Chapter 11
Maximo Myers knelt beside the lifeless body, feeling as though time had lost all meaning. Each time he thought the tears had dried up, memories surged unbidden, and the floodgates opened anew. Tear-streaked, he stood and summoned the courage to look at her face.
Through his blurry vision, her ghostly pallor was all that met his gaze. She was white as a sheet, utterly devoid of life. His trembling hand traced the contours of her brow and eyes. Impulsively, he slipped his arms beneath her back and knees.
She was lighter than he expected as he lifted her. No wonder, she had lost so much blood. Even through the flimsy, tattered hospital gown, her icy body chilled him to the core.
“Arlette, I’m taking you home,” he murmured. “Let’s go home.”
Maximo carried her steadily toward the operating room door. He remembered cradling her like this when he first carried her across the threshold of their carefully crafted home. Wrapped in the warmth of love’s embrace, they had been inseparable.
He had undressed her with reverence and covered her alabaster skin with kisses. Her beautiful eyes had glistened with dreamy tenderness.
The first time he made love to her, she had shivered slightly from the pain and clung to him tightly, whispering in his ear, “Maximo, I love you.”
His heart had melted then, and he had vowed never to let her suffer again. In his darkest nightmares, he never imagined he would hold her lifeless body like a broken doll.
What had he done to her?
Maximo’s chest tightened with unbearable heaviness. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor, instinctively cradling her head. His body crumpled near her neck as he broke down in tears.
“Arlette…” he cried. “Arlette…”
Timothy Clark hesitated before suggesting gently, “Mr. Myers, perhaps it’s time to contact the funeral home…”
“No!” Maximo clung fiercely to her body. “No one is taking her from me!”
Winnie Hughes was fuming. Just when everything seemed to be going according to plan and Maximo’s hatred for Arlette had peaked, her death had completely changed him.
Unbelievable!
Worried he might eventually come to his senses and realize what was wrong, the surgeon, Matthias Carr, frowned and tried to reason, “Mr. Myers, the body will soon start to decompose. You need to think about this carefully.”
Maximo refused to release his grip.
“I won’t let anyone take her from me ever again! Arlette is mine!”
With a crash—
Unable to bear it any longer, Winnie grabbed a tray and struck Maximo over the head. His mind went blank, and his eyelids grew heavy. As consciousness faded, he used his last ounce of strength to hold onto the body.
“Don’t touch her…”
“Mr. Myers? Miss Hughes, why did you…”
Timothy was dumbfounded.
Matthias feigned assistance. Winnie wanted to drag the equivocal doctor up but feared she might have harmed her brother too severely.
Enraged, her surgical scar throbbed.
The surgeon urged, “Mr. Myers is overwhelmed with grief. Now would be a good opportunity to have Miss Myers cremated.”
“This…”
Timothy hesitated. Concerned that his boss might lose his sanity entirely, he reluctantly arranged for the body to be sent straight to the crematorium without a funeral.
By the time the ashes were collected, Maximo had yet to regain consciousness.
Winnie snatched the urn and nearly dropped it in her haste.
Timothy broke into a cold sweat. “Miss Hughes, please be cautious. Cremating Miss Myers without permission is one thing, but spilling the ashes—”
“Ha.”
Winnie scoffed, and with a cold gaze, she poured the ashes down the drain.
Timothy was beside himself with panic.
He stumbled back to the hospital and stopped outside his boss’s room.
Inside, he heard murmurs.
“Arlette.”
“Don’t go, Arlette!”
“Arlette…”
Timothy wore a pained expression. In life, his boss’s hatred of Arlette far exceeded any love. Now, in death, only love remained.
Ashes, down the drain…
How could he possibly explain this?
Later, when Winnie returned, sobbing with rage and clutching a medical report, a beleaguered Timothy rushed to intercept her.
“What happened now?”
“Get out of my way! I need to see my brother.” Winnie pushed Timothy aside and stormed into the room.
“Brother!”
She roused Maximo and tearfully complained, “That doctor is a complete quack!”
“Look, I have only one kidney!”