Chapter 7: The Uninvited Shadow
Word of Maya’s birth spread quickly. On the third day of Elena’s hospital stay, as Arthur was packing up their belongings to take his family home, a commotion echoed from the hallway outside their room.
""You cannot stop me! I am her grandmother!"" Victoria’s sharp, haughty voice reverberated through the corridor.
Arthur’s jaw tightened. He placed a gentle hand on Elena’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring nod, before stepping out into the hallway.
Victoria was standing near the nurse's station, wearing an elegant dark coat, holding a massive arrangement of expensive white lilies. Two hospital security guards stood firmly in front of her, blocking her path.
""Arthur!"" Victoria demanded, her eyes wide with a mix of desperation and authority. ""Tell these people who I am! I have every right to see my granddaughter!""
Arthur stood at a distance, looking at his mother not with anger, but with profound pity. ""You don't have rights here, Victoria,"" he said quietly, his tone even and unyielding.
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""How dare you call me by my name!"" Victoria snapped, though her voice wobbled slightly under his calm gaze. ""I came here to extend an olive branch! I brought flowers! I am willing to forgive your outrageous behavior from last month if you let me see the child!""
""You still don't get it, do you?"" Arthur said softly. ""You think relationships are transactions where you demand forgiveness without ever offering an apology. You hit my wife. You tried to destroy my life. And you haven't felt a single ounce of remorse.""
