35. I messed it up all
Sophia's POV:
We stepped out of Lily's room just as the doctor had asked us to.
My heart was pounding so hard that it felt painful. Somewhere deep inside, I already knew... something was seriously wrong. Lily didn't remember that she had been kidnapped.
I was still lost in my thoughts when the doctor finally began speaking.
"Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Whitmore... as per my diagnosis and Lily's symptoms, I believe she is going through Dissociative Amnesia."
Before he could continue, I cut him off.
"D-Dissociative Amnesia... i-is... is this something serious? I mean... my Lily... she'll be fine, right?"
The doctor looked at me reassuringly before answering in a calm voice.
"Mrs. Whitmore, there is no need to panic. In simple terms, she experienced severe trauma, so her brain has blocked out that particular traumatic memory as a coping mechanism. However, to confirm the diagnosis, we'll conduct a few tests and arrange some therapy sessions for her."
I immediately asked,
"S-So... that means she only forgot the kidnapping incident? She remembers everything else?"
The doctor nodded.
"Most probably, yes but I am not sure yet. She's only five years old and as you told me, the person who kidnapped her was someone she knew... someone she trusted. That betrayal must have been an enormous shock for her. The sleeping drug she was given may also have affected her brain temporarily.
But don't worry, she should recover well. Still, we'll conduct a few more tests before reaching a final conclusion."
With that, he gave us a reassuring nod and walked away.
Only then did I realize Adrian had been standing beside me the entire time.
Until now, I hadn't even noticed him.
He was simply staring at the floor.
I grabbed his arm.
"Did... did you hear what the doctor said?"
My voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Lily got trauma... sh-she was so terrified that..." My words broke apart. "What... what would they have done to her?"
He still didn't lift his head.
But every emotion inside me finally exploded.
My voice turned heavy as tears burned behind my eyes.
"Adrian... I used to plead to you. I begged you. I did everything I could to keep my Lily away from Vanessa. But no... you loved seeing me miserable."
I laughed bitterly through my tears.
"I know you enjoyed it whenever Lily talked about Vanessa in front of me."
My breathing had become uneven.
"You know what, Adrian? Earlier, I used to think you adored Lily... that she was your daughter... your little girl."
He was still looking at the floor.
"But now I feel... you were only using her to hurt me."
My voice cracked.
"You never loved her, Adrian."
The moment those words left my mouth, his head snapped up.
His eyes were bloodshot, glistening with tears.
Perhaps... for the very first time... I was seeing tears in Adrian Whitmore's eyes.
But I didn't soften.
My own eyes were burning just as much, yet I refused to let the tears fall , because not infront him I won't let them fall infront of him.
Before he could say anything, I continued.
"You heard what the doctor said, didn't you?"
"He said Lily trusted the person who kidnapped her. She couldn't bear the fact that someone she loved... someone she trusted... would harm her."
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Adrian, I begged you every single day to keep her away from Vanessa, but you never listened."
"And when I tried to bring Lily back to me..."
My voice became sharp.
"...you turned my own daughter against me."
"You turned a daughter against her own mother."
"You made her believe that the woman she had known for just a few months was just like her Mommy."
Adrian finally spoke.
His voice was just as heavy.
"Sophia... I accept that I judged you wrongly."
"I judged Vanessa wrongly too."
"I despised you for no reason."
He swallowed painfully before continuing.
"But saying that I used Lily just to increase your misery... and that I never loved my daughter..."
He shook his head.
"That's not true."
"I loved her from the very moment she was born."
A dry, humourless laugh escaped my lips.
I pointed a finger straight at him.
"You loved her from the moment she was born?"
I mocked.
"Who are you trying to fool, Adrian?"
"The moment she was born... you ordered a paternity test."
"So don't you dare lie to me."
I took a shaky breath before speaking again.
"And even if you did love her..."
"...every decision you made for her was wrong."
"Her diet."
"Her health."
"The people she meet."
"Her routine."
"Everything."
"You failed her in every possible way."
My voice became firm.
"So now..."
"I am taking my daughter back."
"Keep that in mind."
Without giving him another chance to speak, I turned around and walked back into Lily's room, leaving Adrian standing there... frozen in complete silence.
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Adrian's POV:
I stood there, completely shaken by what the doctor had just told us.
Although he had explained everything in the simplest way possible, I knew he had intentionally left out the harsher details so we wouldn't panic. Besides, no tests had been conducted yet-it was only his preliminary diagnosis.
But when I looked at the bigger picture...
Sophia was right.
Every single word she had said was right.
I... I was responsible for Lily's condition.
She is only five years old.
The trauma she had gone through had been so severe that her own brain had blocked that memory just to protect her.
It wasn't just about forgetting the kidnapping anymore.
It meant my little girl had developed a neurological... or perhaps psychological condition at the age of five.
People carry trauma for years.
Sometimes it turns into lifelong phobias.
Sometimes into nightmares that never truly leave.
And that meant...
Lily might have to live with those nightmares too.
To be honest, I didn't even know what she had gone through during those hours she was kidnapped.
I didn't know what she had seen...
What she had felt...
Or what scars it had left on her tiny heart.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Suddenly, I found myself sweating even though the entire hospital was fully air-conditioned.
I couldn't breathe properly.
My chest felt unbearably heavy.
Without thinking any further, I hurried out of the hospital, got into my car, and started driving.
I had no destination in mind.
I just... drove.
After a while, almost unconsciously, I found myself heading toward my office.
Sophia was with Lily now.
And perhaps...
Perhaps it was better if I stayed away from them for some time.
Sophia was right.
Maybe somewhere along the way...
I had forgotten that Lily was just a little girl.
A five-year-old child who didn't know the difference between right and wrong.
It had been my responsibility to teach her.
To protect her.
To keep her safe.
Instead...
I had failed her.
I had turned out to be a terrible father.
By the time I realized it, I had already reached the office building.
I parked the car and walked straight into my cabin.
A few minutes later, my manager came rushing inside.
Of course, I had arrived without informing anyone. I was officially on leave, so he hadn't expected me at all.
"Good morning, sir."
I gave him a slight nod.
"I'm just here to check a few files," I said quietly. "I'm still on leave."
He nodded respectfully and left the cabin.
The moment the door clicked shut, silence filled the room.
Exactly what I had come here for.
Some silence.
Some peace.
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
But no matter how hard I tried...
The only thing I could see was Lily's innocent face.
And the only thought echoing inside my mind was-
I messed it all up.
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Sophia's POV:
Lily had fallen asleep again.
I asked the doctor about it, and he reassured me that it was simply the effect of the medicines she was being given.
Adrian never came back into the room.
And honestly...
It was for the better.
Even I didn't want to face him.
I had called June and asked her to bring me a fresh pair of clothes since I planned to freshen up in the hospital bathroom itself.
Right now, it was just me and Lily in the room.
Lily slept peacefully while the constant beeping of the hospital monitors echoed through the silence.
Sitting there with nothing to do, my thoughts kept drifting back to what the doctor had said.
Dissociative Amnesia.
Unable to stop myself, I searched it on the internet.
One video after another...
And with every video I watched, my anxiety only grew stronger.
It wasn't just about forgetting the kidnapping.
There were aftereffects too.
Nightmares.
Flashbacks.
Hallucinations.
Sudden panic attacks.
She could become frightened without even knowing why.
My chest tightened.
I slowly turned to look at my daughter sleeping so peacefully on the hospital bed.
What was her fault?
Why was she the one suffering?
Before I could stop myself, tears gathered in my eyes again.
Just then, I heard the door open.
It was Evan. Adrian's friend.
He was carrying a bouquet of mini sunflowers in one hand and a packet of fruits in the other.
He looked at me.
Then at Lily.
Then around the room.
Finally, his eyes settled on me again.
A small, hesitant smile appeared on his face.
"Hey, Sophia... good morning."
I returned a faint smile.
"Good morning."
He walked to the other side of Lily's bed and gently placed the bouquet and the fruits on the bedside table.
Looking at Lily, he asked softly,
"She's still asleep?"
"Yes." I replied.
His eyes wandered around the room once more before he finally asked,
"Where's Adrian?"
He looked nervous.
Very nervous.
It was written all over his face.