, wondering if her friend’s mory was accurate.
If that was true, then—
But what she didn’t notice was the man who had been discreetly following her.
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