Chapter 75: Chapter 75

The next morning after a sleepless night I heard a knock on my door. I sat upright in bed thinking it was Siobhan. I was ready to confess now but first I needed to call Carol.

But when the door swung open it was not Siobhan that was standing there, it was Edna. Her eyes were puffed and red and she looked extremely vulnerable.

“Can I come in?”

“It’s your house ma’am, you can,” I responded humbly climbing out of the bed. She walked over and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. I joined her not knowing what to say or do.

“Do you think I am a monster?” she asked. Her hazel eyes stared into my soul. I know what color Bianca’s eyes are, they are hazel but they definitely didn’t look like this woman’s. Yet…the possibility was there. “You are Andre, right? My daughter’s classmate. Tell me, Andre, and be honest with me, do you think I am a monster?”

“You did exchange a child for one of the craziest reasons I have ever heard, anyone would think what you did was insane. But you cared for Siobhan like your own, you loved her and cherished her even when she wasn’t. I don’t think a monster would do that.”

“But a good person wouldn’t switch her child up just because she wasn’t a beautiful baby either.” She sighed. “I am tired of crying. I don’t think these eyes of mine can bring any more tears and I just might go blind. But I don’t care about that. I only care that Siobhan now hates me. Do you think Bianca will hate me too?”

Knowing the girl I love, I shook my head. “Her parents did a good job of raising her. She’s a good girl.”

“Cole and Michelle have always been that way, kind-hearted to a fault. They readily accepted to help me even after what I did to them.”

“That sounds to me like Bianca really is their daughter if she is a lot like them. Is there a chance maybe that you still took your own daughter after you thought you switched them?”

She shook her head. “I know what I did. I went into that room that night and switched them and hours later a nurse handed Siobhan to me and Michelle took Bianca."

“And they had the same blankets and everything?” I asked.

She nodded with a smile. “It’s ironic. It seems like they were always supposed to be friends. Michelle and I got them matching things, we were so happy to be mothers for the first time in our lives. I think the pregnancy made us closer. We bought all shades of pink for the babies. Bianca later grew up to love purple but Siobhan fell in love with pink from birth.” She sighed. “I have betrayed their trust for the second time.”

I didn’t know what to say so I let her keep talking.

“They are still downstairs, you know. I think they’ll be here until they hear some news about Bianca. I just want her to come home safely. I will pay any amount it takes to get her back home.”

Should I tell her? I debated within myself.

“Have you spoken to Siobhan yet?”

Putting my debate aside for now I responded, “I tried to last night but she’s heartbroken by everything that happened. I don’t think she wants to talk to anyone right now.”

“I need to talk to her,” she rode from the bed and I did the same. “I need to apologize. She has to forgive me for what I did otherwise I won’t live with myself. I might as well die for causing all these pains.”

She was already going out of the room before I could stop her. We walked down the hallway together and on the way, I looked over the balcony and there was Cole with his arms around his wife trying to get some sleep. I doubt anyone could sleep after everything that happened last night. Even Anton.

Siobhan’s door was unlocked when we got there so when Edna pushed the door open it swung easily to reveal the large room. And for the first time, I noticed the shades of the room; purple and pink. My chest tightened. Depending on how you look at it, Fate could either be cruel or just tricky given how the Hayes and Davies have been locked together in a story of deceit for years.

But there was no sign of anyone on the pink bed or the purple one. And when we entered the room there was no sign of Siobhan.

“Siobhan!” Edna called out and silence greeted us. She turned fear-filled eyes to me.

I didn’t want to imagine the worst yet so I went around to the other side of the bed but she wasn’t there. I was about to look outside the window when Edna let out a sharp scream.

“O-oh my God! Oh my God!”

I turned around and she was holding the bathroom door open looking at something inside. My guts clenched tight as I ran to see what had made her scream. Blood ran through my ears and fear gripped my body as I took in the sight of Siobhan on the floor with a slashed wrist, her blood spilling out.

“Siobhan!”

The sound of thundering feet ushered Cole Davies in and he stopped short as soon as he saw the sight before our eyes.

“Siobhan!” He screamed and went to her limp body. “She’s still breathing! She’s still breathing!”

“Let’s get her to the hospital quickly.”

I was surprised to see Anton coming into the room looking like something a rat dragged out of a hole. He took one look at Siobhan’s body and immediately jumped into hysterics.

“I’ll get the car.”

Siobhan’s blood stained the floor as Cole carried her in his arms, running down the stairs as fast as he could. When Anton brought the car around I opened the door and helped Cole put Siobhan in the car. He held her head in his lap caressing her hair softly and murmuring 'Please stay alive,' while I held her legs wondering how much worse the day could get. Anton tore through the streets like a wild animal and when we arrive at the hospital I think the nurses who took Siobhan from us were more terrified of his appearance and screams than they were of the emergency.

He ordered them to keep Siobhan alive if it was the last thing they did.

We couldn’t go with her into the operating room so we sat down and waited with abated breaths.

Poor Edna. She looked like a ghost. Her face was ashen, her hair rough and standing on ends and her body shook with fear.

“What have I done?” she kept asking over and over.

I couldn’t take the weight of my guilt anymore. I had to do something. With Siobhan attempting suicide and Bianca abducted, it won’t take long before Michelle, Anton and even the mighty Cole breaks down.

But which of them do I come clean to?

I decided it had to be Anton. He scared me but he was the one with the most power – he was running for Mayor after all and if he decided I was to be thrown in prison there was nothing I can do but yield to his power. At the same time, he had the power to save me.

At the moment he was telling a young doctor to make sure the media didn’t get a sniff of anything that happened to Siobhan and threatened to close down the hospital and make them all pay if even the slightest sliver of news got out.

He looked strained. When he was done terrorizing the doctor who promised to do everything within his power to keep the news within the hospital grounds, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

“Any update on Bianca?” he listened to the person on the other side then frowned. “Mainland?”

My heart threatened to jump out of my chest. How did they get that information so fast? How much longer before they connect the dots and catch me in this web of deception?

“Have you found them?” he paused again. “I do not have the time to wait. Find her and bring her home. If they want money I’ll give them money. Any amount they want.”

When he cut the call he said, “They think they saw a girl looking like Bianca in the company of a notorious gang girl. They don’t know where they are right now but they are searching.”

“Oh Lord,” Edna moaned. “What can we do?”

“We wait or we go to Mainland and get her ourselves and I promise you, whoever is behind this must pay with his or her life.”

Fear laced my veins but I swallowed hard and took the courage to take a step toward him. I froze when he turned to look at me but just for a second.

“Sir, I need to tell you something.”