Chapter 222
Mason's eyes softened seeing the tears on Gabriel's cheeks, and the fire in his chest died down considerably.
How many years had it been since he'd last seen Gabriel shed a tear?
He couldn't remember, but it probably had been since Gabriel was four or five years old that he stopped crying.
Now, witnessing his grandson in such self-loathing agony, Mason's heart softened. There was no way he could bring himself to hit, scold, or blame the boy. He just let out a deep sigh and tried to soften his expression before turning to Luke, who stood by his side, and inquired, "What happened? Was the car hitting Gabriel intentional or an accident?"
"Sir, the driver who hit Gabriel is injured and in a coma. The police have taken him to the hospital, and the vehicle has been towed to the station for further investigation. At this moment, we're not sure whether it was deliberate or an accident. Our team is still looking into it," Luke replied respectfully, bowing his head slightly.
"Alright, get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible," Mason ordered, nodding slightly with a grave tone.
"Yes, Boss."
"Mason, my dear, how's Gabriel, and Teresa—how is she?" Patrick and Sophia rushed in just then, and upon seeing the people gathered outside the emergency room, Sophia quickly approached them, her voice filled with both eagerness and worry.
"Patrick and mother," said Patrick as he caught up, greeting them politely.
"Ah, my dear in-laws," Katherine released Gabriel's hand and nodded towards them.
"Patrick, Sophia," Mason nodded back at the couple, his expression solemn. "Teresa is still being treated; the situation is unclear. However, all this mess is because of this scoundrel here. I won't let him off the hook once Teresa is out of danger."
Mason cast a stern glance at Gabriel as he spoke.
Patrick and Sophia were, of course, wracked with worry over their daughter, yet they were reasonable people. Seeing the state Gabriel was in, they couldn't help but feel sympathetic, prompting Patrick to immediately gesture with his hand, "We heard someone deliberately drove into Gabriel and Teresa. This isn't Gabriel's fault."
"How can it not be his fault? If he hadn't caused so much trouble, been so immature and inconsiderate, would Teresa have been driven to the point of wanting a divorce? That good-for-nothing deserves a beating!" Mason raised his hand as if to strike Gabriel with the cherry wood cane he was holding.
"Mason, don't do this, you really shouldn't!" Patrick hurried to stop Mason, "It takes two to tango. Teresa must have done something to set Gabriel off. She's been spoiled since she was a child, so headstrong. She always wants things to go her way. We can't just blame Gabriel; if anyone's to blame, Teresa is at fault too."
"Yeah, Mason, you can't just blame Gabriel; you shouldn't hit him," Sophia quickly nodded in agreement.
Katherine stood to the side, unsure if Mason was about to hit Gabriel just for show to appease Patrick and Sophia. However, their words did soothe her worries.
It's true! It takes two to tango. Gabriel usually dotes on Teresa. If she hadn't provoked him first, Gabriel wouldn't have reacted this way.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. It's all my fault, blame me!" Gabriel hung his head low, his expression one of remorse and self-blame.
"Gabriel, you can't blame yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Let's wait and see how Teresa is doing," Sophia consoled Gabriel despite her own deep worry.
Suddenly, the doors to the emergency room swung open. Hearing the sound, everyone immediately turned to look.
"Doctor, how's my wife?" Gabriel, reacting quickest, rushed forward and eagerly grabbed the doctor's arm.
"Gabriel, your wife had a miscarriage which caused significant bleeding, but the bleeding has been stopped. She’s out of danger now, so there's no need for you all to worry," the doctor said, removing his mask and smiling reassuringly before replying respectfully.
—A miscarriage with significant bleeding.
—A miscarriage? Teresa was pregnant with his baby?!
Gabriel stood frozen, struck by the message as though it were a bolt of lightning.
"A miscarriage?!" Not only Gabriel, but everyone was stunned by the doctor’s words. Sophia regained her senses, her surprise quickly turning to guilt. "Oh no, it’s my fault. Teresa has been staying with us, and I noticed she looked pale, but it never crossed my mind that she could be pregnant! Last night she complained about her period pains; how could she have miscarried so suddenly?"
Unity must've been experiencing such intense emotional turmoil lately the stress could have affected the baby. If Unity mentioned her period last night, that could've been a sign of a miscarriage in the making. But," the doctor paused, looking at Sophia, hesitant to continue.
After all, in this world, there are no 'ifs' about it. No matter how skilled, doctors can't bring back a child that’s been lost to a miscarriage to Teresa's womb.
"You rotten scoundrel! It’s all your fault! I ought to thrash you!" Mason, who had been looking forward to welcoming a great-grandchild soon, was now beside himself with anger. He raised his cane, ready to strike Gabriel again.
“Mason, please, calm down!” Once again, Patrick stepped in to restrain Mason. His face was grave as he said, “It’s our fault for not taking better care of Teresa, for not noticing the signs sooner. We can't blame Gabriel for this.”
The Garcias had been a prominent family for generations, naturally, Patrick was acutely aware of the significance of heirs to the Garcia legacy.
With Patrick intervening, Mason reluctantly held back. After casting a glare at Patrick, he turned an incensed gaze towards Gabriel and barked, “Let me tell you something, you little brat. From now on, if you don’t take good care of Teresa, if you let her get upset even in the slightest, I swear I’ll break your legs.”
Gabriel snapped back to attention, not uttering another word, nor paying heed to anyone else as he dashed towards the emergency room.
“Doctor, will this miscarriage have any lasting effects on my daughter-in-law's health? Can she still have children in the future?” Katherine, coming to terms with the situation, instinctively grilled the doctor.
Sophia looked at Katherine. Even though her primary concern seemed to be whether Teresa could conceive again rather than her well-being, Sophia didn’t take it amiss.
“Certainly!” the doctor nodded without hesitation and added, “However, the ease of conceiving in the future largely depends on Teresa's recovery. She must rest and take care of herself, especially avoiding any further stress.”
“Of course, of course,” Katherine nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “Thank you so much for your efforts!”
“It's no trouble at all, Mrs. Garcia. This is all part of our job,” said the doctor with a smile, before heading off.
As soon as the doctor left, Sophia hurriedly strode toward the emergency room...
