Hey everyone!

I know this chapter is somewhat shorter, but hopefully there will be another one up very soon!
Only two more to go before this book ends, then I'll post the sequel!

Hope you enjoy ❤️

~ShoamEmily

~

29th of October, 2007
Michael is 49, Angela is 43

Angela: "You should experience some pain in the next few days," Dr. Haring said as I slowly sat up in bed. "And maybe some bleeding, along with a little bit of nausea. I suggest you rest a lot."

Although I knew there was no way I'd be able to rest, I told him I'd take care of myself.

He frowned a little, "Did Michael know you were pregnant?"

I nodded. "We couldn't have had this baby. There's too much going on right now. And we just had AJ."

"You should tell him."

"I know."

A knock on the door interrupted us.

"Mrs. Jackson," Javon said. "Mr. Jackson called. He asked where we are."

"Let him in." I told Dr. Haring.

The bodyguard slowly came in, a worried look on his face.

His eyes landed on me. I noticed the confusion in them when he saw the robe I was wearing.

"Are you okay?" Javon asked.

I nodded, "Did you get Michael's things?"

"Yeah, the bag's in the car," he said. "We should head back to the hospital."

"Could you...?" I motioned towards myself and held out my hands.

Javon helped me stand slowly, his strong hands holding onto me. I was still a little numb from the anesthesia, so he helped me walk to the room divider where I changed into the clothes I was wearing before.

"So you want to tell me what you did in there?" he questioned once we were in the car.

"I think you already know." I mumbled.

He sighed loudly, "I won't tell Mr. Jackson... But you're going to have to."

"I know. I will," I lied. "Can we stop at a drug store? I'm going to need some things..."

"Of course."

~

I waited impatiently in the car as Javon got my things. I could feel the anesthesia wearing off and the pain was kicking in.

My phone suddenly rang. I saw Michael's name and considered ignoring his call.

I saw Javon coming back so I quickly pressed the red button.

"Here," the bodyguard placed the brown bag filled with medication that Dr. Haring prescribed in my lap. He looked at me skeptically when Michael called again. "Are you going to answer him?"

I shook my head, pressing the red button again.

"I know this is non of my business, but... You should really tell him."

"I know."

My eyes stung with fresh tears as Javon sped up the highway.

"The, uh, pharmacist said you need to take a pain killer now, and another one every three hours..." Javon said, looking at me sympathetically.

With shaky hands, I opened the brown bag and looked for the pills Javon was talking about.

The realization of what I've done started seeping through my mind. And the guilt was starting to slowly eat me alive.

~

We were stuck in traffic for too long. Although I didn't mind. The longer I can postpone facing Michael, the better.

He kept texting and asking where we were, but I ignored his messages.

All of a sudden, this burning feeling made it's way up my throat. I grabbed Javon's arm, barely managing to tell him to pull over.

I opened the door as fast as I could and heaved loudly. Whatever was left in my stomach was now all over the side of the road.

"Fuck." I moaned as the pain in my abdomen increased.

"Here," Javon handed me a bottle of water. "You should take another pain killer. So it wouldn't be so obvious you're in pain when we get back to the hospital."

I nodded, thankful for his help.

"Thank you for helping me. You don't have to, especially after what I did... I know how loyal you are to Michael and I hate making you do this..."

"I'm only doing this because I don't want him to get hurt. And he will be hurt, and very upset once you tell him - but I know he'll understand. He loves you too much to stay angry with you."

His words sunk in. Michael would be furious when he learns about what I did. And that's exactly why I was going to lie to him.

~

Michael: Why isn't Angela answering me?

Frustrated, I put my phone on the table next to me and sighed deeply.

"Mr. Jackson?"

I looked at Grace who held baby AJ in her arms.

"Would you like to hold her?" she asked.

"Of course."

As I held my baby girl in my arms, I couldn't help but pray that this surgery was going to go well.

A knock on the door was heard and a nurse came in.

"I'm sorry for having to do this, but I'm going to need everyone to step out for a few moments. I've got to run some tests." she smiled sweetly.

"Of course, we'll be right out." Grace said.

I kissed AJ's little nose before giving her to the nanny.

"You have beautiful kids." the nurse complimented.

I grinned, "Thank you."

"Are you feeling any better?"

I sighed, answering with a simple 'no'. I hated admitting that nothing worked for that pounding ache I was feeling in the back of my head.

She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Well," the nurse looked away from the machine I was hooked up with. "The good news is, nothing seemed to change since you checked in."

"That's goo-"

The door opened, revealing my mother.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, quickly coming to my side.

"Mother, I'm fine."

"I'm just worried."

"I'll leave you two to it," the nurse who took care of me said. "Just press the red button if you need me, Mr. Jackson."

I nodded, "Thank you so much."

When she left, mother sat next to me. She took my hand and kissed it.

"Did Angela tell you?" she whispered. "About the baby?"

"Yeah... But I don't think we're going to keep it, mother."

My mother widened her eyes, "What?"

"Angela's been through so much during AJ's pregnancy, I can't let her go through that again. And maybe we never talked about it, but it was obvious AJ would be our last baby." I explained.

"But an abortion, Michael?" her eyes turned sad.

"If it's what she wants..." I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Mother, if we're already here... I need you to promise me you'll take care of Angela and the kids if something might happen to me..."

Just as I finished my sentence, Angela walked in. More like limped her way in, with Javon helping her.

As an instinct, I tried standing up to help her myself, but mother pushed me back.

"What happened?!" I asked as she slowly sat down, a pained expression on her face.

"I-"

Javon cut her off, "Mrs. Jackson, maybe we should give them some privacy..."

"Right. We'll be right outside if you need us." mother nodded, following Javon outside.

"I'm so sorry, Mike." Angela covered her face and started bawling into her hands.

"Hey, hey... Tell me what happened..." I tried pulling her hands away from her, but she wouldn't budge.

"I- I lost the baby..."

"What? How?"

Angela uncovered her face and wiped her tears, "I- I wanted to surprise you, make you feel a little better, so I asked Javon to drop me off at Dr. Haring's clinic. I wanted him to check out the baby, see what week I am, and get you some pictures... But he didn't find a heartbeat. Our baby didn't have a heartbeat, Michael..."

I hurried to get up and hold her, but immediately regretted that decision.

My vision went blurry like it did before, and I could barely hear Angela calling my name before everything went black again.

~

Angela: "Michael!" I called my husband's name.

I clutched his stiff body and hurried to lay him back on the bed. His eyes rolled back while he started jerking all over. The machine he was hooked to sounded like an alarm.

"Michael! Michael, please..." I begged, trying to stop his body movements.

Outside, someone must've heard the commotion because Javon and a nurse burst through the door.

"Someone get Dr. Moore! Now!" the nurse yelled, quickly coming over to us. "Mrs. Jackson, you need to step back..."

Javon hurried to grab me before I could protest and held me. I watched as the nurse injected some kind of medicine into Michael's arm.

His body soon relaxed and his heart rate calmed down.

"He's stable." the nurse informed Dr. Moore who breathlessly ran into the room.

"We're going to need to take him into surgery, now..." the doctor said as he took a small flashlight and checked Michael's eyes. "His pupils are unresponsive. Get an OR ready."

The nurse nodded before leaving fast.

I could feel my heart ache inside my chest.

"Angela, he's going to make it." Dr. Moore promised. He smiled reassuringly at me, then called a few more nurses to help take Michael to the OR.

Javon rubbed my back soothingly as they wheeled him out of the room.

He kept telling me Michael was going to be fine, but I could feel it in my guts.

Michael wasn't going to make it.