Expired Expectation

Isaiah didn’t come back home that night.

Just like their last few wedding anniversaries, Astrid was left all by herself watching over the table full of dishes she had prepared.

She waited until night turned into day again.

In the past, she would have called him relentlessly and almost begged him to come home to celebrate with her.

But now, she was no longer willing to humiliate herself.

Besides, Isaiah never cared about their marriage anyway.

Nor did he ever care about her and Coco.

She picked up the fork and went for a particularly large piece of marinated pork rib.

The rib was very difficult to swallow and somehow tasted bitter in her mouth.

It was a perfect analogy for their marriage for the last five years. There was never even a hint of sweetness, only sadness and bitterness.

She poured all of the leftover dishes into the bin and proceeded to pack up her luggage.

Then she deleted all photos of Isaiah from her phone.

She even tore their wedding pictures.

She went another step further and even uprooted all the sunflowers she used to plant for him in the garden.

After everything was done, she dragged her exhausted body upstairs to coax Coco to bed.

To her horror, she found Coco in bed with her cheeks flushed red and a speck of blood on the corner of her lips!

She almost shrieked in horror and immediately rushed Coco to the hospital.

Doctor Daniel Niell was assigned to attend to Coco.

He put a stethoscope over Coco’s chest and began his examination.

That was when they heard a familiar voice from outside the ward, “Which ward is Doctor Niell assigned to?”

“Mommy, I think that’s Uncle Isaiah!”

Coco's eyes lit up as she spoke, “Does he know I’m sick? Is that why he came to see me? Good thing I’m still in my school uniform!

“He once told me I looked very cute wearing it!”

Astrid told herself it was impossible.

Despite that, she could not deny that she felt a tinge of eagerness as well.

Perhaps Isaiah did come to visit Coco out of the goodness of his heart.

Coco had been coughing and getting sick frequently lately.

Isaiah’s mother had been calling Astrid recently to check on Coco’s condition as well. She would also instruct Isaiah to pay attention to Coco.

When Astrid turned, she almost lost her balance.

Isaiah was holding a little girl while Juno was trailing behind them with a gentle look in her eyes.

“There’s nothing wrong with Emmie, it’s just a light cough. Don’t be so dramatic about it!

“Doctor Niell is very busy, let him attend to his patient first!”

"Juno, it’s not just a cough!” Isaiah looked like a nervous wreck.

“What if it develops into something more serious, like a lung infection? That’s very dangerous!”

The light in Coco's eyes instantly went out, and she suddenly hunched over and started coughing violently.

The sight of it made Astrid’s heart twist into a knot. She patted Coco on the back and turned to Doctor Niell.

"Doctor, Coco’s fever won’t go away, and she’s even coughing up blood. Please tell me if there’s anything wrong with her! It's not pneumonia, is it?”

Doctor Niell did not respond, he looked like he was put in a difficult spot.

Astrid turned to Isaiah and pleaded, “Doctor Lear, could you help me? My daughter’s condition is very serious and she needs to be looked at…”

Isaiah frowned when he noticed the speck of blood on the corner of Coco’s lips.

Again, his sympathy lasted only for an instant.

Then, he suddenly declared firmly, “Doctor, please attend to Emmie!”

Astrid looked at Isaiah in disbelief.

She felt chills all over her body.

Isaiah was not even trying to hide his favoritism for Emmie. He completely ignored Coco’s grief and tears in her eyes.

Coco did not mean anything to him!

Astrid walked away with Coco and took a taxi to another hospital.

When the doctor gave Coco an injection, the girl who had always been afraid of needles held back her tears and told Astrid, “Mommy, look, I’m not crying. Do you think Uncle Isaiah will like me just a little more if he knows? Would he come to visit me?”

Astrid looked at the longing in her eyes and felt like crying again.

“Coco, you are a strong and sensible girl. You deserve the affection of someone better.”

“But I want Uncle Isaiah to like me,” Coco sobbed.

“Even now, I don’t know what it’s like to have him hug me.”

Astrid felt like she’d been stabbed and subconsciously clenched her fists.

There goes your second chance, Isaiah!

You only have one last chance!