My Enemy’s Daughter

AMELIA LEAL

The first face I see when I arrive at the hospital is Peter’s, his expression is serious, filled with something somber and mocking that I’ve never seen in his face, which is exactly why I walk right past him and follow my mother, sitting in a the seats in front of you. She was the one who called and informed me about Aurora’s situation. In any case, no one else has had the courtesy to inform me of my sister’s health, although I understand that as a husband he is too overwhelmed to think about anything other than her well-being. his wife and child.

“How is she?” I ask as soon as I’m close enough. Mom lifts her head and meets my eyes, her arms go around my neck without warning and I hold her tightly around the waist, responding to her hug.

We still don’t have news, your father went to try to talk to the doctor in charge. Her voice is shaky and I can see the tears in her eyes.

“How dare you bring him?” Peter’s accusing voice cuts me off as it sends shivers through my body, taking me by surprise. I look in her direction, finding outrage and anger in her eyes.

He’s never looked at me like that before. As if I wasn’t worthy enough, as if I had somehow betrayed him.

“You don’t own this fucking hospital.” Henrico yells, grabbing my waist and putting himself in front of me, almost as if he’s trying to hide me from my brother-in-law’s sight.

Peter chuckled sarcastically, shaking his head from side to side.

“Who do you think you are?” Peter asks the wind, but addressing Henrico.

“You know who I am. The man in front of me jokes, still hiding me behind his back.

Damn. What he is doing?

I look for Mom, looking for help in some way, and find her looking at the two men struggling for words.

Shaking my head, I stepped out from behind Henrico to position myself between the two men.

“To stop!” I say harshly, gaining their attention. I don’t know if this is their first date, but I’m sick of all the fuss and the only reason we’re here is for Aurora and my nephew, so they can save the hormones for later.

“Did you sleep with him?” Peter asks, looking over at me. I shudder, feeling the distaste in his words.

I wrinkle my nose, dismissing his question and the horrible feeling it caused me and I look at him as an equal, wondering in my heart what kind of question that was.

My sister. His wife is risking her life with their son and he’s here questioning meText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

who I slept with.

“Yes.” Henrico confirms, grabbing my waist with one hand and pulling me against his body.

I moan softly, uncomfortable with the pressure he puts on my hand, and try to break free.

Peter snorts, looking at Henrico’s hand squeezing me.

“Your sister was arguing with your dad about you when he got sick while you were having sex with her ex-husband. The man who hates his family. he spits, giving me a look of superiority and disappointment.

I don’t understand why he is so mad at me.

I feel small with his accusations, the revelation that my sister was defending me shocks me as much as him believing that I spent the night with Henrico, he didn’t even consider it a lie, he judged me as if he didn’t know my character. A tear falls against my will and runs down my face until it lands on my shirt. I clench my fists and prepare to fight back when Henrico’s grip loosens.

“She doesn’t owe you any satisfaction and don’t blame her for an accident, Amelia was miles away when Aurora got sick and I’m sure no one in this family was defending her at all.” Henrico growls, hinting at an attack on Peter, but I’m faster and back in front of him, pleading with my eyes for him to go away.

Please just go.

Peter smiled, showing a coldness I had never seen before.

“No, she doesn’t owe me any satisfaction.” he says, looking at me.

I hold my breath, not liking his tone or appearance, he’s unrecognizable and I wonder how serious my sister was when he brought her into the hospital.

“But she owes her father an explanation, and I’m sure of it.” He points his finger at me and Henrico. “It is notsomething old Augusto Leal will tolerate.”

“We don’t need his permission.” Henrico growls again, clenching his fists, hinting that there’s something more between us, making the situation worse. Heavens, where is my mother?

I scan the room, locating her four paces from where we are, talking to what I believe to be Aurora’s doctor. My heart races when I see my dad approaching from the other side.

“Please, Henrico.” I tug on his jacket sleeve, forcing him to look away from Peter and bring them to me. “Go away please.” I whisper, dreading my father’s arrival.

“No.” he growls, looking pissed at me.

I bite my lip, looking in the direction my dad is coming from. “I’ll keep you posted, I promise. I just need you to go, now!”

He grabs my chin, trapping my pale irises with his dark ones, and strokes the skin of my cheek with his fingertips in an affectionate gesture.

“I’m not leaving you,” he says, making my heart race against my will.

“If you don’t go, I’ll be in even bigger trouble.” I murmur, pleading with my eyes.

He shakes his head, pulling his gauze away from mine.

“I also need to know how your sister is doing.” he asserts, making every colorful fantasy that my foolish heart had begun to crumble.

I lower my eyes to hide the disappointment I can’t hide at the moment. Of course he’s here for her, they got married and Henrico probably still loves her. I’m just the annoying little sister.

In the end, he will always choose for her.

“I’ll send word. I’ll let you know as soon as the doctor tells us anything about your condition.” My voice comes out more stilted than I’d like and I have to hide it. “Amelia…” he starts, but I cut him off, not wanting to hear any more.

“Just go, Henrico.” I say, catching Mom’s effort to hold Dad for a few more minutes out of the corner of my eye.

“Fine, but if you don’t text me, I’ll come after you.” he says firmly, sounding really smug in his statement and if I didn’t know that this is all just because he wants information about Aurora, I might even kid myself.

“Nobody wants you here. Get out.” Peter grumbles.

Henrico pulls away from me, placing a kiss in my hair as he walks up to Peter and faces him, whispering something softly just for him to hear and then walks away, stopping two steps to look back.

“SHE IS MINE!” He speaks, looking directly at Peter who looks furious.

My stomach hurts, wanting to bring back all the breakfast food, and all I can think about is that they’re talking about my sister. She is Peter’s wife, but Henrico still wants her and he has made that very clear. She is mine.

“Amelia Leal, we’ll talk as soon as we get home and you explain exactly what this guy was doing here.” Dad says, giving me a hard look.

“How are you, my dear. Don’t worry about your father.” Mom whispers, wrapping her arms around my shoulder, causing me to rest my head on hers.

“How is she?” I ask quietly, ignoring the glares from the two men in my family.

“Ah, I don’t know. The doctor hasn’t come to speak yet and Augusto hasn’t been able to find him.”

I frown, remembering I saw her talking to a doctor just now.

“I saw you talking to a doctor, I thought it was Aurora’s. I say, taking advantage of her stroking my hair to close my eyes and imagine myself in a peaceful place.

“Oh no. That’s my doctor, Dr. Soares.”

Your doctor?

I pull away from her to look into her face, worried about this new information.

Mom has been hiding information from me for as long as I’ve known myself, but she’s never been able to cheat if we’re looking each other in the eye.

“Your doctor?”

She gives me a “keep it down, I’ll explain” look just as Aurora’s doctor appears to give us the news.