D e s i g n e r | geminigraphics⤵

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T H I R T Y
F I F T H
C H A P T E R

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AVA'S POV

Mom's hand were covered in blood.

I don't think if I ever saw this much blood before.

I couldn't think. Everything was happening so fast.

Everything was a mess.

Seeing dad like this... my mind couldn't think.

What should I do?

I shook dad. "Daddy, daddy."

Should I be yelling at him in this condition?

I didn't know anything. I really didn't.

His eyes were still open, but on the edge of closing and darkening his world.

It seemed like he was fighting.

Tears were blurring my vision.

"We need to call the ambulance." Gaining my senses I said out loud, my voice breaking.

"I think we should really hurry. We can't wait for the ambulance. Ava, help me get him in my car." Aaron said and he was right.

I needed to be strong. I kept telling myself to be strong. Because mom was completely in shock.

"Dad, it's going to be okay." I said cupping my dad's face while lying him in the back seat of Aaron's car. "Everything is going to be perfectly okay."

Me and mom both sat behind with dad.

Aaron drove as fast as possible.

I covered the wound with my hands so that more blood couldn't escape his body.

"Stay with me, dad." I said to him, still crying.

We reached hospital.

"We need help!" Aaron called.

The attendants hurried and placed him in the stretcher.

We went inside.

"I love you, Ava" Dad said and before he was taken in the surgical ward, he said to mom, "I know you loved me, but you also never forgot him. I love you, Emily, and I never loved you any less even after knowing that I'm not the heart you wanted."

I didn't understand what he meant. But it brought tears in mom's eyes.

"I love you, dad." I said holding his hands while the stretcher was moving.

They took the stretcher inside the surgical ward, leaving all of us behind.

Aaron held me tightly and kept looking at the closed door of the surgical ward. In Aaron's arms, I kept murmuring the birthday song, "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear daddy. Happy birthday to you."

ONE HOUR LATER

We were all sitting silently.

My head was on Aaron's shoulder and I was covered by this coat.

Mom was sitting at a distance,  with her legs on the chair and her legs close to her heart. She was lost. Lost in thoughts. Looking at her like this made me more sad.

All of a sudden someone came in. Mr. David Smith.

"Dad," Aaron was surprised and so was I. "What are you doing here?" Aaron asked his dad.

Yeah, how come Mr. David was here.

He didn't even look at Aaron and me and went straight to my mom.

"Emily." Mr. David murmured.

"Oh, David." Mom got up and hugged him tightly.

"I came the moment you called." Mr. David was still hugging mom, soothing her.

The door of the surgical ward opened and a doctor came out with the results.

Please, be okay dad. I kept repeating these words as the doctor came nearer and nearer.

AFTER TWO WEEKS

"I love you, dad." That was the last thing I said to my dad when he was alive.

I still remember that bloody birthday when dad left us. It's something I will never forget.

I still remember that bloody birthday when doctors took dad to surgical ward, giving us false hopes and I remmeber them coming out of the ward with their heads dropped. "The bullet was very close to his chest." That's what they said.

I remember the screaming. I remember the numbness. I remember Aaron holding me tight. I remember crying all night. I remember going to sleep in Aaron's arms.

I remember the cold funeral. I remember people saying the exact same thing over and again, "I'm sorry for your loss."

I'll never forget that bloody birthday.

NEVER!

♣

"You really don't need to go." Aaron said to me again.

"I said I will go to Atlanta with you. That means I'm going." I was not going to change my decision.

"Listen, you can skip more days. Don't take any kind of stress. I am sure The Chinese will understand."

I didn't want his sympathy.

Ever since dad passed away, he started caring a little too much.

"Sir, I'm totally fine. Mr. Jiang invited me personally." I notified him and asked, "When we'll leave for Atlanta?"

"Ava," his voice was soft as he came near me and touched my shoulder.

I quickly moved away.

"What's wrong with you? Why you're acting like this?" He asked miffed.

"I work here. I'm your assistant and I'm being professional."

"So, you're not going to talk. I mean you're not going to share that you're still in pain because of what he did to your dad."

"I'll be glad Sir if from now on you'll not interfere in my personal issues." I looked at him with a cold expression.

He clenched his fist with anger. "Okay then, we'll leave for Atlanta in a few weeks. I'll inform you." He said and then when I was leaving his office he added hissing,  "Miss Williams." Instead of calling me by my first name.

I didn't responded and went to my office.

I closed the door behind me and leaned to it.

Soon tears invaded my eyes.

I sat on the floor and covered my eyes.

I cried.

This was nothing out of the usual.

Now this was my routine.

"I miss you, daddy. I really miss you."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

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N e x t :
36th Chapter.

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