The Windfalls of Love (Roxanne and Harrison) novel Chapter 306

The day before he fainted, Dominic felt the chill of the Grim Reaper's breath on his neck.

The sensation was eerily similar to that distant time on the operation table, when he hovered between life and death.

He was terrified of dying.

Nobody wants to leave this world.

It was dreadful to feel that dizzying weakness and the complete loss of control over his own body.

It was like being on death's doorstep.

He didn't want to die. He still needed to see Roxanne and Harrison mend their broken relationship, to witness their happiness.

Harrison genuinely wanted Dominic to get better.

Sitting in the chair beside him, he tried to offer some comfort, "Don't worry about me and Roxanne. You need to focus on getting yourself right and get prepared for the surgery."

"I can't go into surgery with peace of mind without telling you," Dominic said, weighed down by his troubles.

There's no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to surgery.

Even an appendectomy, the most routine of operations, can end with a life lost on the table.

And Dominic's surgery would involve cutting into his brain.

Though Dominic understood his condition and that the surgery should cure him completely, accidents can happen.

He feared he might never get another chance to speak his mind.

Perhaps by sharing his thoughts, Harrison could truly understand Roxanne's feelings and figure out how to win her back.

Harrison’s curiosity piqued, pressed, "What is it?"

"Don't blame Roxanne for keeping her distance with you," Dominic started.

Harrison sighed deeply, his brow furrowing with a mix of guilt and remorse, "It’s not her fault. I was a real jerk before. I completely shattered her heart."

The past loomed heavy between the two men, casting a somber shadow over the room.

Dominic's heart ached for Roxanne and all that she'd endured, "When Roxanne was in the hospital giving birth, Angela was born premature and didn't breathe or have a heartbeat when she arrived. Roxanne bled heavily. As the doctors fought to save her, Roxanne gave up on herself, having lost all will to live. She longed for death."

That was three years ago.

Now, as Harrison heard the revelation, he was shaken to his core, "Roxanne never told me any of this. I only knew that Angela was in an incubator."

"Of course she wouldn't share these things," Dominic continued, "You know, a doctor's efforts are crucial, but the patient's will to live is the deciding factor."

It was an event that still frightened Dominic to his core.

"Without the desire to live, all the medical efforts would be in vain. At that moment, I really thought I'd lose her."

Dominic choked up, unable to continue.

Three years ago, when Roxanne had Angela, Dominic nearly lost her.

Even now, it still suffocated him to recall the memory of seeing Roxanne motionless and her life monitor flatlining.

After a long pause, he blinked back tears and continued with a mournful voice, "Roxanne's breathing and heartbeat stopped for over ten minutes. Thank God I had a moment of inspiration and played a recording of a newborn's cries on my phone, looping it by her ear."

Because Dominic had been close to death himself.

He knew that when people die, they don't completely lose consciousness.

Their awareness lingers in another dimension, as if sensing their life reaching its end.

So he decided to use the sound of a newborn crying to awaken Roxanne's desire to live.

He wept uncontrollably as he hunched over on the steps with head in hands and shoulders shaking.

Evelyn could tell that his sobs weren't just from grief, but from intense guilt and self-reproach.

Harrison began to pound his fists against the wall and muttered, "How could I have been such a jerk!"

Seeing this, Evelyn couldn't help but feel her own eyes well up with tears.

Wasn't Harrison here to visit Dominic?

What on earth had Dominic said to Harrison to leave him drenched in such guilt?

Evelyn could only listen to the sound of Harrison pounding the wall with forceful thuds that seemed to echo through her very bones.

Just listening made her hands ache with sympathy.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Harrison finally stopped his assault on the wall. He took a moment to recollect himself. Then he turned around.

It was too late for Evelyn to escape from her peeking. She was caught off guard by the sudden stormy look in Harrison's eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"Um." Evelyn had never seen her brother break down, "Harrison, are you okay?"

She raised her hand as if taking an oath, "Harrison, I swear, I won't breathe a word of what I saw today. You can trust me. I'll keep your secret."

A big shot CEO of a conglomerate, the top dog of Seraphim Haven, was caught crying in secret. If word got out, the embarrassment would be monumental.

But Evelyn offered comfort, "Harrison, don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone gets tired, everyone hurts. If there's something weighing on you, just tell me. I’ll share your load."

"Am I a real jerk?" Harrison asked in a self-deprecating smile tugging at the corner of his lips.