Semua Bab When Stars Fade: Bab 1 - Bab 9

Even after I got out of the operation room, it seemed that Shawn didn't care that we had just lost our seven-month-old unborn child.Even though this hospital belonged to his company, Dawson Group, he purposefully set me up at a simple hospital bed in the corner of the stairwell. Coldness was all I could feel as I laid there, and even my son, who was keeping me company, couldn't help but shiver. Even then, he didn't care about himself. Instead, he gripped my hand tightly and breathed warm air onto it with his little mouth. "I'll make you warm, Mommy!"I forced a weak smile, trying to trick him. "Mommy's not cold, Aster."When I saw his hands swollen red and blue from the cold, I couldn't help my tears.Just a few steps of the staircase away, Jasmine was staying in a luxurious ward. She had doctors on command to check on her 24/7 as well as a bunch of bodyguards and maids at the beck and call, all at the behest of Shawn. Aster clenched his teeth, and seemed to come to a conclu

Jasmine, furious, yanked her hand away and stood up, ruthlessly kicking Aster in the stomach. The poor boy arched his back in pain, retching violently. In the past few days, he hadn't even eaten more than scraps while taking care of me, so in that moment, nothing came out but blood mixed with stomach acid.Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the door. Jasmine's expression changed and immediately put on Aster's clothes properly. The moment she finished zipping up his jacket, Shawn walked in the door."I left my watch… Aster?"His eyes locked onto his son, whose forehead was bruised and swollen. His expression shifted to shock.“What’s going on? Jasmine, did you hit him?”Jasmine furrowed her brows and massaged her temples, swaying as if she was about to faint.Shawn immediately stepped forward, holding her in his arms."I don't know what I did wrong, Shawn…" Jasmine murmured, deliberately lifting her wrist to reveal the bite wound. As she cried, she recounted the false ta

Jasmine wiped the tear stains from her face, hiding the panic in her darting eyes.Perhaps emboldened by the lack of surveillance in the hospital room, a flash of malice flickered across her gaze.But when she looked up again, she was back to her usual delicate, pitiable appearance."D-Did you forget, Shawn? She's done things like this before!" She had told him about the time she brought tea leaves as a gift when visiting our home, and how I supposedly tried to pour the scalding hot liquid on my son's hand, even trying to frame her for it. That was when Shawn came back and saw me splashing tea on Aster, so he didn't fall for it.As this incident was brought up, the cold hostility in Shawn’s eyes faded somewhat.Meanwhile, I clenched my hands so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.That time, Jasmine was the one who had kicked me hard under the sofa, causing me to stumble and accidentally splash the tea I was serving her on Aster's hand.Come to think of it, she'd just fi

Jasmine forced herself to calm down, tears streaming down her face on command. "You've misunderstood, Shawn! I accidentally knocked the tube away, and I didn't have the chance to put it back before you came in!"Shawn sneered at her paltry defence, telling the bodyguard standing behind him to walk over with a laptop. He told Jasmine to look at the footage before continuing to say anything.With just a glance, Jasmine went pale. Taking a closer look, I realized that it was the footage of Aster being kicked out of the hospital ward one day earlier. I watched the replay of my young son crawling inch by inch towards the stairwell, the heartbreaking footage making me wish I could lose consciousness right then and there. Aster left behind a long trail of blood from the ward, all the way to the stairwell, but after a short while, Jasmine appeared at the door. With a quick wave, she summoned a janitor that was working nearby. "Wipe this clean, quick. Don't leave behind something so dis

One month later, Aster was finally discharged from the hospital.I never strayed once from his side, day and night. I could feel my strength growing weaker, so I cherished every second I could still spend with him.When he woke up, the first thing he said was, "Where's Mommy?"Shawn immediately looked away, not daring to meet the young boy's gaze."Grandpa, is Mommy hiding from me because I was too much of a dummy? Is Mommy mad at me for not taking care of her?"My father-in-law started tearing up, but he managed to convince him that I was overseas to see a doctor, promising that I'd come home if he did a good job of recovering.Aster's eyes lit up, and he nodded obediently.From that day on, he'd cooperate fully, whether it be with injections or medication. Even the doctors were astonished, saying that they'd never seen such an adorable and obedient child.After a long time, Shawn finally managed to piece together the broken toy car, but Aster didn't seem to treasure it as muc