Time stood still for some seconds and then everyone turned to the door.
A man with a suit jacket on his left hand and a trolley bag on his right, which was held by his right hand, stood elegantly at the door as Dr Jason and his wife turned to look at him.
Mrs Jason pinched herself to know if she was dreaming or she was in reality. She then turned to her husband who was looking at the guy standing at the door. Her son was really there physically present with them? Wait, were they thinking he was dead?.
The man then trolleyed the luggage into the sitting room and kept his jacket on the backrest of the chair. It seems like his parents were enthralled at his presence. Maybe he should make the first move to them.
Mrs Jason's eyes followed the man to the chair and then she got up when he approached her.
' Mother, you are looking young '. He complimented his mother on arrival and then joined his hands together in a worshipful pose.
' Namaste, mother '. He greeted as he bent his head. Mrs Jason could no more control the joy and excitement that were now welling up inside her, she hugged him pouring the joy and excitement in tears.
' My son, my son, welcome back '. Mrs Jason wept as she hugged him. It was years since she last saw him. Even after he finished schooling and bagged a degree in psychology, he got glued to his job with no free space.
' Mother, am so sorry for not attending Jane's burial '. He hugged his mother tightly on her back for she was now few centimeters away from his shoulder. Before he travelled she was just his neck level, currently she is below his shoulder level.
' She was shot dead Cliff. Your sister was shot dead and found in her pool of blood. Jane did not deserve that kind of death, Cliff. She didn't '. She hugged him again and cried into his chest.
Dr Jason could not help but wipe some tears away from his face as he saw the mother and son cry their hearts out.
He had seen and witnessed the closeness of Clifford and Jane. Right from when they were little, him and his wife had found it impossible to separate them both as one would always crawl back to the other. They were not twins both due to their closeness of age with just two years difference, they always acted like twins and so much, they looked like fraternal twins. One will fall sick and the other would deteriorate quickly in health. Even when he prepared for Clifford to study in India so as to separate him from Jane, he found himself filling the same institution for Jane to study. And beause she could work in any condition, she came back home to be with her parents, only to meet her death.
†
Alina heard a man's voice other than Dr Jason's, crying with Mrs Jason. She wanted to get up and know who and why they were crying, but then she restrained herself. Her presence would engraven their cries.
To her, one should cry to his heart content to be able to ease his pain. ' When you cry the first time, the second time you will just find yourself shaking your head. Crying is not weakness '. Her tutor in college days had told her so.
She then shook off the idea and forced herself to sleep admist their cries. It was just two in the afternoon but a girl lied all curled up in her bed blocking the sounds that were emitting from the floor below.
' Welcome home, my son '. Dr Jason sauntered towards Clifford. He had to stop what was going on now, if not that would be the only thing they would be doing throughout the day. Not to forget, they had a visitor in Jane's room at the moment.
Clifford immediately understood what his father was trying to do and then pulled his mother gently from the hug and wiped her tears with his left thumb. He then turned to his father who approached him with opened arms. He smiled and walked to him. As he got to him, he bent under, eluding the hug. Dr Jason whose arms were wide open, dropped them by his side and turned back to see Clifford approaching his luggage.
' A grown up man don't rush to his father's embrace. It is a sign of high dependence on his father '. He said and trolleyed his bag with him as he left the sitting room using the stairs with a smirk on his face.
Mrs Jason could no more control herself and threw herself on the sofa, laughing and holding her belly. Dr Jason just smiled as he comprehended what his son just said.
At age 16, he had told his son that saying when he kept on emphasizing that he was a grownup man, but was still competing with his fourteen year old sister to hug him each time he came back from work.
' You can now say he is a grown up man '. She said and got up.
' Let me prepare something for them to eat, especially Alina. She have not taken anything since morning '. She said and left to the kitchen. Alina had now taken a place in her heart. She was the same age with Jane so she was like a daughter to her.
Dr Jason shook his head and left the sitting room to the study.
★
' Doctor what exactly is happening to my daughter? '. Mrs Neil cried as she spoke with the Doctor, totally ignoring the presence of Dr Neil.
Dr Neil walked to the Doctor, who just stood stunned, looking at the multibillionaire as he approached him. He had only seen him in news and he had really wished to shake his hand. So when Dr Neil stretched forth his hand with a vigorous smile on his face, he quickly took his hand and shook it, not ready to let go.
†
At that time, the news reporters with their cameras had flooded the door of the hospital which was closed by Dr Neil's bodyguards preventing them from entering.
One of the reporters had just dropped his mother for a regular check-up, only to see two cars approached the entrance of the hospital. Men arrayed in black suits and eye glasses came out from the first car and rushed to the second car. Bodyguards are for politicians, wealthy people or celebrities, so them being in the hospital only meant one thing. It means that something had happened to one of the above mentioned, so he stood in a corner to monitor and find out who and why.
The second car opened and a woman rushed to the other side of the car to help arrange the gown of the girl that was being carried in arm by one of the bodyguards. They all rushed to the door where doctors and nurses awaited them with a stretcher. It was when the woman turned that the reporter who was watching everything keenly, recognized her as Mrs Neil, the wife of the multibillionaire and the co-founder of Bridge Groups.
He was slack-jawed when he recognized her and immediately took out his phone and captured Mrs Neil with Rosella in the background before she was rolled into the hospital. He then sent the news with the picture on his blog using the headline- Just Now: DISASTER BEFALLS THE NEIL'S FAMILY AS MRS NEIL IS SEEN SPOTTED IN THE HOSPITAL WITH THAT GIRL ON THE STRETCHER.
Within three minutes, the news had gained 2.3k and within 30 minutes, different reporters from different media houses had annexed the door of the hospital.
Since the hospital was among the conglomerate, Dr Neil bypassed the reports using the VIP door which was reserved for him and his family.
So while they were in the doctors office the reporters who were waiting for Dr Neil to come, posted another news on their blogs.
ONE HOUR AFTER HIS DAUGHTER WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL, THE MULTIBILLIONAIRE IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
IT IS NOW OBVIOUS THAT DR NEIL ADORES WEALTH MORE THAN HIS DAUGHTER AS AFTER AN HOUR, HE HAS NOT REACHED THE HOSPITAL.
HOW CAN A MAN CHOOSE WEALTH TO HIS DAUGHTER?.
WHAT KIND OF A FATHER WOULD PREFER TO WORK WHILE HIS DAUGHTER IS IN THE HOSPITAL, STRUGGLING FOR HER LIFE?.
HIS PRIORITY IS HIS WEALTH.
Headlines like this were now trending on twitter with thousands of views and hundreds of comments.
†
' Doctor, you did not ask us to come here to look at your face, did you?. What happened to my daughter?. Mrs Neil asked the doctor after waiting for ten minutes without him stating why he called them and what was wrong with their daughter.
Dr Neil turned to his wife when he heard her acclaiming possession of their daughter twice. In the past she would always say ' your daughter' or ' our daughter ', she never said ' my daughter '. So instead of hatred or disdain, he felt pity for her as he remembered her words of two days ago.
Being bad have become a part of him and because of that he had hurt his wife occasionally for the past fifteen years, not physically but emotionally. Now he really felt more like the monster he heard his children call him in secret.
' Good afternoon ma'am and sir. I called you here as you know, regarding your daughter's case. She is very fine and out of danger but what happened to her is a result of an attempted suicide '.
' What! '. Dr Neil and Mrs Neil shouted in shock.
Dr Neil sat back on his seat pondering if he had suddenly become evil to his children. Mrs Neil could not help but cry at the mention of attempted suicide.
' Your daughter drank a bottle of poison but luckily the poison did not work instantly on her as it's gradual process of destroying her liver and heart organ exhibited those signs and symptoms of fever. Bringing her on time, saved her life '. He then got up from his seat when his telephone rang.
' Please excuse me ma'am and sir, I have another case to attend to '. Dr Jason just waved his hand permitting him to go as he bowed to them to greet them.
They were rumors in the hospital that Dr Neil loved hardworking doctors and nurses, who could attend to five to ten cases in a day. He knew this that was why he had to excuse himself to attend to another case. If not, he could easily had postpone the operation he had that day, because the owner was there with him in the office.
' My daughter, your daughter decided to drink poison and end her life, why? '. Mrs Neil asked Dr Neil after the doctor left the office.
Dr Neil ignored her question and walked to the door. He admit he is a wicked father but he did not want to show that side he called vulnerable to his wife.
Mrs Neil was not ready to give up, so she got up from her seat and caught up with him before he could open the door.
' Why Neil? Tell me, why? Your daughter is suffering in there because of you, but here you are totally not concerned for her. She does not want this marriage, she does not want any thing to do with that nuisance, but you are acting like you are not aware of this. Neil, you are her father.... '. She then knelt in tears and held her hands together.
' I beg you. I beg you, Neil. Please don't let this marriage happen. Please she is your first daughter, please let her marry who she loves. Please Neil, please... '. She pleaded in tears.
Dr Neil looked down to her and his heart wept as he heard her pleas, but just immediately he rose his head. How will he let his plan fail because of Rosella? Mina is even beautiful than her, he could use Mina instead.
Then he bent down and held her chin. ' Didn't you say I have no love and concern for my children? Why should I show them what I don't have? '. He then brushed her lips with his thumb , got up and walked out from the room. Mrs Neil looked at the direction of the door in utmost shock.
My dear readers, so sorry for not updating yesterday. Thursday and Friday were really tiring for me. I did not catch enough sleep on Wednesday which affected my Thursday and then I had to attend to something on Friday which took a large amount of my time. So my Thursday's schedule of updating PRETENCE was shifted to yesterday and yesterday's schedule of ALINA to today. Pls don't be angry with me.
Here's my discord server link for you to discuss - https://discord.gg/7umSATSt.