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“Melody cared deeply about that baby. You and I both know it. Once she wakes up and finds out the child’s gone, she’s going to be devastated.
“But just look at Ginny. After everything she’s done, we haven’t even come after her yet, and she’s already turning around to slander Melody.
“If Melody hears what she’s saying, God knows how much more pain she’ll be in…”
Mrs. Wheeler’s voice trembled, eyes reddening as she spoke.
Chandler hadn’t planned on saying anything. But when someone older stood there looking like that–like they’d already been wounded and were trying not to break–he couldn’t just stay silent.
So he said, “Don’t worry. No matter what Ginny says, I believe in Melody.”
“Really?” Mrs. Wheeler narrowed her eyes slightly. She hadn’t forgotten how off Chandler had seemed ever since Ginny made those accusations–how withdrawn, how quiet. He hadn’t even asked about Melody after that, not even once.
When they’d first arrived at the hospital, he’d been pacing near the ER door, checking again and again to see if she was out. But
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now? Nothing.
Still, whether he truly believed what he just said or not didn’t matter–at least he was willing to say it. That was something.
The Wheeler brothers, though, weren’t impressed. To them, everything that had gone wrong with Melody came back to him.
If you like someone, like them. If you don’t, then don’t. Why drag it out like this and let things get this far?
They couldn’t figure out how someone this indecisive had managed to earn any military accolades at all.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Jake said, shooting a glance at his younger brother. “Feelings are feelings. Work is work.”
He might’ve been frustrated with Chandler, too, but he respected the man’s capabilities. As for personal life… well, none of them exactly had a clean slate to boast about either.
“You’ve always been a good kid.” Mrs. Wheeler softened her tone and offered Chandler a faint smile.
Just then, the doors to the ER opened. The Wheeler family rushed forward.
The attending doctor approached Mrs. Wheeler.
“The baby didn’t make it,” he said plainly. “Melody is extremely
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weak. She’ll need careful recovery, just like a full postpartum period.
“It was a traumatic miscarriage. If she doesn’t take care of herself, it could affect her long–term.”
Shortly after the nurse wheeled Melody into the hospital room,
she came to.
The moment her expression began to crumple, her mother leaned in. “The doctor said this is no different from your postpartum recovery,” she warned, trying to keep her voice steady. “You can’t cry. You hear me?
“Even if it hurts, you have to hold it in. Once you’re stronger, you can cry all you want—and I’ll cry with you.”
Then she glanced deliberately at Chandler before continuing. “As for what happened tonight, don’t worry about it. Your three brothers and I will take care of everything.”
Melody was awake. The worst had passed. Chandler stayed behind to watch over her while the rest of the Wheeler family drove home.
*****
Early the next morning, Ginny arrived at the hospital. She hadn’t slept much–her mind had been running all night, trying to figure out what her next move should be.
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Her head was pounding.
Just as she turned into the corridor, Mrs. Wheeler, holding breakfast, spotted her and quickened her pace to block her path.
“What are you doing here?”
“My daughter already lost her baby because of you,” she said, voice tight. “I’m begging you now–just let her go, okay?”
They were standing in a public hallway. People passed by continuously, and Mrs. Wheeler made sure to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.
As expected, curious eyes turned toward them, some with pity, others with judgment.
Ginny was already tired, and now, she was being used as a prop in this performance. Her face tightened.
“Excuse me,” she said, voice calm but cold. “Your daughter knows better than anyone whether I caused her miscarriage. This is a country governed by law. The loudest voice doesn’t automatically win.
“You said I accused her of faking her pregnancy and asked for proof. Fair. Now I’m asking the same. You say I caused her miscarriage. Where’s your evidence?
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“If you have any, go to the police. Let them investigate and give us both a fair outcome. But if you don’t, then this is slander.”
Mrs. Wheeler hadn’t expected such a sharp response. She’d only said a few words, and Ginny had already countered with a dozen.
“You just wait,” she snapped, flustered, and stormed into the hospital room with the breakfast still in hand.
Not long after, she emerged again with a document in hand. Without saying a word, she tossed it at Ginny.
“Take a look for yourself,” she said. “This is the miscarriage report the doctor issued for Melody. You said she wasn’t pregnant, right? So tell me–how does someone who wasn’t pregnant get a miscarriage report?”
Ginny glanced at the paper. She didn’t flinch. In fact, she smiled.
“I never even asked for this,” she said slowly. “And yet you’re already shoving it at me. There are usually only two reasons people rush to show this kind of document.
“One, they want to hand it over to someone they care about–to convince them of something. Two… they’re guilty.”
She looked up, eyes locking on Mrs. Wheeler’s face.
“So tell me, which one is it?”
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Her tone was almost playful. Almost. But her smile never touched her eyes.
Mrs. Wheeler’s heart skipped. She reached out, trying to snatch the report back.
But Ginny had already hidden it behind her.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Wheeler snapped.
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