Third person's POV
After that incident, Tabitha suffered a severe shock, as if she had lost all vitality. The positive trend of her physical recovery vanished.
Derek witnessed all of this. Every detail pierced his heart like sharp thorns, causing him great anxiety and helplessness.
He couldn't bear even a fraction of the physical pain or the heavy psychological burden that Tabitha was enduring.
Tabitha grew weaker day by day. With no news from Jasper, Derek's heart was filled with panic and urgency.
Yet, Tabitha refused to see him. So he could only inquire about her condition through the doctors, peering through the glass of the hospital room door.
Most of the time, Tabitha lay in bed, crying silently.
Jenny and Andrea took turns comforting her but to no avail.
This was a problem of the heart, an illness that even the most skilled doctors couldn't cure.
Andrea gently patted Derek's shoulder, saying, "This is a psychological issue, not something that can be solved with medication. Tabitha seems to have lost her will to live. You must be prepared."
Everyone advised him in this way. But Derek was still not ready to part with Tabitha.
With a hesitant heart, Derek entered Tabitha's ward. He only saw her curled up under the blanket. She huddled herself, looking so pitiful and frail. The vibrancy she once had now gone completely.
He couldn't help but wonder. 'If she hadn't recklessly married me, would it be completely different?'
Tabitha slowly lifted her eyes to him, "You're here."
Derek reached out and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, "Tabitha, live on, please. I'm begging you."
She just stared blankly at the pale ceiling above, "Derek, take me away from here. I don't want to die in this cold, desolate hospital."
"Don't talk nonsense, you're not going to die."
"Last night, I dreamed of the two children. They said they missed me. I want to be reunited with them."
Derek's voice choked, hoarsely saying, "Tabitha, I can find a way for sure."
Tabitha continued as if talking to herself, "Counting the days, it's Kyrian's birthday in a few days, right?"
"Yes."
"I quite like that child. I want to celebrate his birthday for him."
Derek held her hand, "He is your child too, Tabitha. You have to trust me. My relationship with Daphne was out of gratitude, not love. I owed..."
Tabitha interrupted him impatiently, "I don't like Reid and Daphne. Just the three of us, okay?"
Derek nodded in agreement, "Alright, as you wish."
Following Tabitha's request, Derek took her and Kyrian to a cabin by the sea.
Tabitha sat on the terrace, with Kyrian cuddling a yellow ball beside her. The setting sun's rays warmly cast on them, creating a harmonious scene.
After preparing dinner in the kitchen, Derek came out to see this scene.
Kyrian snuggled up to Tabitha, calling out, "Mommy."
Tabitha gently stroked his head, thinking that if this child was truly her son, she could die without regrets.
In the last days of her life, she finally lived the life she had always dreamed of.
She had a happy family, giving birth to a lovely son for Derek.
Life was simple and beautiful. Derek would come home from work with a small cake, and Kyrian would happily run around him, "Daddy, I love you!"
Tabitha watched the interaction between them from a distance. That was a scene she had longed for in the past.
She smiled as she watched but then cried.
It was unclear whether she was laughing at her past self, who had been so infatuated, or at her current self, who had nothing.
"Mommy, have some cake here!"
Little Kyrian tried hard to push the wheelchair to the dining table. Seeing this, Tabitha was filled with warmth.
Last night, when he held her while sleeping, he said, "Mommy, when I grow up, I can protect you."
'But, my dear child, I won't make it to that day.'