Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Danny tried to keep his voice even, giving nothing away as he calmly said, "Dad's gotta catch up with Grandma for a bit. You head on home." "But what about your injury..."

"It's nothing." After all, the person he cared about the most didn't seem to care about him anymore.

When Ludwik arrived at the hospital, Natalie was still awake, stuffing a cotton pad up her nose to stop the bleeding.

Seeing her son, she complained with a hint of annoyance, "These doctors are making such a fuss. It's just a nosebleed, and they've dragged you here?"

Ludwik remained silent, simply sitting by her bedside and holding her hand tightly, asking carefully, "How are you feeling? Any discomfort? Headaches?"

"Just a bit dizzy, and I felt nauseous after lunch. Weird, huh?" the elderly woman chuckled. "Aren't I supposed to be recovering? How come I'm getting nosebleeds? But don't you worry, a few months of rest and I should be out of here."

Ludwik remained silent, his heart filled with a mix of unease and sorrow.

He pressed his lips tightly together, giving away nothing as he nodded, "Yes, Mom will definitely get better."

"That's right. I've still got to give you those grandkids. Missed the chance with the first two, but I'll make sure to catch up with the next ones," Natalie tried to lighten his mood.

Little did she know, she had hit a sore spot for him that evening.

Ludwik took a deep, shaky breath, unable to speak before Natalie's nose started bleeding again, the cotton instantly soaked red.

His eyes, already reddened, filled with panic. "Dr. Ford!"

After a chaotic rush to stabilize her, Natalie drifted into a drowsy sleep.

Ludwik stood tall but isolated outside the hospital room, gazing through the window at his mother.

Dr. Ford, trying to sound cautious yet unable to hide his urgency, said, "Once the nosebleeds start, it indicates the condition is worsening. Natalie's bone marrow is failing to produce blood. If this continues, she'll soon face other complications. Mr. Lippert, how did your conversation go with the donor? I've taken another blood sample from Natalie tonight. Her red blood cells and platelets are dropping fast. She needs to start receiving blood transfusions to keep her alive! We should aim to do it this month... Once we stabilize her condition with continuous transfusions without causing severe complications, we can plan for the bone marrow transplant in six months. That could save her life."

Ludwik took a deep breath, pressing his hand against his forehead. He hadn't expected it to come so quickly.novelbin

Seeing his mother's nosebleed and the need for emergency care had shaken him deeply. Dr. Ford's words snapped the last thread of hope he was clinging to.

He numbly opened his mouth, "I understand."

Dr. Ford wasn't sure what Ludwik meant by "I understand."

He sighed, "Natalie's not getting any younger, and we've only found one suitable RH-negative donor worldwide. You really can't afford to lose this chance."

Ludwik, pressing at his temple, waved him off, signaling he couldn't listen anymore.

Half an hour later, Parker and Nolan found Ludwik at a bar booth, surrounded by three empty vodka bottles, his handsome face bruised. Nolan frowned, hesitating to snatch the glass from Ludwik's slender fingers, "Ludwik, your wound is still bleeding. Hard liquor could infect it." "Why do women have to be so heartless, cutting ties so easily, withdrawing whenever they please?" Ludwik muttered bitterly.

Nolan and Parker exchanged a helpless look, knowing Ludwik was drunk beyond sense.

Usually so strict and reserved, it was unlike him to speak of love and heartbreak, so despondently lost.

Nolan had heard a bit of the story and couldn't help but comment, "Well, Whitney's anger over Elaine and Sammy is understandable. But, Ludwik, you haven't even started trying to win her back yet. How can you let her harsh words knock you down? Winning back an ex-wife is all about shamelessness and persistence..."

Ludwik managed a grim smile, his eyes cold, "I wanted to, but there's no chance now. She's told me to give up hope. To let it die. She was so determined to end things, you'd understand if you saw her cold eyes."

A bitter smile mixed with pain silenced Nolan. Had Whitney been hurt too deeply?

Parker frowned, "She's probably more upset about those photos and the misunderstanding they caused. Ludwik, you're not actually a jerk. Why would you even be near other women under normal circumstances? What's really going on?"

Ludwik paused, not wanting to reveal anything about his mother's illness, not wanting Whitney to catch even a hint of it.

"It's just a misunderstanding."

Parker looked at him sharply, sensing Ludwik was hiding something. He knew Ludwik's only true love was Whitney; under normal circumstances, he wouldn't come close to other women. Elaine had deceived him three years ago, pretending to be a light in his darkest times.

"Who's the woman then? If it's a misunderstanding, stay away from her," Parker advised.

Ludwik let out a deep, sorrowful laugh, "Afraid that's not an option..."

And then he collapsed onto the table.

No matter how Nolan and Parker tried, they couldn't get him to move. He kept muttering 'Whitney' in a mix of stubbornness and resentment, eventually turning into desperate whispers, like a man heartbroken,

unwilling to let go or ret

precious, burdened with too much to bear, on the verge of madness.

Parker and Nolan couldn't help but feel a mix of sympathy and confusion. What had gotten into Ludwik?

It felt almost like a farewell.

By the end of the night, Ludwik was vomiting from alcohol poisoning and ended up in the hospital.

Such a strong man had crumbled, leading Nolan to secretly call Whitney and put the phone by Ludwik's half-conscious ear.

After a long wait, a hoarse voice answered, "Nolan, what is it?"

"It's me, Whitney. I'm drunk..." Ludwik slurred, looking at the IV drip, weakly trying to convey his longing.

But before he could express his feelings, she hung up without hesitation.

In the final second, he could still

hear Bryce's voice, tinged with a

smirk, Don't freak out, man

didn't lose any teeth. Take another look if you're so worried..."

At that moment, Ludwik felt as though his blood had turned to ice.

The pain that had once consumed his body was now gone, replaced by the cold drip of an IV, each drop flowing into his veins and chilling his heart.

It was a cold that made him shiver, drowning all his affection in mockery.

A bitter smile slowly formed on his lips as he lay in the hospital bed. She could ignore him, while at home, fussing over Bryce's so-called 'injuries'!

It wasn't just anger or harsh words; it was a clear-cut decision, a move to start something new.

So, her refusal to reconcile was real, forcing him to give up hope. That was real too.

Fine.

With a mix of anger and resignation, Ludwik hurled his phone against the wall.

Nolan watched the phone break apart in silence, wondering if he had inadvertently made things worse.

"Just leave me alone, let me rest," the man rasped.

Nolan and Parker could only leave, not daring to upset him further.

The door to the emergency room's ward closed slowly.

Ludwik glanced at the moon, now deep into its westward journey. It was early summer, yet his eyes felt as cold as the dead of winter, a sneer spreading beneath the frost.

It didn't matter anymore.

UMS

He reached for his phone, dialing a number he had memorized today in the hospital office.

In a hoarse voice, he said, "Miss, I've agreed to your terms... We'll discuss the details tomorrow."

As the call ended, he closed his eyes, a sad smile on his face. Her rejection had put an end to everything.

What did it matter if he was with another woman? None of them were her.

Losing another Whitney was something he couldn't bear, not after everything else he'd lost.

Late at night, Florence picked up her phone, pausing for a moment. She hadn't gone to bed yet, and a deep smile played on her lips.

"Myra, he agreed," she said.