Martin called Sheila because he was going to his girlfriend's house. But Sheila is not answering his call.
It's odd. He couldn't help but think to himself. Their three-day business trip for the company is over, so he needs to unwind with Sheila.
Maybe she's busy. Martin thought to himself.
So he immediately texted Sheila, and he's very excited to see her. He just smiled at what he was thinking.
You're very naughty, Martin. He chuckled softly at what he was thinking.
He is at home now, alone, and the surroundings are very quiet. He has housekeepers who tidy up and ensure the cleanliness of his house. He needs to rest his mind for now.
He suddenly woke up because he felt someone beside him in bed. He turned to see who it was. Martin, who was alone, shook his head at his thoughts.
So he went back to closing his eyes, but there were eyes looking at him, so he immediately opened his eyes. He saw a child wearing a white dress; Martin was startled and suddenly sat up.
Martin stared at the child for a long time; the child just looked at him in silence.
It suddenly disappeared from his sight, so he rubbed his eyes. Suddenly, his drowsiness disappeared.
Is that child dead? Martin wondered in his mind.
Irritated, he stood up and left his room.
"Manang," he called the elderly housemaid.
The maid was surprised that she could call him by name.
"W---Why, sir, Martin?" This was made a question for him.
"Does Sharlene come here?" Martin asked his maid directly.
His question took the maid aback. It hesitated to answer, shaking its head softly.
"M—Ma'am Sharlene doesn't come back here anymore, sir." The maid answered with a stammer and a trembling voice.
"Make sure you're not covering up for that woman! I am the one who pays your salaries." Martin said it as if he were reminded of the maid.
"Yes, sir. I'm not lying; Ma'am Sharlene really doesn't come anymore." The voice trembled with fear.
Martin stared intently at the housemaid; he saw that the maid wasn't lying, so he sent her back to work peacefully.
What's happening to you? Asked himself.
He glanced at the time and realized it was still early; he decided to visit the child first to alleviate his conscience.
Martin hurriedly went to his parking lot and drove his car to the hospital.
He arrived immediately; he went straight to the ICU where the child was, but Ashley was no longer there. With a furrowed forehead, he scanned his surroundings and paced back and forth, wondering if he had simply lost his way.
The nurse there was already looking at him until he decided to ask at the nurse station there.
"Excuse me, Nurse, I just wanted to ask something." Martin immediately asked a question.
The nurse who was there immediately approached him. "Yes, sir, what is it?" the nurse asked him politely.
"Ah, what happened to the patient who was named Ashley Francisco?" Martin states the name of his daughter.
"What is your relationship to the patient, sir?" The nurse questioned him back.
"A—Ah, a close relative to that child." He made an excuse; he would rather not tell the nurse that he is the father of that child.
The nurse only nodded at his answer.
"He's in a private room now, sir; it's on the 4th floor." That's all the nurse could say to him.
"H--- Has the child recovered?" Martin asked as if he were shocked.
"That child is fighting, and the blood clot is slowly disappearing with the treatment, even though she is comatose." Martin felt even sadder upon hearing the news.
Comatose? He thought to himself.
"Ah, thank you." He said. "W—What number, nurse?" Martin asked again.
Martin immediately went to the 4th floor and looked for his child's room. He immediately saw the patient's name; he hesitated to enter or peek at the child.
He needed to muster his courage. He turned the doorknob and saw the child lying on the bed, surrounded by many medications. He looked to see who was watching over him.
However, he did not see his wonderful wife, Sharlene, nor her siblings.
Martin looked at his child sleeping soundly. He sat down beside it. Almost three weeks have passed since the accident happened. He sees that the wound is healing, and the bruise on the child's body is also fading.
Despite the strained relationship with Ashley's mother, she remains my biological child. He thought to himself.
He noticed someone was looking at him, so Martin turned and met Sharlene's gaze; she didn't say anything, just looked at him.
He didn't say a word and stepped out of the child's room. He stared at her without saying a word.
"I just visited the child." Martin just ended up saying it.
Sharlene just nodded. "You are still the child's father, and I am not forbidding you from being its father." That's all Sharlene said to him.
He didn't say anything more; he had already left the child's private room. He sighed, then headed straight to the hospital cashier to ask how much the bill was that he needed to pay.
"Please tell me how much the bill is for the patient Ashley Francisco." Martin inquired with the individual who was assigned today.
"What is your relationship with the child?" The cashier asked Martin.
"Ah, I am her father." Martin said.
The person who asked him just nodded.
"Sir, your wife has already paid some bills, including those incurred during the child's stay in the I.C.U. Now, she will pay one hundred thousand and twenty-five pesos." The cashier just looked at him.
"Is that all she needs to pay at the hospital now?" Martin asked the cashier.
"Yes, sir." It only nodded to him.
"Do you accept credit cards?" Martin asked.
"Yes, sir, we accept that." It only nodded to his question.
"I will pay the balance now, and for the advance payment, please include it." Martin said.
"Okay, sir."
He immediately handed his credit card to the cashier.
"How much should I include for the advance payment, sir?" she asked him.
"One hundred thousand will do." He only replied to its question.
The cashier nodded. Martin simply waited as the cashier processed the remaining payment.
He just sighed.
In this way, I can make it up to Ashley. He thought to himself.
Suddenly, someone called her.
"Sheila." He just said it.
"I'm sorry if I didn't answer your calls; I'm very busy with the case right now." Sheila apologized to him in a call.
"No, it's okay, really." That's all he said.
"Thank you, hon. Where are you now?" Sheila asked him.
"I'm at the hospital right now; I just visited the child." He answered that question.
"Oh, I see. I love you. See you." Sheila said to him.
"See you; I'll head straight there after this."
"Okay."
He immediately hung up the call, the cashier called him, and he signed some documents. After that, he took his credit card.
He immediately drove to Sheila's house.