CHAPTER 30: – CCTV FOOTAGE –

Viviana didn’t hesitate, following the nurse deeper into the hospital. They stopped at the ward where her mother was admitted, and when the door opened, she saw her mother curled up on the bed, shivering.

A breathing mask covered her face, a drip attached to her arm.

"W-what’s going on?"

The nurse bit down on her lip, hesitating to speak up.

"I’m asking you a question!" Viviana snapped. "What happened to my mother? Why is she like that?"

The nurse wouldn’t answer her.

She snatched her shoulder, choking out, "She was... she was getting better. Why is she like this?"

The nurse swallowed hard. "A-actually, yesterday evening, Mrs. Savannah Di-grassi came around. After she saw your mother, she became like this."

"What?"

Viviana went still.

"What are you talking about?" she yelled. "I told you no one, none except me, could see my mother! How could you allow that? Why? Why would you do that?"

The nurse quickly dropped to her knees, begging. "I’m sorry, Ms. Di-grassi. I couldn’t do anything even if I tried. None of us could afford getting on her bad side. I-I-I could get fired if she asked for it, and—"

Viviana rushed toward her mother and dropped to her knees.

"Ma..." she whispered. "Ma, please look at me."

Rosalia couldn’t. If anything, she curled further away, pulling the hospital blanket tighter around herself.

In that moment, Viviana felt like she was losing her mind. Maybe, she already had.

She shot to her feet suddenly, stormed over to the nurse, and yanked her upright. "CCTV."

"Huh?" The nurse appeared confused.

Viviana fixed her with a cutting stare. "Show me the CCTV footage right now!"

The nurse nodded quickly and hurried to her feet toward the tech room. The man inside glanced over, pausing when he saw them.

"C-could you play the CCTV footage for room 31A from last night?" the nurse asked.

The man’s eyes flicked between her and Viviana. He nodded. "Sure."

Viviana moved over to stand behind him.

First, they saw Savannah step into the frame to speak to her mother. As the footage continued, her mother grew so hysterical that she fell from the bed and crawled after Savannah, crying.

What could Savannah have said to her mother?

Viviana’s hands curled into fists and she stormed out of the room, heading back to the ward.

Her mother, Rosalia, was a complete mess like she’d never seen before. She’d been getting better. How could she just go back to this?

She fought to hold back the wetness in her eyes as she turned to the nurse. "My mother, fix her. Her medications, give them to her."

The nurse shook her head. "That’s... impossible."

"What?"

"That was the other thing I intended to speak to you about, Ms. Viviana." She bit her lip. "Your family called this morning, saying that your father was no longer responsible for your mother’s treatment."

"Huh...?" Viviana blinked.

"They said it’s no longer on him, and that means your mother can no longer stay in this hospital anymore. She will be discharged unless payments are met."

"That’s..." Viviana shook her head. "You can’t do that. They can’t do that to her! You can’t just throw her out!"

The nurse looked broken. She’d been Rosalia’s personal nurse all this while. "It’s not my call, ma’am. Your father sponsors this hospital, and since he’s withdrawn, she’s no longer allowed to stay, and they don’t seem to care either. However, if you can foot the bill, she can continue—"

"Foot the bill? I don’t have such a large sum of money right now!" Viviana gritted out. "Don’t you get it? My account is frozen, and I’m helpless! I cannot do anything."

The nurse swallowed hard, unsure how to control the situation. She was darting her gaze around, unable to make eye contact. "I’m so sorry for what happened last night. But you know what?"

"I’ll see to it that your mother can stay here for the next forty-eight hours," she said. "But you’re going to have to figure out what to do by then. Until then, I’ll take proper care of her this time around. I promise you that."

Viviana stared at her. Her eyes watered and she dropped to a squat on the ground, sobbing. Deep down, she knew that even in forty-eight hours, there was still nothing she would be able to do.

She had no power against her father. Not like this.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She buried her face in her palms, feeling as if every day, things just kept getting worse. They were hell-bent on punishing her for going against them.

’They can’t do this.’ She sobbed harder. ’He can’t do this to her. Please...’

"Ma’am..." The nurse fidgeted with her fingers. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to know. I was afraid. I am so sorry." Her lips were trembling, fighting back the cry that threatened to escape.

Viviana staggered to her feet and pushed herself back into the ward. Rosalia wouldn’t even look at her, and as if she were a complete stranger, she pulled away from her reluctant touch, making a sound of protest under her breath.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew too well what her mother’s condition was like, especially when she got like this.

It was this way in the beginning and she’d had to fight so hard to see that she got better. That she recovered. And they were getting there. But now...

Viviana stood there, unmoving. She was staring at her mother and sobbing with her hands clutching her chest. "Please... don’t do this to me. Not after everything I’ve endured. You’re killing me."

How much more could she endure?

"Don’t be like this. It’s me... It’s your daughter. Please, look at me. Say something to me, I’m begging you. I don’t know what to do anymore."

She dropped down to her knees, sitting with her head thrown back as she sobbed.

"I don’t know what to do, Mom... You’re breaking me."

The nurse, who was at the door, turned her back against them, grabbing at her chest as she began crying silently, muttering, "I’m sorry."

"...I’m so sorry."

————

The rain poured heavily.

Viviana was driving silently, hands clenching the steering wheel. Her knuckles were bone white and her eyes were swollen and wet from crying.

Another sob caught in her throat and unable to hold it back, it broke, blurring her vision. She sniffled, reaching to wipe her eyes, however, in that split second, she didn’t see the car coming opposite her.

Not until it was too late.

Blinding headlights exploded, blinding her. The loud sound of the engine rang, and then the blare of the horn.

A snap!

Metals screeched across the road. Glasses shattered. The impact punched into her chest as the car spun, tires skidding loudly across the road until it crashed into the guardrail.

It all went quiet.

A deafening silence fell.