my father in law cared

Aaron's POV

I sank into the car seat, unbuttoning my shirt. Anger pulsed through me. Margaret didn't deserve this.

I dialed the doctor's number, my voice tense. "Doctor Halen, how is Margaret?"

"She left," he replied.

"Left? What do you mean?" My frustration grew.

"She said she needed to go home," Doctor Halen explained.

"She's so stubborn," I muttered, ending the call as I hit my hand on the car seat.

Next, I dialed Ace's number. "Why didn't you tell me she left? You were supposed to report everything concerning Margaret."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm watching over her from the car as we speak. From the windows, I can see that she's looking for something," Ace replied.

"Alright, keep me updated," I said wearily as I relaxed on the seat.

************************************

Margaret's POV

The search for my songbook had become a frustrating quest. I scoured every corner of the house, but it remained elusive. In a fit of exasperation, I grabbed an empty book from my shelf and decided to return to the hospital myself. Perhaps solitude there was preferable to the emptiness at home.

Back in the hospital room, I changed into the standard clothing and lay on the bed. My fingers hovered over Lewis's number on my phone. Should I tell him about my hospital stay? The decision weighed heavily on me, and eventually I dropped the phone onto the table.

Then, Aaron's number caught my eye—a scribbled note on a piece of paper. I saved it in my phone and drifted off to sleep, wondering what fate had in store for me. 

************************************

Margaret's POV

As the days passed, Lewis never called. It became painfully clear that he hadn't even noticed my absence. But then, unexpectedly, a call came—one I hadn't anticipated. It was from my father-in-law, someone I hadn't spoken to in a long time.

He had returned from his trip and found an empty house. Concerned, he reached out to me. His visits to the hospital became a comforting routine, bringing homemade dishes and genuine care.

I opened to him. I told him what had been going on between me and Lewis. I told him it wasn't the same anymore.

He saw his look. He was remorseful by his son's act. He said he and Lewis were not that close as I think they were. He told me that Lewis is closer to his mother even though they quarrel.

Unlike my mother-in-law, he showed compassion, and I cherished his presence.

Aaron hadn't come to visit since the last time, but he brought gifts and cards signed "from your biggest fan." My close friends too continued to call, refusing to abandon me even though I always turned down their gatherings. Their unwavering support touched my heart.

One day, alone in my hospital room, I watched the news. And there he was, Lewis, interviewed from his hospital bed. He'd been beaten up days ago and had slipped into a coma. My heart raced; worry consumed me. He hadn't ignored my disappearance; he'd been incapacitated.

I picked up my phone, ready to dial Lewis's number. But then I heard his voice: "I was at the pool party Arianna hosted when I got beaten up, and I can't recognize their faces." I laughed at myself. While I lay in the hospital, he'd partied outside, oblivious to my absence until the article about Aaron and me surfaced.

At that moment I knew I was a fool, and I wished Lewis was beaten to death.

I realized my mistake. If I could turn back time, I'd choose differently. Perhaps it started from the collaboration, or when I started crushing on him, or was it when I turned my back against my mom?. 

If I could turn back time, I would have just done the collaboration and not acted on my crush for him.

But time travel wasn't an option; it wasn't real. So I made my choice: when I give birth, it'll be me and my baby—no Lewis, no emotional pain.

The door opened, and my father-in-law entered, bearing food and fruit. 

"Oh Maggie, sorry I'm late. I just received news about Lewis, he said as he sat down.

His late arrival didn't bother me; his care meant more. We laughed together, and as I ate, he shared news: Lewis was in a coma due to a beating. His mother had known but kept silent.

"So I asked, ,Why tell me now?" He said.

"Your son can't treat his wife well; he might as well fall back into a coma." He said, and we laughed.

"And my wife chased me out." He said and we laughed together again.

That humor though. In that laughter, I found strength.

I told him about my choice, and surprisingly for me, he agreed and said he would always support me. He said he didn't just see me as a daughter-in-law but as his own daughter, which he never had.

He said if he had a daughter and she was going through what I went through, he would advise her to leave the marriage.

Better single than unhappy.

What he said made me cry.