Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 212: Letting go

Chapter 212: Letting go

In the hospital garden area.

Diana and Louis were sitting on the bench and the latter had a gloomy expression on his face. She had accompanied him when he insisted but now that they were sitting here, she had no idea about what to say. After lecturing her about how she should not play around in the hospital, the man had gone quiet as he quietly looked at the group of kids who were playing in the garden area. His face was downcast and he seemed disheartened.

The silence made it somewhat unbearable for her. Even Diana felt sad for no reason when she saw such an expression on his face. She wanted to console him but she had no idea what she should console him about. They were strangers who just met a few times accidentally. How could she know what was upsetting him? And even if she knew it, she would not say anything for fear of triggering him.

Although he seemed calm now, but she did not forget their first encounter where he had almost lost his temper out of being paranoid about his health.

So no matter how unsettled she felt, she just stayed put in her seat until she heard the man speak.

’’The doctor said that the success rate of my surgery is high. The tumor is not life-threatening.’’

Diana did not respond to him when she heard it but she was relieved. Since the first day she met him, he had been paranoid about his health condition. Before she could have gathered his previous records, he had left and decided to visit another doctor so she had no idea about his health.

’’I had my people conduct an in-depth investigation on that doctor...’’ Louis muttered softly, but his words stunned Diana.

Diana frowned. Investigate the doctor? It was not something an ordinary patient could afford to do or try to do.

’’His background is clean and he was top amongst his peers. All the cases under him have been a success so far so I am relieved,’’ Louis smiled a little but the smile looked so bitter. He looked at the group of kids and his tone changed as he spoke suddenly, ’’When I lost my son, he was around their age.’’

Diana followed his gaze and glanced at the kids who were running after each other. They seemed to be around 7 or 8 years old.

’’They... found his dead body.’’

Diana felt her blood turning cold when she heard his words. The last time they met, he... said he wanted to meet his son and apologize for something. Now, he was saying that his son was dead? Who... was he trying to meet then?

He seemed to have not noticed her expression as he calmly spoke, ’’But I don’t believe that my son can die so easily. He must be somewhere, waiting for me to rescue him...’’

Diana’s body went lax in relief when she realized that he was not having hallucinations and he was just being a hopeful father.

But she did not how to respond to that. If he had seen his body, how could his son have survived? Was he being delusional? Even if she thought so, she did not have it in her to break his delusions when she saw how low-spirited he was.

While they were talking, both of them did not notice a shadow behind the lush tree nearby. The person’s gaze was focused on their mouths as he read their lips.

’’My family hated me... my son... he would never hate me even if I let him and his mother down. He would never hate me...’’ Louis shook his head, ’’Girl, don’t you think so?"

Diana wanted to nod instinctively since he was a patient but then she could not bring herself to do it, ’’It depends.’’

’’What do you mean?" His brows tugged together in a hard frown.

’’Depends on how much damage you caused him,’’ Since he had asked her, she would rather be honest about it than gloss over it. Sugarcoating words and giving someone false hopes were rather easy things to do but she did not want to be overwhelmed by the guilt it might cause her.

Louis no longer looked calm when he heard her, ’’What are you trying to imply? I am his father. No matter what I did, why would he hate me?" he seemed enraged.

Diana smiled but did not say anything else.

Her silence seemed to have provoked the man further as he shook his head, almost in denial, ’’I gave birth to him. I raised him. Whatever he was, he was because of me. No matter what happens between us, it would never change the fact that I am his father. I believe it and once I find him, I am sure he would forgive me.’’

Diana still did not say anything and it annoyed the man further as he demanded, ’’Speak. Why are you not responding?"

She cast him a nonchalant gaze, ’’What right do I have to discuss your family affairs?"

’’You...’’ Louis suppressed his fury. He pushed himself to his feet and strode away in anger, his back was no longer as hunched as it was a few moments ago. Instead, he seemed rather arrogant.

Diana’s lips curled up in a mocking smile when he disappeared from her sight, ’’Forgive you regardless of anything you did just because you are the father?" She had no idea what happened between him and his son but she did not agree with what Louis said, ’’Every child might deserve a family, but not every parent deserves a child.’’

Unnoticed by Diana, the shadow behind the tree disappeared swiftly.

Thinking back to the expression on Louis’ face when he was acting like his son was obliged to forgive him, she shook her head and glanced ahead.

The group of kids was playing with a little girl who was wearing a hospital gown. A nurse was pushing the wheelchair of an old lady who had a despondent smile on her face. The atmosphere was rather cheerful with the kids but one could sense the feeling of despair hiding beneath. After all, no one knew how many of these people had hopes of surviving, how many are recovering, or how many had yet to face their ordeals.

Such was the place called the hospital. While there was hope, there was hopelessness too.

Sitting on the bench, Diana observed and studied all the patients in the compound, and she suddenly thought back to the day she joined the hospital. Maxim told her that she was not suitable for this place and she had been quite angry but now... she felt a sense of helplessness sinking in.

Before she met Angel, Diana’s life revolved around herself.

Maxim’s departure had left a shadow in her heart. No matter how nonchalant she acted, she could not get past it.

The incident in the medical school where she was framed by her mother and had to drop out despite all the hard work she put in over years was a regret in her life.

She loved her mother but she hated her equally too, for ruining what could have been a better childhood, a better life for Diana.

But eventually, all those things had eventually turned into memories now and she did not seem to mind them anymore.

At this particular moment, Diana realized that maybe she had long let go of all those obsessions.

When did it start? She had no idea.

Maybe when Maxim told her that he hadn’t abandoned what they had. He had not abandoned her. The shadow in her heart faded the moment he held her and told her that he had gone back to keep their promise.

As she started working at this hospital, she realized that there was nothing to regret about missing out on medical school. In life, some things are just not meant for one. She tried to hold on to it so tight yet she had to drop out. On the other hand, she and Maxim missed out on each other for years yet they met again under the most unexpected circumstances. It just proved that things that are meant for you will always find their way back. And things that were not yours will slip from your grasp no matter how tightly you clutch onto them.

As for her mother... Diana was no longer angry at her. She no longer felt heartbroken or angry or sad at the thought of her. Maybe... she had the strength to forgive her and let go of her. While fixing broken glass, it was inevitable that shards will cut you. While trying to fix broken people, you will break too.

Diana no longer minded those things anymore and she seemed to have a new clarity and perspective for everything that happened.

Leaning back on the stone bench, she looked at the sky, feeling the heaviness in her heart gradually fading away.