Done Deal
SARAH
"I am... I'm home?"
The words slipped out of me in disbelief, too fragile to hold onto. I didn’t trust them. None of this felt real.
This couldn’t be right. This had to be a dream. I had been at the hospital. I remembered being at the hospital. We were at the hospital.
"How?" I asked, my voice cracking under the weight of my confusion. I needed answers. I needed to understand.
My father smiled and sat beside my bed, taking my hand gently between his.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice calm, soothing, far too composed for the occasion. “We have all the necessary equipment here. The medical care you need is fully available at home.”
He turned his head slightly and called out, louder this time, “Dr. Chen.”
A moment later, an older man, likely in his late fifties, stepped into the room. He was followed by a quiet, efficient-looking nurse.
“This is Dr. Chen,” my father said. “He works for us, and he specialises in trauma—your kind of trauma. And this is Anna, his assistant. Don’t worry. Everything is under control.”
Dr. Chen offered a polite nod, then stepped closer and began speaking to me, calmly and professionally. He explained that he had already reviewed all my medical records. My previous hospital had transferred everything. He knew about my vitals, my medication schedule, my mental health notes. He even mentioned a therapist—a specialist who was available through his private facility if and when I was ready.
He was kind, respectful. Thorough. But I could barely hear a word he said. Because in my head, one question echoed louder than anything else: Why?
Why did they bring me here? Why now? Why this?
When Dr. Chen finished his assessment and confirmed that everything looked stable, he stepped back and gave me a small nod.
“Call if you need anything,” he said, and then he quietly left the room, Anna trailing behind him.
My father hadn’t moved. He’d been hovering the entire time. Watching the interaction between me and Dr. Chen. Watching every expression that crossed my face.
When we were alone again, he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, like I was still his little girl.
“So,” he said softly. “How do you feel? Do you feel better and relaxed now?”
His voice lowered further. “If there’s anything you need, anything.... You just say the word. Understand?”
I nodded slowly.
“Do I still really have to stay in bed all day?” I asked softly, shifting slightly against the pillows. “I get so tired. I just wanna... I mean, if I’m not at the hospital anymore, can I at least be discharged enough to walk around or something?”
“Of course,” my father said immediately, his voice soothing. “But Dr. Chen still has to do his assessment. He’ll need to assess you first before giving any kind of clearance.”
He reached for my hand. “So for now, just let your body rest. Okay, honey?”
I nodded, biting down on the frustration swelling in my chest. The room went quiet for a moment. My father watched me like he was seeing through me. His gaze was soft, protective. But I couldn’t stay silent—not with so many questions spinning in my head.
“How am I here?” I asked. My voice was calmer than I felt.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“The last time I fell asleep, I was in the hospital. Then I woke up and I was here. What happened? Did you just take me out of there?”
He hesitated.
“I don’t want to be the reason there’s a war,” I added quickly. “I was married to prevent a war. And if my marriage ends up being the thing that causes it....”
My throat tightened. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
My father smiled gently. “You’re too good for this world.”
I swallowed hard, not sure I agreed with that. He leaned in slightly.
“Don’t worry. There’s no war.”
“Then why did you take me from the hospital?”
“Because that was a Cincinnati hospital,” he said, voice firm now. “I didn’t trust them anymore. Not with you. Not after what happened to you. It was better to bring you home. Here, I can watch over you. And I can get back to work, too... business has been at a standstill since your accident.”
My breath caught. So Ronan had been telling the truth. My father had stopped everything for me.
I felt guilt rise inside me. But beneath it was something sweeter, something I had never dared to believe until now: he did love me. The man I thought didn’t care, the father I thought kept his distance because he didn’t want me, had sacrificed everything. For almost a year. For me.
And that made me smile. But then... I had to say it.
“I’m married to Cullen,” I whispered. I wasn’t sure if it was a reminder to him or me.
My father nodded. “I know,” he said evenly. “But don’t worry. That’s also under control.”
Under control?
“So he just... lets me go then?” I asked. “I’ll stay here until I recover, and then what.... go back?”
I paused. “Will he be coming to see me here?”
I didn’t even understand why I was asking about Cullen. He hated me. That much had always been clear. And maybe that’s why it had been so easy for him to let my father take me—why he didn’t fight to keep me or take care of me when it was supposed to be his job.
He was my husband. And yet... Why didn’t it feel like I mattered to him at all?
My father held my hand tighter.
“Honey, you’re not going back there,” he said, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
But I didn’t understand why he was smiling. I frowned.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean you’re not going back to the Cincinnatis.”
I blinked, trying to wrap my head around his words. “So... I’m not going back to Cullen?”
“No,” he said again, gently but firmly.
It didn’t make sense. My mind struggled to find the logic in it.
“So, we’re married... but I’m no longer obligated to him?” I asked, needing the facts to be clear. To make sense of what this really meant.
My father shook his head.
“No, honey,” he said, his voice low, calm. “Look, Cullen did not respect your marriage. And as you told me... he never consummated it.”
I stared at him, a cold chill sliding down my back.
“I had a talk with his father,” my dad continued. “And since the marriage was never consummated, I asked for an annulment.”
He paused, watching my face closely, carefully.
“And after what happened to you...” he added softly, “we both decided it was better to annul the marriage.”
He said it like it was a done deal. All I could feel ... The finality The disbelief.
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