Ben turned to Gideon. "So, what’s your plan? Are you going to take her back, forgetting about what she did in the past?"
Although he had been abroad at the time, he had heard every detail of what had happened at that party. He would have never believed Summer could deceive Gideon if he had not personally seen the paternity test result back then. The truth that Hope wasn’t Gideon’s daughter had been a brutal blow.
That had broken Gideon apart, and he had decided to end things with Summer. When word came that Summer had died in the fire, Gideon had fallen apart, falling sick. Insomnia, depression, hallucinations – Ben had watched him deteriorate by day.
Everyone had assumed Summer died that night, yet she had been alive all along, choosing to disappear and hide from Gideon. If she hadn’t been unfaithful, why would she run away?
Any small doubt Ben had in his mind that perhaps there had been a misunderstanding, that Summer had not really cheated on Gideon, and that something had gone wrong in the paternity test shattered the moment he learned Summer was alive. To Ben, her actions were unforgivably cruel.
Gideon had spent years tormented by her loss, while she lived in hiding.
Ben didn’t want his friend to rely on a woman like her. Despite his frustration, he still needed to know Gideon’s intentions. What did Gideon plan to do now?
Ben watched him, waiting for a response. But Gideon remained silent as if he didn’t want to answer him.
After a long pause, Gideon started slowly, "She doesn’t want me in her life. She told me to let go of the past. How am I supposed to do that?" He turned his head toward his friend. "My life revolves around her. I don’t even know who I am without her. All these years... the only reason I kept going was the hope of finding her."
He looked worn out, but his desperation shone bright. "Now that I know she is alive, how could I let go of her? I want her back. I need her."
Ben said nothing at first. He simply watched him. In the feverish intensity in Gideon’s eyes, he recognized this wasn’t love or longing anymore. It was an obsession, which turned into possessiveness. It no longer mattered to him why he had broken up with Summer back then. His desire to reclaim Summer drowned out every question. He was willing to forget her infidelity and accept her. This story is hosted at NovelPing.
It came from the guilt Gideon had carried for six years. He blamed himself for everything Summer had endured, and that guilt was blinding him now, making him overlook everything she had done to him in the past.
"Why do you want to get her back?" he asked cautiously. "Do you still love her? Or are you doing this because you still feel guilty? Because somewhere inside, you believe she suffered because of you?"
Gideon’s fingers curled tightly around the edge of the sofa, a storm rising inside him.
His own voice of pushing Summer away from him seemed to echo in his ear: ’You disgust me. Sign the divorce papers and leave.’
He closed his eyes, anguish tightening his chest. If only he hadn’t said those things... maybe Summer wouldn’t have faked her death and vanished from his life. If he hadn’t locked her up in the first place, she might never have run. Yes, he still blamed himself for what had happened, and that made him want to get her back.
At the same time, he feared what he had seen in his nightmares would come true. Even if Summer continued hating him, he wanted her close, to tie her with him so she could never think of leaving him again.
"She is my cure," he said, not accepting the fact that guilt still gnawed at him. "You have been treating me for six long years, changing therapies and medications. But nothing worked. Those nightmares kept haunting me, robbing sleep away from me. But she just stayed one night, and I slept peacefully. No pills. She is my healer."
Ben wouldn’t believe it. "That’s too early to jump to the conclusion," he said. "Maybe it was the alcohol."
However, as his doctor, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility entirely. "If you believe her presence helps, you should talk to her about your condition."
"No," Gideon cut in sharply. "Don’t mention my condition to her. She has enough on her plate already. I won’t burden her with my issues."
"Already suffering?" Ben was surprised. "What happened to her?"
"What?" Ben blurted, unable to mask his disbelief. "Blood cancer?"
Ben had always assumed it was only Gideon who had been drowning in deepest trauma for the six years – severe depression, insomnia, and a never-ending cycle of guilt. He had even wondered if Summer had also been dealing with some kind of psychological wounds of her own. But this was far worse than anything he had anticipated.
"She is just seven. At such a small age, she is suffering from such a disease," Gideon said, the sadness seeping into his tone. "I want to help her?"
"And how are you planning to help her?" Ben asked. "You know Summer won’t take your help. If she wanted it, she would’ve come to you long ago. She didn’t contact you in six years, even when she needed support the most. It’s obvious she wants nothing to do with you now."
"I know," Gideon hissed, frustrated. "But I can’t sit quietly and see everything slipping out of my hand. I finally found her. I can’t lose her again. If it means accepting Hope, I’m willing."
Ben said nothing. He couldn’t, as he realized Gideon had already made up his mind. Whether it came from obsession, guilt, or love no longer mattered. If doing this could improve Gideon’s condition, so be it.
"I want to find Hope’s biological father," Gideon started again after a pause. "If he can donate the bone marrow, she will be saved."
Ben narrowed his eyes, suspicion curling in his stomach. "You can look for a suitable donor. Why do you want to find her father? Are you doing this for Hope? Or do you want to uncover the man Summer cheated with?"
The memory of Summer with another man burned his chest. Gideon clenched his fist. "Yes, I do want to know what that man is," he hissed. The softness in his eyes was gone, his posture stiffening in rage. "I want to see the man I lost to."
Ben nodded as if he had realized something. It was the main reason. Helping Hope wasn’t the only motive. The lingering wound from the past was steering him. But before he could speak, Gideon continued, making Ben pause.
"And... check if I’m a match for Hope. I want a new paternity test done. You must personally oversee everything. Keep it confidential. I don’t want anyone tampering with it."