Chapter 6
Seeing more and more people throwing things at her, Winona, feeling overwhelmed and trapped, told the chauffeur to quickly put Kingston and Jackie in the car and take them to the hospital.
No sooner had the two entered the emergency room than Queenie stormed over and slapped Winona hard across the face. Her face was awash with tears as she bellowed, “You said you didn’t hate me, but you plotted to kill my parents behind my back! How could you be so cruel, Winona?”
Just as Winona was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette from the corner of her eye.
Joseph rushed forward, his arms instantly steadying Queenie, who was trembling in distress. “You should calm down, Queenie. It’s bad for the baby’s health if you get so worked up.”
He held Queenie up, then glanced at Winona. His brows furrowed, and his eyes betrayed obvious disappointment.
In that instant, Winona felt a chill run through her whole body. She wondered if Joseph really didn’t notice how badly battered she was at that moment. It turned out that he actually doubted her involvement in the situation as well.
He muttered, “I’m so-”
Yet, before he could even utter the sentence “disappointed in you“, Winona suddenly burst out laughing. Her body shook with the force of her laughter, her tears spilling into the cut at the corner of her mouth. She found it ridiculous how he wouldn’t even grant her the courtesy of an explanation before condemning her.
Then, her voice echoed through the corridor of the hospital as she bellowed, “I’m the vicious one! I’m the promiscuous one! I’m the cruel one! I’m beyond redemption, so I should just drop dead instead! Is that what you want to hear?”
Joseph was visibly taken aback, a hint of alarm flickering in his gaze. “Winnie, I—”
It was then that Queenie suddenly went limp and fell into Joseph’s embrace, saying, “I feel dizzy, Joseph…”
Joseph instinctively supported her. He then glanced up and noticed Winona’s resolute figure departing. She walked with considerable speed, causing the hem of her white dress to flare behind her like a butterfly struggling with a broken wing.
Joseph’s heart suddenly lurched with alarm. He was just about to go after Winona when Queenie, who was still in his embrace, let out another pained groan as she feebly gripped his collar. “P–Please don’t go, Joseph. O–Our baby…”
Even though she heard the commotion coming from behind her, Winona never once glanced back. The instant the elevator doors slid shut, she finally permitted herself to collapse onto the floor and bury her face in her hands. She realized then that true despair could silence everything—even tears.
When Winona returned home, she buried herself deep within her blankets. That evening, she drifted into a lengthy dream, populated entirely by recollections of Joseph’s past devotion. There was a scene under a magnolia tree back in their university, where Joseph held her hands and proclaimed, ” You are the only one for me in this lifetime.”
There was another scene where his eyes were glistening with unshed tears as he tremblingly placed the ring on her finger at their wedding. Then, there was a scene of his boundless delight upon hearing of her pregnancy, when he embraced her and twirled her thrice in the living room.
Yet, the dream suddenly soured, morphing into endless visions of him doting on Queenie. He intercepted drinks meant for her, acquired medicine on her behalf, and stated unequivocally to everyone there that the child in Queenie’s belly belonged to him.
It was then that a resounding crash jolted Winona from her sleep. Her eyes flew open, only to see that the world outside her window had already fallen into night.
Bustling footsteps could be heard from downstairs, followed by Queenie’s deliberately sweet, yet undeniably commanding, voice. “I’d like you to move that couch into the sunroom. I want to soak up some rays.
“I’m not keen on this potted plant, so please remove it this instant.
“I want these curtains replaced in my favorite shade of blue.”
Winona, feeling utterly drained, stepped out of her bedroom door, only to see Joseph coming up the stairs, carrying Queenie’s pillow.
Their gazes met, and he noticeably stiffened. He then awkwardly explained, “Your actions have caused Queenie’s parents to be hospitalized. They’re uneasy about Queenie staying by herself, so I’ve had her move in until the baby’s delivery.”
Winona wordlessly listened, her face utterly devoid of expression. She didn’t even look at Joseph, her gaze passing through him as if he were an irrelevant stranger. It was then that she realized what it felt like when pain reached its zenith. It left her numb, hollow, and too exhausted to summon even a hint of anger.
She was just about to walk away when Joseph called her name. His voice contained a familiar note of uncertainty. It mirrored the way he sounded after every quarrel, when he wanted to express his apology, but didn’t because of his pride.
It was then that Queenie’s saccharine voice rang out, exclaiming, “I can feel the baby kicking me, Joseph! You should come over to feel it now!”
Joseph’s foot, already poised to move, froze midair.
Upon hearing his faint sigh, followed by the receding sound of his footsteps, Winona knew precisely what was going through his mind. She figured that he was probably telling himself that things would all be better once the baby was born, so all he needed to do was to humor Queenie for the time being.
It was the same as always–him telling her to hold on a little longer, that it would soon be over, and everything would be fine once it ended. Yet, this time, Winona had no desire to continue waiting
