An Encounter

The breath of relief was so loud that everyone was immediately grateful. All except Martins. "What? What just happened? This man should have been dead!"

Sofia couldn't take it anymore. She dialed a number and soon, some men stormed in and carried Martins out.

"Was that the cops?" Isadora asked.

"He's going to have a lot of explanations telling the cops how he really got his license. He would have killed our dad!" She cried out to her sister.

"He just needs rest. Look, he's able to speak now." Josh said while the sisters rushed to his side.

"Oh my beautiful daughters," Mr. Sanchez said with delightment. It seemed like magic, because now the man was suddenly full of life.

"My love, I'm here too." Margaret said.

Mr. Sanchez cleared his throat and frowned. "Can you leave us for a while?"

Margaret couldn't believe it. "Are you kicking me out, my love?" She asked.

"Leave now, Margaret." The man commanded and waited until she had left before he went on. "I know she is cheating on me. And you girls didn't want to break my heart about it so my blood pressure wouldn't rise."

"I just kept waiting that she might change, you know?" He said with regret in his eyes. "And who is this fine gentleman over here?" His gaze turned to face Josh.

"He is the one treating you, dad." Isadora replied. "He's really good."

"Wow. Is that true?"

"I only try my best, sir." Josh replied to him.

"Dad, he is specifically interested in the toothache plant. And I have made promises to help him with it." Sofia quickly chirped in.

"That is fine by me. I will grant him access whenever he wishes. Thank you, I feel a lot better." Mr. Sanchez commended.

"I'll wait outside then. Check his blood pressure now and let's compare with that of yesterday." Josh said in a nice manner before turning to leave.

Sofia got up after him, holding his hand as she stopped him. Then a smile formed on her face as she met his gaze. "Thank you so much."

Josh tried for a smile back before leaving. As he arrived outside, his phone was buzzing and he frowned as soon as he saw who it was.

Heaving in a deep sigh, he picked up. "What is it?"

He heard Hannah scoff. "What is it? Is that what we've become now?"

"Why are you calling, Hannah? I'm a little bit busy." Josh said, making his tone direct as possible. Why would she call him after just breaking his heart the day before?

"I heard about how you turned my brother into a punching bag, Josh. I did everything in me so they didn't have to sue you. How could you do something so dumb like that?" Hannah went ahead and laid it all out.

"It seems you don't even know the full story and here you are speaking like this to me--"

Her voice was suddenly louder. "--that doesn't give you a reason to hurt my brother, Josh. How dare you hit him? Right now, I am so furious..really. I was expecting an apology from you. I mean, I could have called you since yesterday when I got the message but I wanted to wait it out."

"Hannah, they ruined my mother's necklace, okay? They destroyed it. And I will never be able to replace it again. Do you have any idea how painful that is? Asking for compensation money like immature people and hurting me like that. Don't you think that's a little mean to me?" Josh said back, lashing his anger at her.

There was silence on the other end for a while. "I didn't know..." She began to say at last.

"Look, I'm busy okay. I'm hanging up now." Josh said, then hung up at once. How could they have the courage to report him to Hannah?? After that pathetic scene like that??

Hannah frowned, feeling embarrassed already. "Josh, I'm so--hello?" Then she noticed he had really hung up. Anger overwhelmed her as she stormed into his room. Her brother had been admitted in a hospital where he received treatment for his bruises.

"How can you guys do this?" She roared out. Lisa and Hannah's mother were present there.

"Do what?" Mary frowned.

"You ruined his mother's necklace? Are you so stupid? And compensation for what??" Hannah ranted.

"Well he tried to have his way with your cousin. Is that fair?" Mary said out, trying to hide the embarrassment in her eyes.

"Isn't it enough that I divorced him? Did he actually touch you? Didn't you say he only made attempts?? And damn it, mom. I give you everything. I give you all everything you need. But this is how you repay me? By begging for money from my ex husband?!"

"Is that why you're yelling at us now?" Lisa barked out. "Wait, are you two still hanging out together? You have divorced him. Meaning you should have forgotten all about him, dear cuz!"

Hannah blinked. She wished she could say proudly that she had forgotten all about Josh. She really did wish that!

"You know what? I can't do this right now. I'm leaving. I only paid for a day's treatment so once you get treated, get your asses and leave!" And with that, she stormed off.

She was seated on a bench in the long hallway for a while, and glad no one had tried to follow her. She couldn't stop thinking about how things had played out with her and Josh.

"We have different goals in life. That's just it." She said firmly to herself. "You'll be fine. There are many men out there that will love you more than he loved you."

Finally, believing those words had sank into her mind, she got up and grabbed her bag, ready to head back to work when she bumped into a figure.

"Please, watch it. I'm having a bad day as it is!" She said with a groan.

"Sorry about that." Josh said calmly before hurrying away from her sight, but was stopped as he heard his own name from the figure he'd just bumped into. When he turned to see who it was, he nearly couldn't believe his eyes.

Why did the universe hate him so? That was all he could think of.