Third Person's POV
Bella was clutching her empty stomach as she was walking on the busy streets of New York feebly. She hasn't eaten for the past few days and assumed that, based on her current status, she would never have the chance to eat now. She sighed heavily. She was slowly regretting the choice she made a couple of days ago, for she would never have to experience this kind of nightmare if she had agreed to the offer, but she knew she didn't want to be a burden so she turned it down.
If you had accepted the offer, you wouldn't have to suffer this. You're not a burden at all, the devil in her selfish mind tried implanting the thought in her brain, but she pushed it away quickly. You're doing the correct thing, she thought to herself; she didn't want to burden others and she knew that she would rather die of starvation than have others think badly of her.
Minutes turned into hours, and Bella's energy was plummeting down from its peak, she knew she would have to find a job soon, no matter what it took. She passed by two stores and to her dismay, her newly found determination dissolved faster than she thought it would. After seeing her reflection in the display window, she staggered for a moment. A disheveled woman in dirty clothes was staring back at her. The past couple of days surely hadn't done her any good, those were really the toughest day of her life. Losing a job and having no money at all caused her a lot of trouble, it also gave her a tough time just to find a place to stay or food to eat.
She passed another couple of stores and avoided staring at the food stores she came across as least as possible. She could hardly withstand her problem, and her empty stomach wasn't making her plans to avoid the problem any easier.
Another hour passed and Bella had definitely had enough. She wished she could die now. She couldn't bare the pain that her empty stomach was inflicting on her and she most definitely didn't want to bring herself to think that she had lost her job and turned down a life changing opportunity. So stupid! She chided herself once again. She wishes she could go back to that very time so she could grab that opportunity and never have to experience this nightmare.
Bella crossed the street unconsciously, or rather, uncaringly, not knowing that after this tragic day, right after a long honk and the sounds of screeching wheels...
The Wheel of Fate had decided to change her life drastically.
A man rushed to the hospital carrying his daughter on his back. He was really pissed off because today was supposed to be his day off—a perfect day for some father-daughter bonding time. Groaning in frustration, he pulled his daughter up from the bench in the park and told her that they were heading for the hospital. He sighed, the least he could do was promise her an ice cream after all this "business" was cleared up. Of course, being the sweet girl that he has always loved, the little girl agreed and went along with his father in their car.
Jasper has been incredibly busy these days, being an only parent for his daughter, he had to work extra hard to support her. Truth is, Natalie was not really his daughter, but his best friend's little girl. His friend didn't have the strength to take care of her own daughter because of some problems and Jasper accepted the responsibility willingly—he loved his best friend that much. So much more than a friend actually, and he couldn't help but accept his best friend's wish. He cursed inwardly, he was not supposed to think of her in front of Natalie because who knows what would happen if he broke down in front of her, and the girl would probably be scared of him for the rest of her life. And that's something he definitely doesn't want to see happening..
"Daddy..." His daughter's sweet voice pulled him back to reality. Sighing again, he looked at his daughter sitting in the backseat with a small smile. She has her mother's eyes. He thought unintentionally.
His daughter didn't say anything. Instead, she pointed her little fingers to the road in front of them and screamed. Startled, Jasper whipped his head around and couldn't help but scream as he was about to hit a clueless girl. Adrenaline shot through his veins as he put his foot down to hit the brakes.
Everything played out like they were a scene in a movie, where the scene in front of them was played in slow motion. Jasper's car screeched to a stop, but not fast enough. His car hit the girl's limp body and she was sent flying away from the car.
Luck was not on his side today.
Jasper was shocked to say the least. He scrambled out of the car and rushed over to the girl whom he hit. He was thankful that there weren't any people on the road because he ran a little too fast than humanly possible.
"Oh God." He mumbled. As he saw the girl's face, it was utterly beautiful, despite of the blood that was running down her forehead. A fallen angel, he thought to himself before his rational mind screamed to him that they had to rush the beautiful girl to the hospital before it was too late. He swiftly carried the unconscious girl's body to the backseat of his car and revved the engine to where the hospital was.
"Daddy, is she...is she going to die?" Her daughter choked on the last word and cried. Jasper checked on his daughter through the rearview mirror; she was curled in a ball in the corner of her seat. Jasper's heart clenched at the sight.
"No...no...Daddy's going to do everything to keep the girl alive." He said quietly. As soon as they sent the girl he hit through the hospital doors, he hugged his daughter tightly against his chest, "Everything will be alright. Don't cry, sweetie." He hushed his daughter's and kissed her forehead reassuringly.
Wanting to distract his daughter from the traumatic situation, he asked his daughter if she would like some ice cream. At first his daughter hesitated, but then agreed when he promised that as soon as the girl woke up, they would get to see her.
They both walked to the nearest park, holding the ice cream that they bought at the nearest ice cream shop.
"Daddy?" Natalie called him as they sat on the bench.
"Yeah?" he asked, wiping the strawberry ice cream from his daughter's nose. His daughter giggled and wiped the vanilla ice cream from his daddy's mouth. Jasper's eyes widened as his daughter laughed, so hard that she almost fell from the bench she was currently sitting on.
"Be careful ma'am." He drawled, using his Texan twang as he caught her daughter from falling. His daughter laughed even harder as she heard the 'funny voice' she referred it to. Jasper laughed too, amazed by how a simple laugh could lighten the mood around them.
"Can I visit the girl tomorrow, Daddy?" Her daughter asked. He was a little taken back. Should he allow his daughter to come along with him? Should he let her entangle herself in this kind of situation? His daughter pouted, sensing his father's distress and doubts.
"Please, please, please." Her daughter said, using her sweetest and cutest voice possible. He groaned inwardly, he was definitely going to have a serious talk with his sister-in law later for teaching his daughter that tactic. He pretended to think for a while, watching his daughter look at him innocently.
"Please Daddy, I just want to apowogize." She mumbled, nearly in tears.
"It's Apologize, angel." He corrected, tickling her sides. And without a doubt, her daughter burst out laughing, the nearly shed tears were replaced by tears of joy. "And of course you can visit her, just promise that you would be a good girl, alright?" he said to his grinning daughter.
"Yes, Daddy!" she said excitedly. "Thank you!" She squealed, kissing Jasper's cheek. Jasper chuckled as his daughter continued to shower him with kisses; his daughter was, with no doubt, the sweetest daughter he could ever find.
"You're welcome." He mumbled, kissing his daughter's forehead. "Now come on, it's getting dark and we should go home now."
She nodded and stretched her hands for Jasper to pick her up, instinctively he lifted her up and placed her near his chest. After a long walk to the parking lot, his daughter dozed off and was snoring quietly against his chest.
He sighed, he never knew that this day would ever come to him. That he would almost kill an innocent human being by his own recklessness. He pinched the bridge of his nose, a trait that he got from his brother; he almost killed an innocent girl in front of his daughter. What an extremely good parent he is, he thought to himself bitterly. Now how is he supposed to erase the traumatic events of today from his daughter's mind? He groaned. This was just the start to the many problems he would be facing.
He parked his car in front of his house and sighed. He would have to confront this problem later, he couldn't bear to be mad or frustrated right now in front of his daughter.
He fidgeted and opened the door to his home. Home atlas, he thought to himself.
"Oh Jasper, dear you're home! Let me help." Marie, his maid rushed forward.
" I'm fine Marie. Go rest now." he persuaded, smiling at her.
"Are you sure Jasper? Perhaps you'd like some sandwiches?" She inquired.
"No, no I'm fine. Really. Marie, go to sleep now." He mumbled, looking at his tiredly looking maid.
Marie nodded, and walked on her room mumbling a good night and sleep dreams before she yawned. While jasper walked up the stairs, his heart thumped widely and his head full of scenarios that would happen tomorrow when he would meet the girl that he almost killed again.
When he reached the second floor, He carefully placed his daughter on her bed and kissed his daughter's cheek.
" I love you." He whispered to his daughter and sat down on the chair near her. She looks a lot like her, Jasper thought. He gripped the chair hardly. You shouldn't be thinking of her, idiot. He scolded himself. But who was he trying to kid? He knew that whatever he did, he couldn't stop thinking of his daughter's mother.
Jasper groaned and ran to his room, not wanting his daughter wake up and see how miserable he was. He stripped his clothes and rushed to his bathroom, switching the shower from hot to cold. He never flinched once when the cold water hit him. In fact, he actually enjoyed the numbness that the water was giving him. He sighed and slammed his head on the wall near him. Why can't I forget about her? He asked himself. He slammed his head on the cold tiled walls again as the painful images started invading his mind. Maria smiling, Maria holding Natalie, Maria in the hospital fighting for her life.
Another slam on the wall.
How was he suppose to explain to the innocent child that his mother was dying in the hospital and his father was not him but an idiotic bastard who ran away, afraid of the responsibilities?
Another slam.
Perhaps he would die if he hit his head again. Him covered with blood on the white bath tub suddenly seemed appealing to him. But he couldn't do that and he knew that if he started filling his mind with images of his daughter, everything would lighten up and the gruesome pictures would disappear.
He has to live, for his daughter, for Maria, for the promise.
He sucked his breath in, a massive headache was preventing him from thinking about anything else. He changed into his pyjamas before diving inside the covers on his bed. And as his head hit the pillow, everything seemed to turn black; his eyelids drooped and his body turned heavier. His problems dissolved in an instant and the girl that he hit forgotten, not too long after his body succumbed into unconsciousness.
Tomorrow would be a though day for Jasper, especially when he has no clue of what Fate has in store for him.