Chapter_34
Olivia believed that Tyler’s care for her was tied to his love for Naomi. After all, as the saying goes, “If you love someone, you love everything that belongs to them.” She convinced herself that Tyler’s attentiveness was merely an extension of his feelings for Naomi, a protective gesture toward Naomi’s family. As she tried to speak, the words caught in her throat. “Okay. I understand, brother–in–la…” She hesitated, unable to finish the sentence. The title felt foreign, and her voice faltered.
Tyler paused, furrowing his brows as if momentarily confused by her attempt, but he said nothing. He seemed to regard her mistake as the innocent blunder of someone inexperienced, perhaps seeing it as a moment of awkwardness that didn’t require correction. He accepted it with a quiet understanding.
In the end, Olivia didn’t go to visit Jacob. Instead, she made a difficult decision—she called his parents. She knew that Jacob had always been the type of person who acted recklessly when it came to his own interests. But Olivia wasn’t about to let him throw away everything his parents had sacrificed for him just because of her. At the very least, he should consider them.
The next day, Jacob was finally released from the police station, but only after his parents arrived to pick him up. Olivia didn’t go to meet him. She stayed at school, kept to herself, and didn’t seek out information about him. Jacob, for his part, didn’t contact her either. The silence between them stretched on.
For the following days, Olivia remained at school, not bothering to go home or leave the campus. It was as if she was trying to bury herself in the normalcy of school life, distancing herself from everything else. Naomi, however, called her to ask about Jacob. Olivia assured her that everything was resolved, expressing her gratitude. “Thank you, Naomi. I appreciate what Tyler did for him.”
Naomi’s voice, however, held a different tone. She told Olivia not to worry about it, trying to ease her mind. After their conversation ended, Naomi put down the phone, but her body was betraying her. She felt a sharp, sudden pain in her chest, and before she could react, she collapsed.
The nurse, who had been busy in the pantry, rushed out when she heard the commotion. She found Naomi lying on the floor, having fallen from her bed.
The nurse gasped, dropping the tray of pills in her hands in shock. “Ms. Naomi!” she cried out, immediately calling for help.
Minutes later, the room was flooded with nurses and doctors, all trying to stabilize Naomi and rush her to emergency care. Olivia, who had been on her way to class after her conversation with Naomi, was startled by an incoming call. It was Mrs. Jones, her voice frantic on the other end of the line.
“Olivia! Come to the hospital right away! Your sister has fainted!” Mrs. Jones’s words hit Olivia like a punch to the stomach.
Her mind went blank. Panic surged through her veins. “Olivia! Are you there?!” Mrs. Jones’s voice broke through her stupor.
Snapping out of her trance, Olivia quickly responded, “I-I am, Aunt.”
“Get over here now,” Mrs. Jones demanded, her voice edged with fear before the line went dead.
Olivia didn’t hesitate. She rushed to the hospital, her thoughts spinning. She arrived to find chaos unfolding before her eyes. Tyler had just arrived, and the doctors were wheeling Naomi out on a gurney. Tyler rushed to her side, calling her name, his voice filled with desperate concern.
“Naomi? Naomi?” He spoke as though he was trying to wake her from a dream, but there was no response.
A team of medical professionals surrounded her, and one of the doctors approached Tyler with grim news. “Mr. Tyler, we’re taking her to the emergency room,” the doctor said, his tone heavy with urgency.
Tyler didn’t hesitate. He knew there was no time to waste. He stopped calling out to Naomi and turned his focus entirely on the doctor. “What are you going to do?” His voice was cold, but there was an undercurrent of panic he couldn’t hide.
The doctor gave a quick explanation, his expression fraught with worry. “She may need a blood transfusion, but it’s complicated. She has a rare blood type, and we don’t have it in stock. We’re checking with other hospitals, but so far, we’ve had no luck.”
Tyler’s jaw tightened. His mind raced. “So what do we do now?”
The doctor hesitated before responding, “We might have to take a risk and use blood from her immediate family. Doesn’t she have a half-sister? Although their bone marrow doesn’t match, we can try to see if their blood types are compatible.”
Tyler frowned deeply, weighing the implications of the doctor’s suggestion. His mind flickered to Olivia. Would she be willing to donate blood? Would her blood type match Naomi’s? Would it even be safe? But in that moment, it didn’t feel like there were any other options.
His thoughts were interrupted by the urgency of the situation, but a part of him remained fixed on the decision that lay ahead. Would Olivia agree to help? The question gnawed at him.