37 Times She Chose Him, The Last Time I Let Him Go Chapter 05

37 Times She Chose Him, The Last Time I Let Him Go Chapter 05

On the third swing, the lock shattered.

I burst through the door, threw aside the fallen curtains, and found Tessa curled in the corner. Her face had gone pale.

“Tessa, look at me.”

She couldn’t open her eyes. She only grabbed one of my fingers.

When the paramedics arrived, they fitted her with an oxygen mask.

Grant tried to climb into the ambulance. I blocked him.

“Don’t touch her.”

“This isn’t the time to dig in your heels.”

“You deleted that footage. Did you think about the fact that she could have died in there?”

The color drained from his face.

Natalie ran over with Leo. “Grant, don’t leave. The principal wants to call the police. Leo is too young for a record.”

Grant looked at the ambulance. Then he looked at her.

That one glance told me everything.

I closed the ambulance door.

At the hospital, Tessa stabilized with oxygen.

“Mom, did Dad not want anyone to find me?”

I held her cold hand. “No, baby. I found you.”

“But Dad didn’t come.”

My throat closed up.

Tessa buried her face in the pillow and stopped asking.

Half an hour later, Grant, Natalie, and Leo showed up at the room. Grant was carrying Tessa’s favorite cupcake from the bakery across town.

“I’m here now, sweetheart.”

Tessa saw him, and her breathing turned rapid.

The monitor beeped in alarm.

The nurse hurried in. “Everyone out. Don’t stress the patient.”

Grant froze.

I pushed them all out and shut the door.

“Starting today, you don’t see Tessa without my permission.”

His face hardened. “I’m her father.”

“Did you remember that when you deleted the evidence of her being locked in?”

He had no answer.

James Quinn, my lawyer, walked down the hallway and handed Grant a stack of papers.

“Mr. Holloway, this is the divorce settlement and separation notice. Also, the school system has a cloud backup. The deletion record and your login ID are preserved.”

Natalie went pale. “Leo didn’t mean it. He’s only five.”

James looked at her. “The child won’t face charges. His guardian will be held responsible for education and possible damages. And your deletion of the footage—while delaying rescue—will be considered in the custody evaluation.”

Grant gripped the papers. “Naomi, you had this ready?”

“I contacted my lawyer after the livestream.”

His composure cracked. “You never talked to me.”

“I asked you thirty-seven times.”

My voice was steady. “Every time Natalie called to borrow you, I asked if you could stay. You said I was petty. You said she needed you. You said Tessa should learn to share.”

Grant’s hands trembled. “I didn’t know it would end up like this.”

“You knew.”

“I didn’t think Leo would lock the door.”

“You watched the footage. You didn’t go to Tessa first.”

Those words pinned him.

I slipped off my wedding ring and placed it in his hand along with the agreement.

“Grant, this time it’s not a loan. I’m giving you back to her.”

His fingers closed around my wrist.

The hospital room door opened. Tessa was crying.

The nurse leaned out. “She keeps saying she doesn’t want to be given to her father.”