Chapter 4 CHAPTER
CHAPTER 004
Eilidh walked aimlessly through the streets after she left Fraser Holdings while her mind remained preoccupied. Her feet guided her without her paying attention to her surroundings.
Confusion, pain, and disbelief created a tangled mess in her mind.
The ringing phone pulled her from her trance.
"Eilidh, where are you?" Kirsty's voice sounded through the speaker with an urgent and sharp tone.
Eilidh took a moment to survey the unknown environment. "I’m not sure," she admitted.
You need to hurry to The Balmoral Hotel immediately. Fast." Kirsty spoke in a deep, frustrated tone. Your partner stands in front of another woman while she shows him off to the world.
A melancholy expression appeared on Eilidh's face. True love between a man and woman remains unbreakable because a man who loves his woman cannot be stolen away.
"What are you talking about? He shows his love for Nessa MacDougall by holding her as if she were the most important person in his life. Ruairidh is cheating on you right now, according to Kirsty. Kirsty was seething.
Eilidh spoke softly as she accepted the truth that Ruairidh was not unfaithful. "We’re divorcing."
There was a beat of silence. Then, Kirsty exploded. "What? You are allowing this to happen to him? I thought you loved him! You should defend your marriage since divorce seems to be the plan instead of working on it.
"Three years. And I lost."
The silence was even more profound than before. Kirsty exhaled sharply. The noise in the room made Eilidh's throat constrict yet she held back her tears.
Since the beginning, Kirsty, I've been engaged in a battle I knew I would lose. It’s time I let go."
She dedicated her entire being to this marriage by offering her time, her heart, and her dreams. The effort I made never seemed to satisfy him.
Since the beginning I have functioned as a disconsolate wife. Kirsty asked, her voice softer.
"I don’t know."
"Let’s meet up?" Sympathy laced her words.
Eilidh shook her head. I need to visit the hospital right now.
Kirsty’s voice brightened. Ruairidh remains unaware of the pregnancy. The knowledge might make him end his current destructive path.
Eilidh’s chest clenched. He instructed me to terminate the pregnancy.
There was a heavy pause. Then, Kirsty spat out, "That b*stard! I promise to myself that both Nessa and Ruairidh will suffer in hell forever. He’s cruel, Eilidh. You’re better off without him. He doesn’t deserve your love."
Eilidh listened to Kirsty’s angry speech while making a face of discomfort.
She raised her hand to signal the taxi, which had just arrived. "Where are you going?" Kirsty asked, alarmed.
"He's heading to the hospital." Maybe he’s right."
"What do you mean? You are really planning to follow the orders of that evil man? We are discussing the existence of a human life here. Your child!"
Eilidh lifted her face toward the sky while she blinked. The burning sensation in her throat combined with chest pain. "I don’t know, Kirsty. Maybe I’m just tired. My life seems to have been squandered away after too many years of existence.
Then, she ended the call.
She instructed the driver to take her to "St. Andrew’s Hospital."
The operating table became her home thirty minutes later while hospital staff positioned her legs into stirrups through the open legs of the gown. The nurse performed vital checks while showing no emotion on her face. The second nurse entered to describe the anesthesia while listing potential risks through a monotonous voice that Eilidh barely heard.
Then, the doctor entered. The doctor was a kind woman with gentle eyes. The doctor initiated casual conversation with Eilidh to create a more comfortable atmosphere.
Eilidh answered the questions without thinking while her thoughts remained preoccupied elsewhere. She returned to the memory of discovering her pregnancy. The joy. The hope. She had held onto those dreams with all her strength.
The sudden pain in her chest became so intense that she instinctively covered her stomach with her hand.
What am I doing?
She jerked into a sitting position while her heart raced wildly. "I can’t do this. I can’t kill my child."
The door exploded open at that precise instant. A voice she recognized shouted loudly from the room. Eilidh McArthur, you should never have tried this reckless act!
Dr. Lachlan McAllister entered the room with visible anger emanating from his body.
Eilidh experienced a sudden wave of guilt that made her body tense.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I’m sorry."
His face softened. He approached her without speaking and assisted her from the table before handing her clothes to put on. He motioned toward the bathroom. "Get dressed. Now."
The shame in her stomach made her follow his instructions. She left the examination room to find that the other doctor had already departed. Lachlan positioned himself near the door with his arms crossed while his expression remained impossible to read. He left without speaking, expecting her to join him.
She did.
They chose a peaceful café located across from the hospital building. He took his seat at the booth while waiting for her arrival.
His eyes fixed on her face as soon as she sat down and refused to break their connection. "What the hell was that? What kind of dangerous and destructive mindset would lead you to such actions? His voice was low but firm. You made those desperate pleas to me but do you remember them? ‘Lachlan, help me conceive. I want to be a mother.’ Was that all just a lie?"
Eilidh couldn’t meet his gaze. The shame was unbearable.
He said to her, "I don't understand what's wrong with you," before delivering this message. Every child is a blessing."
Her throat tightened. His father refuses to accept the child.
Lachlan didn’t even blink. "And? So what? I have already said this to you and I will repeat it now. No amount of pleading will make a man develop romantic feelings for you. You cannot transform yourself to keep him from leaving. You must never ask him to love you because you absolutely cannot force his affection. Any man who makes you lose your integrity or break your essence is not worth clinging to.
Eilidh held the cup in front of her while her fingers shook uncontrollably as she tried to catch her breath.
Lachlan spoke softly to her when he said, "You are more than enough." You should never partner with a man who fails to recognize your worth.
A sob bubbled in her throat. She hid her face with her hands while the flood of emotions escaped her. She allowed the three years of suffering to flow out of her.
She sacrificed her entire life, including her home and family and friends, because of a man who never selected her as his choice.
But Lachlan was right.
She was worth more.