Broken Oath: I Left, He Regretted-Chapter 104: Timothy Xavier Is Forced to Shave His Head Bald
I walk out of the hospital doors, slowly along the roadside for a long time, until the cold wind clears my head. Only then do I flag down a taxi and head to the magazine office.
I sit at my workstation, working tirelessly from proofing manuscripts to organizing interview materials, and finish writing the press release for yesterday’s interview with Timothy Xavier.
Only by filling my mind with work can I repress the images of Doris and the hospital room from creeping in, making the pain in my heart slightly lighter.
At this moment, Victoria Monroe walks over and asks, "Did you catch my cold too? Why do you look so pale?"
"I guess I didn’t rest well last night."
I reply casually, continuing with my task at hand.
Victoria Monroe says, "You should rest; these interview materials were meant for me, I’ll organize them."
I smile and say, "It’s mostly done; don’t worry about me. I just want to keep myself busy."
Victoria seems to understand something, doesn’t press for reasons, and pats my shoulder saying, "If you can’t handle it, let me know, I’ll give you some time off."
"Okay."
With the editor-in-chief about to leave, Victoria Monroe’s authority in our office is increasing.
After she leaves, I continue writing the news article, immersing myself completely.
I don’t know how long it has been when suddenly my phone vibrates, the screen showing "Timothy Xavier."
I stare at that name for a few seconds before answering the call.
"Where are you?" His voice comes through the receiver, carrying a hint of tension barely perceptible.
I try to sound calm: "There’s a lot of work at the office, so I went back. Doris has Serena Sawyer and you, she shouldn’t need me."
"Zoe,"
Timothy pauses, his tone softening a bit, "Don’t worry, I’ll gradually work on Doris’ thoughts, to make her accept you."
I twitch my lips, my voice full of bitterness, no longer wanting to pursue the errors of his past.
"It’s unnecessary, Timothy. Doris’ life is very stable now, with your love and her recognized ’mom’ by her side, forcing changes will only make her suffer. Just protect her well, don’t let her be wronged, that’s enough."
After speaking, I don’t wait for his response and hang up the call, diving back into work.
...
I work overtime until late at night before returning home, bathe, yet still exhausted. In my dreams, my daughter repeatedly glares at me with hateful eyes, as if wishing to kill me!
In the end, terror wakes me, and I can’t fall back asleep.
The next early morning, Jenna Sutton comes over with breakfast to my home.
"Why are you here?"
My voice is hoarse as I absent-mindedly brush my teeth and wash my face.
Jenna Sutton stands beside me, frowning at my dark circles: "I heard from Ezra Payne that Doris was in a car accident. He suggests you’ve already reunited with Doris?"
I wash my face with cold water, wipe dry, and slowly recount yesterday’s events to her.
After listening, Jenna Sutton’s eyes quickly redden.
"That bastard Timothy actually did such a thing?" Jenna Sutton grits her teeth saying, "And Serena Sawyer, who occupied the nest for so many years, has thicker skin than a fortress wall!"
I smile disdainfully, saying self-deprecatingly, "I don’t care what he thinks. He hasn’t even told me yet why he gave Doris to someone else to raise, and I don’t want to know anymore. After all, the result is already created, just like the current situation."
Jenna Sutton worriedly asks, "But you’ve got to find a way to make the child accept you! Can’t just watch her acknowledge a thief as a mother. Serena Sawyer, that kind of depraved woman, will surely raise the child just like her!"
"Jenna, I’m planning to give up."
I swallow the lump in my throat, saying, "Timothy treats Doris very well, he won’t let Doris go astray. Forcefully picking a watermelon won’t make it sweet, I don’t want Doris to hate me. With Serena Sawyer around, this child may never accept me."
Jenna holds my hand, full of grievance for me: "You lived with Timothy for four years, gave birth to his child, lost another, why must you fall to such an ending? Back then, he took Doris away, deceived us all! But in the end, he, the instigator, got it all, why?"
I self-comfortingly say, "This might be good. I’m not going to fight Timothy for custody, nor will I take a dime from him. Nothing can stop me from getting divorced. I ask for nothing, just want him to be a good dad."
Jenna says angrily, "I don’t think so! He’s good to Doris now, but what about later? After the divorce, he’ll surely remarry. Do you think once he weds Serena Sawyer, she’ll genuinely treat Doris well? With a stepmother comes a stepfather, don’t trust Timothy so blindly!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Just as we’re talking, Jenna’s phone suddenly rings.
She sees the caller ID and frowns: "Why is it Timothy?"
The phone keeps ringing, Jenna hesitates for a moment, then answers, pressing the speakerphone.
Her tone isn’t pleasant, "Hello, what do you want?"
"I’ve thought about transferring Doris back to St. Jude’s Kindergarten soon, bother you now to handle the paperwork."
Without elaborating, Timothy hangs up.
Jenna tosses the phone onto the coffee table, rolls her eyes and complains, "So much trouble, what did he do earlier?"
I analyze and say, "He initially kept Doris at home, not letting her out, likely just to avoid me. He also knows keeping her at home isn’t good for her development. Besides, even at home, Sophia didn’t care for her well. St. Jude’s Kindergarten avoids incidents like this accident from happening."
Jenna complains for a while before picking up her phone to call the kindergarten’s admissions officer, ensuring a swift processing.
After a while, she suddenly stands and says, "I need to go talk to my dad. Otherwise, given his penchant for currying favor with Xavier Group, he’ll likely run to the hospital to see Doris. But now, Timothy is surely upset. Who knows what my dad might say that would upset him? I must supervise my dad! With me nearby, he might be slightly reminded."
I nod.
She sees I have no other intentions, then asks, "You really won’t go to the hospital with us? You really just decided to give up like this?"
"Yeah, you guys go. Just tell me her condition after."
I act casually, like I truly don’t care. But in reality, I’m afraid to go and see her hugging Serena Sawyer, calling her mom. Scared to face her piercing gaze again.
Jenna sighs and leaves my house.
That night she brings news about Doris.
"Today my dad and I went to the hospital, Doris kept crying, Timothy couldn’t console her at all." Jenna sighs saying, "Heard she couldn’t accept having her hair shaved, crying endlessly without eating."
I hear this and my heart clenches, asking, "What about now? How is she?"
Jenna says, "When my dad and I left, she was still crying non-stop. Timothy said to bring some friends from kindergarten tomorrow, to encourage her, see if it can cheer her up?"
After finishing the call with Jenna, my heart feels immensely heavy.
Though I decided to give up the fight for Doris’ custody, as a mother, no one can be indifferent to their child’s suffering.
Just then, Timothy calls.
His voice full of fatigue, he says, "After Doris’ surgery she refuses to eat anything; I’ve got no other options. She likes the food you make, could you..."
I remain silent for a long time.
I lightly murmur "okay."
Timothy hears my agreement, his tone finally not as downcast, instead says a simple "thank you."
I feel a pang in my heart, coldly saying, "She’s my daughter, no need for your thanks!"
I hang up the call and start researching postoperative appetite stimulant recipes for kids.
Then I search various brands of children’s wigs, selecting for a long time until I find a few suitable for Doris.
I pay a deposit and reiterate my request for utmost realism.
The following day, I take two days off from work.
...
Because of this burden, I barely sleep well all night.
Early the next morning, I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients to cook for Doris.
By mid-morning, I took the prepared meal to the hospital.
At that time, Jenna had just brought the kindergarten kids over, and everyone had prepared gifts for Doris.
Timothy gently coaxed, "Doris, look, all your friends are cheering for you. So we need to eat well and get healthy, so you can return to kindergarten and play with them."
Doris leaned back in bed, not even accepting anyone’s gifts, appearing downcast.
Losing her hair must have been a big blow to her.
Just then, I entered with the lunchbox in hand.
Upon seeing me, Doris seemed even more upset.
I sighed softly and said to Timothy, "You feed her; I’m leaving."
Just as I was about to leave, a little girl with pigtails suddenly brightened, turning to Doris, "Doris Xavier, is that your mom? Isn’t she the ’most beautiful reporter’ on TV? My mom said she went to the earthquake zone as a journalist; she’s a hero!"
Doris was taken aback, quickly looking at me, her big eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.
A little boy on tiptoe, looking up at me, said admiringly, "Auntie, you’re so pretty! My mom said you’re even prettier than the stars on TV!"
In an instant, a group of children gathered around me, asking in chorus, "Auntie, weren’t you scared during the earthquake?"
Looking at a bunch of cute kids, I smiled and said, "At first, I was a little scared, but helping others made me unafraid. Plus, there were many other uncles and aunties working hard too."
"Wow, I didn’t know Doris’s mom could cook and is also so brave!"
As a child’s exclamation fell, I noticed Doris’s resistant expression softened a bit.
The look of doubt in her eyes quietly softened, no longer viewing me as an enemy.
Just then, a little boy with glasses clapped his hands, saying, "I remember! Doris told us her mom taught her to make cookies and she brought some for us! They were so delicious! Auntie, you’re amazing!"
I glanced at Doris, who somewhat guiltily avoided my gaze.
I thought, it must be that kids have a bit of vainglory, and coupled with what Jenna said about her not getting recognition in kindergarten, she told her classmates that.
Just then, Doris looked at me again, with a trace of plea, fearing I might expose her.
I smiled and said to her classmates, "If you like them, Auntie will make them again for Doris to bring to you next time!"
The children cheered happily, saying, "Doris Xavier, you’re so lucky! Your mom is so brave and her cookies are so delicious."
It seemed Doris had a slight hint of pride on her face.
In a small voice, she added, "My mom can also make cakes, shaped like a teddy bear, with lots of strawberries on top, it’s so pretty!"
"Wow!"
The admiration from the children echoed again in the ward.
Jenna subtly gave me a thumbs up, and Timothy’s gaze stayed on me, with a certain inexplicable emotion hidden in his dark eyes.
Seeing it was nearly noon, Jenna took the children away, and Doris was in a much better mood, even taking the initiative to say goodbye to Jenna.
With the children gone, the ward quieted down.
Doris blushed a little, embarrassedly saying, "Yes, I lied to my friends. All their moms make treats, so I told them the cookies were made by my mom."
A sharp pain struck my heart; clearly, I am her mother!
I walked over to her bed and sat down, gently caressing her soft cheek, saying, "Doris didn’t lie, I actually am..."
I was only halfway through when Timothy suddenly interrupted, "Doris, are you hungry? Look what Auntie brought you to eat?"
Doris’s attention was drawn to the aromatic food box.
While serving her food, Timothy whispered to me, "Now’s not the time to talk to her about these things, be patient; otherwise, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it."
I lightly pinched my fingers, murmuring a soft ’Mm’.
At that moment, Doris suddenly remembered something, and after just two bites, she refused to eat anymore.
Timothy gently asked, "What’s wrong?"
Doris’s sparkling eyes looked at her dad and said, "Dad, do you love me?"
Timothy was taken aback, smiled, and said, "Of course Dad loves you."
"Then will you shave your head with me?"
The little girl seriously and solemnly looked at Timothy and said, "Otherwise, I’ll be the only bald one at home, which looks ugly. Will you join me?"
Timothy’s expression visibly stiffened, and after a while, he dodged, saying, "Doris, children’s hair grows very fast, maybe by the time you’re discharged, it will have grown out a little."
But Doris was stubborn, "That’s not true! Dad, you’re lying! Even if I’m discharged, my hair won’t grow long enough to make pigtails!"
The man, always decisive in the business world, had no strategy for his daughter at this moment.
He could only patiently coax, "Doris, Dad has to go to work at the company every day, this... this..."
He stammered for a long time, unable to articulate anything.
The little girl heard Timothy’s refusal and began to cry, "Dad, didn’t you say bald heads look good too? Then why won’t you become bald with me?"
As for me, I swallowed the fact that I had already bought Doris a wig, unwilling to help Timothy out! It would be best if Doris forced him to shave his head. Didn’t he like to practice Buddhism? This would suit him!
He deserves it!
Just when Timothy was at a loss dealing with Doris, Serena’s voice suddenly came into the room.
"Doris, look what Mommy brought you!"
She said, already placing the bought desserts on the table.
However, seeing me there, her eyes immediately showed a hint of vigilance.
Doris got distracted, forgetting about forcing Timothy to shave, and began to act spoiled with Serena, "Mom, do you have to go to work this afternoon? Doris wants you to stay with me."
Serena walked over, hugging her daughter, giving me a sidelong glance with a half-smile.
Then, deliberately using an even more intimate tone than usual, she said, "Then Mom will ask for time off from the crew to stay with my good girl this afternoon, okay?"
"Mm."
Doris nestled in Serena’s arms, instantly forgetting my existence.
Timothy and I exchanged a glance before I stood up, ready to leave.
But Timothy suddenly said, "Serena, come out with me for a moment."
His face was serious, and although Serena’s face stiffened, she still followed him out.
Timothy stopped at the door and said to me, "You come too."
The three of us went into the stairwell.
Serena, acting as a loving mother concerned about her daughter, said, "Timothy, do you have something to say? Doris is still in the ward waiting for me, we can’t be away too long."
Timothy’s gaze was both dark and cold, accompanied by a hint of finality in his tone, "Serena, thank you for the hard work you’ve done these years raising Doris."
"Timothy, you..."
Serena’s voice was filled with confusion.
"I’ll give you compensation, enough to ensure your well-being for the rest of your life," Timothy said, his tone devoid of any ripple, "But from today on, I’ll gradually let Doris accept Zoe. You and Zoe need to go back to where you belong."
