Chapter 5 - Shadows on the Glass|
Max stood outside the glass window of room 412.
Inside, resting on a narrow hospital bed, was Charlotte. The vibrant, laughing woman he had known ten years ago was almost unrecognizable. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and thin tubes ran into her arms. Yet, her sharp profile remained—the woman who had once loved him before his ambition consumed him.
He pushed the heavy door open softly. The faint, rhythmic beep of the heart monitor filled the quiet room.
Charlotte turned her head slowly on the pillow. When her eyes adjusted and met his, a soft, bittersweet smile touched her dry lips.
"You came," she whispered, her voice raspy and frail.
Max walked to the edge of the bed, feeling heavier with every step. He dropped into the bedside chair, unable to look her in the eye.
"Lily found me at the airport," Max said softly. "She gave me your letter."
"She’s brave, isn't she?" Charlotte murmured, a glint of maternal pride in her eyes. "She gets that stubbornness from you."
"Charlotte..." Max swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. "Why didn't you fight harder to tell me? Why keep her hidden for eight years?"
Charlotte reached out a thin, pale hand and touched his expensive suit sleeve.
"Because when you walked out that door ten years ago, Max, you weren't a husband anymore. You were an engine," she said gently. "I didn't want my daughter raised inside a machine. I wanted her to have a life filled with love, not portfolio valuations."
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Max bowed his head, tears stinging his eyes for the first time in twenty years. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "God, Charlotte, I am so sorry."
"Don't apologize to me," Charlotte whispered, her fingers squeezing his hand with surprising strength. "Be a father to her, Max. My time is ending. Promise me you won't leave her alone."
