Chapter 070

~~~Aiden~~~ As I stood frozen in front of Sandra's ward room door, the weight of the doctor's words threatened to suffocate me. A tidal wave of anxiety crashed over me, its icy fingers wrapping around my heart like a vice. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I peered through the glass, my eyes locking onto Sandra's frail form. Her body, once full of life and vitality, now lay motionless, a tangled web of wires and machines surrounding her like a mechanical shroud. My mind reeled as I pushed open the door, the soft creak of the hinges echoing through the sterile silence. I stepped inside, my heart heavy with foreboding, my senses overwhelmed by the antiseptic smell and the steady beep of the machines. As I approached Sandra's bedside, our eyes met, and I felt a searing pang of guilt and regret. Her lips, once painted with a vibrant smile, now seemed pale and lifeless, her eyes sunken and weary. "Aiden..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, a faint tremble underlying the weak smile that flickered across her face. I felt a sob well up in my throat as I took her hands in mine, the chill of her skin sending shivers down my spine. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, and I fought to hold them back, but they spilled over, hot and relentless, as I gazed at Sandra's fragile form. The weight of my responsibility, the crushing burden of my guilt, threatened to consume me. "Don't... don't talk, Sandra, please save your strength," I begged, my voice cracking with emotion, as I buried my face in her arms, the dampness of her skin mingling with my tears. She was slipping away, and I was powerless to stop it. The thought was a cold, hard knife twisting in my gut. "Thanks for coming, Aiden," she whispered, a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. I felt a fresh wave of anguish wash over me, and I pulled back, my face wet with tears. "Of course, Sandra. I'm really sorry," I began, my voice trembling, the words spilling out in a rush. "I'm really sorry," I repeated, the words dissolving into sobs as I buried my face in her arms once more. Sandra's weak hand stroked my hair, a gentle, comforting touch. "Don't do that, Aiden," she scolded, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's not why I called you." I lifted my head, my eyes streaming with tears, my heart heavy with emotion. "What?" I asked, my voice shaking, as I searched her face for answers. Sandra's gaze locked onto mine, her eyes sparkling with a mix of sadness and determination. "I didn't call you here so I could die wallowing in self-pity with you, Aiden," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I called you here so I would only register the good times we had together, and so I could die with those amazing memories." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me stunned and speechless. My mouth grew heavy with unspoken words, my mind reeling with the weight of her statement. "Aiden, I didn't want you to blame yourself for this, okay?" she continued, her voice laced with a hint of desperation. "I knew I was gonna die anyway, I just didn't know how." I felt a lump form in my throat as I struggled to process her words. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice cracking with emotion. Sandra's gaze drifted off, a faraway look in her eyes. "Do you remember our trip to Mexico?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I nodded, my mind racing back to the memories of that trip. "When I told you I had a shoot the next day, which made me leave very early?" she continued. I nodded again, my heart pounding in my chest. "I remembered," I replied, my voice shaking. Sandra's gaze snapped back to mine, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. "That was a lie, Aiden," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Back there, was the very first time I was pregnant with your child, Aiden." The room around me melted away, leaving only Sandra's words echoing in my mind. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. "What?!" I exclaimed, my voice shaking with shock. Sandra's weak smile faltered, but she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "That was like a few months into our relationship, Sandra." I felt like I was living in a nightmare, my mind reeling with the implications of her words. "Yes, that's correct," she replied, her hands moving instinctively to my face. Her touch sent shivers down my spine, her eyes burning with an inner fire that seemed to pierce my very soul. "I'm so sorry, Aiden," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I should've come out clean about my identity with you then, and we would have been able to avoid all this, but I couldn't stop myself, Aiden." Her words spilled out in a rush, a mixture of regret, longing, and love. "And I'm definitely not sorry for falling in love with you, I'm not sorry for every single time we had, and the memories we shared." 'I'm not sorry for loving you, brother," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. The word "brother" cut through me like a knife, amplifying the guilt that had been suffocating me. 'Thanks for giving me the love I wanted," she continued, a weak chuckle escaping her lips. 'You spoiled me so much that I got obsessed with you, Aiden." Her gaze drifted back to mine, filled with a deep longing that made my heart ache. 'You're a good man, Aiden," she said, her voice laced with a hint of sadness. 'So please, go be with your family, and please don't push Hailey away because of me. She's still the mother of your child." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me stunned and wondering how she knew. I stared at her, my eyes wide with surprise. 'You don't have to be surprised on how I got to know that by now, Aiden," she said, as if reading my mind. A wry smile spread across her face. 'There's a lot of things I knew about, especially that your marriage with her was fake." Her eyes seemed to bore into my soul, as if searching for something. 'I really thought I had another chance with you," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. 'But looking into your eyes the other day when I arranged for your kidnap, I saw it in your eyes." She paused, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath. 'Saw what?" I asked, my voice trembling with anticipation. 'The spark," she replied, her eyes locked onto mine. 'The same spark that lit up in your eyes whenever you said you love me, that same spark was in your eyes when you defended Hailey each time, even if you didn't want to acknowledge it. It was right there I knew I had lost you already." Her words were like a crushing whirlwind, leaving me breathless and tears streaming down my face. 'I do have one last wish though," she whispered, her voice barely audible. 'What is it, Sandra? I'll do anything for you," I promised, my voice shaking with emotion. Her gaze drifted up to mine, filled with a deep sadness. 'I knew I had lost my boyfriend a long time ago because of how stupid I was," she whispered. 'No… You weren't stupid Sandra… Don't say that," I interjected, my voice cracking with emotion. But Sandra's gaze remained fixed on mine, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. 'I'm just hoping I didn't lose my brother," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her words cut through me like a knife, leaving me breathless and helpless. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of guilt and regret. 'Please let go of all the bad memories you have of me Aiden, and keep just the good ones….. That's going to ….. Mean…" She tried to continue, but her voice was interrupted by the machines around her springing into action. The doctors and nurses rushed into the room, moving me away from her as they tried their best to give her a peaceful death. I stumbled backward, my legs growing weak, as I watched in horror. Sandra's words echoed in my mind, a haunting reminder of the sacrifices she had made for me. She had risked her life three times because of me, undergoing two abortions despite her weak liver and fragile health. She had lost her chance at motherhood because of me, and now she had given her life to save mine. The weight of her sacrifices crushed me, leaving me gasping for air. I felt like I was suffocating under the burden of my guilt. As I stumbled out of the room, the sound of the ECG machine pierced the air, its steady beep replaced by a haunting flatline. The straight line on the screen seemed to scream at me, a harsh reminder that Sandra's vibrant heart had stopped beating. I felt like I had lost a part of myself, like I was drowning in a sea of despair. The world around me seemed to fade away, leaving only the echoes of Sandra's words and the haunting memory of her sacrifice.