A wife for my brother

She felt an uncontrollable urge to cry, to scream and throw things on the floor and break them as her heart was breaking. Daniel knew, why did he keep it from her, why just him? Harry manipulating things? But the boy couldn’t even take a final exam without spending nights awake because he didn’t know how to organize himself.

Laura kept asking her to stay away from everyone, as if she was the architect of all the calamities. The sudden change in her friend’s behavior, her husband’s jealousy because she talked to him too much: “He’s your brother-in-law now”. Camila’s anger blaming her for everything, Alice accusing her of being an opportunist and a tramp, and now Laura. Laura with her baby in her belly.

Suddenly she felt as if she was someone’s mistress and the cheated wife implored her not to break up her family. Hadn’t Alice Reed implied the same thing? She was standing in the middle of the road, with no direction, no nothing; naked, exposed, pointed. why?

– Why? – She asked aloud, but the question was not for Laura.

– Because you are taking the only thing I have – She answered her.

– Who else knows? Who else knows I’ve been used? –

– Camila, Susan… Charles I don’t think so… –

– Daniel…

– You can’t blame him, I’m sure he was afraid that when you found out you’d decide to leave. I know how you are, Dean, you put other people’s needs before your own… Daniel knows it too and that’s why he kept it quiet –

– Harry… did he plan all this?… –

– The men in this family are all good-hearted, but they are obsessive and manipulative. When they fall in love or want a woman there is no turning back… Daniel loves you, he will do anything so no one will tear you away from him, it is possible that he has lied to you in more than one thing and has kept many others… They are not like you, who go through life with your heart in your hand –

They are not like you, who go through life with your heart in your hand

– But you knew there was someone else, you told me… but not that it was me, why did you keep it to yourself? –

– I didn’t want to cause a problem between you and your husband… I thought if you talked to Harry and lectured him he would finally stop feeling things for you… But it was worse… When you got back to your mother those days, they were the only days of peace we had… He decided the girl’s name, he seemed happy again… And then he saw you again with Daniel and he got drunk until he was totally hopeless, Charles went to pick him up at a bar and took him home so I wouldn’t see him like that… –

– And you decided to talk now…

– Because he’s planning to leave! He’s going to leave us alone! Can’t you see, Deanna? He wants to go far away so he won’t have to see how you love Daniel and he’ll leave us behind… –

– Harry wouldn’t do something like that, no matter how much of an asshole he is… He’s been waiting for his daughter since he found out you were pregnant, he’s been looking forward to it…-

– He doesn’t care about us anymore, all he wants now is for you to separate from his brother and be free again… If you’re alone he has a chance to confess how he feels… Although he knows you’ll reject him… He hasn’t been able to intimidate Daniel like he did to Frank…-

Philippa, Mom. Her father left her for another woman, pregnant and alone. She remembered the sadness in her eyes when she asked about him. Her grandmother would sometimes find her crying sitting in the restaurant kitchen, “she felt scorned, as if she had been used and then thrown away, but she couldn’t grieve too much because you were on your way.”

Her mother would not have begged like this for a man who did not love her, baby or no baby. The mixture of anguish and anger at the lies were upsetting her.

– Why don’t you leave him? What’s the point of being with someone you say doesn’t love you? –

– I can’t do that! I want to have my family!

– That kind of family doesn’t survive, it falls apart… See the example of Reed and his wife, is that what you want to live? – Anger had won out over anguish.

– Deanna, please! I’m begging you! –

– I must leave Daniel because you all fooled me, I must leave the children because now I am no longer the solution, but the problem… I must pay for your mistakes –

– He’s been lying to you too, are his motives better than ours? Of course not, he is as selfish as all of us… The fracture between him and Harry is growing with the months; Leonard is pressuring him financially, around him people only remember Emily and compare you with her… You don’t even know the things I have been told about you… Daniel may love you very much, but eventually, when he starts losing things he will end up blaming you too… Camilla fights with him, fights with Harry… Charles and Susan may intercede, but even you won’t be able to stand it… –Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

– That’s true… I can’t stand it right now… –

– You’re angry and you have every right… Help me, Dean, I can’t do anything else –

Deanna suddenly stood up and looked at Laura, her eyes had also filled with tears. Her body was screaming at her to rush out, to run away. Her chest was heaving, her breathing was labored and the pain was physical.

She walked towards the exit, hurrying her pace, holding back the strength that demanded her to run.

– Deanna! Deanna! – Laura shouted in fright.

She stopped and turned, ready to burst.

Laura had stood up, her face horrified, one hand on the table and the other on her belly. And blood… blood between her legs running down her thighs. A liquid puddle at her feet.

Deanna ran to the counter and pounded her hands on the wood.

– Call for an ambulance! Call for an ambulance!

He climbed in with her, not even thinking about it. While the paramedics examined her and the ambulance sped to the hospital, she held her hand tightly, told her that they would be fine, that nothing was wrong.

-Today Emma will be born… Don’t be scared… I won’t leave you…”

Laura was very scared, one could see the desperation in her huge eyes.

The ride was short, or so it seemed. The emergency doctors took her away while the paramedics passed them the information about her state of health. And she stood in the middle of the room, holding her head in her hands, confused, angry, sad, anguished… All the emotions at once rising in her throat.

Someone approached her and asked for Laura’s information.

– Will you take medical decisions for the patient if necessary? –

– I…

– We need someone to take responsibility in case she needs emergency care… –

A few minutes later a doctor in a green robe approached where she was sitting.

-Mrs. Crusher needs an emergency C-section. Apparently there was a placental abruption and her blood pressure is too high. We’ve already informed her doctor and he should be here any minute. We need your authorization to take her to the OR… –

I had to call Harry, Daniel… Tell them.

– Will they be okay? –

– It’s usually a very simple and quick procedure, don’t worry. If you want you can wait in the east wing, they’ll take them there once the baby’s born… –

-Deanna… How are you? -It’s strange that you should call me…

– Your daughter is coming … –