Chapter 40
Robert
I used to think Michael loved my daughter.
I really did. But watching Dr. Collins with her…
that’s something else entirely. That’s what I call true love.
From the moment I saw him in the hospital, the way he cared for her, I could already see it—the way his eyes softened when she spoke, the careful way he checked on her, the quiet attention he gave her every need.
It wasn’t forced or calculated; it was natural.
And I knew, even then, it was only a matter of time before he asked her to be his.
Michael, on the other hand was my biggest disappointment.
I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
He had terms, conditions, and a plan for Anna that put him first, not her.
And yet he didn’t give up, even though he was with Veronica.
What exactly was he planning if Anna started walking again?
Did he think he could still control her, dictate her life while she healed?
I shook my head. It was painful to watch. He hadn’t been here in weeks, and somehow, that absence said more than his presence ever did.
Anna and I had just ended our video call.
It had been three weeks since she moved in with Collins, and I had never seen her like this before.
He brought her around often, and every time he did, she seemed lighter.
She laughed in a way I didn’t remember ever hearing, free and unguarded.
Her eyes sparkled again, like the light in her had finally found its way back.
Listening to her talk, hearing the ease in her voice, I realized something.
She wasn’t surviving anymore—she was living.
For the first time in a long while, she was with someone who truly saw her.
Not as a patient. Not as a problem to fix.
But as the strong, beautiful, extraordinary woman she had always been.
Collins didn’t just love her. He treasures her.
I could finally breathe a little easier, knowing she was with someone who would never let her feel broken or invisible again.
My eyes went to Nancy, who was moving quietly around the kitchen, preparing our meals with the same care she always showed.
I caught myself hoping that one day someone would see her the way she deserved to be seen.
That her own prince charming would come along and choose her, fully and without hesitation.
A soft knock broke my thoughts.
I went to the door and opened it to find Michael standing there, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, as if a bunch of petals could somehow prove he was the better man.
“Robert,” he said, stepping inside without waiting to be invited. “How is she?” His eyes were already moving down the hallway, toward her bedroom.
“She’s not here,” I said.
He froze. “What do you mean she’s not here?”
“She moved in with her partner.”
His head snapped back to me. “Partner? Who is he?”
“Dr. Collins.”
His face darkened instantly. “Her doctor? How dare he? That’s against medical code. Completely unethical.”
“He’s not her doctor anymore.”
“But something must’ve happened while he still was,” he snapped. “I can’t allow that. Where does he live?”
“I’m not telling you that.” My chest tightened. I suddenly felt too old for this kind of tension, too tired for men who treated love like ownership.
His jaw tightened. “I’ll find out. And when I do, I’ll make him pay for taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable.”
I felt a chill crawl up my spine. Not for myself, but for Anna and for Collins. For the fragile peace she had finally found.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, already hating the answer.
He gave me a hard smile. “What do you think, Robert? I bet he doesn’t even know her ex-husband is a lawyer. He’s not getting away with this.”
He turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him… leaving his flowers on the table like a hollow apology no one wanted anymore.
I stood there long after the door closed, my hands shaking slightly at my sides. Something terrible had just been set in motion. And since Anna had begun to heal, I was afraid of what was coming next.