Page 69 of The Arrogant's Redemption

I identified myself as Alexis Gillis and, just in case there was any doubt, reminded her of our phone call.

She took days to respond, even though the app showed she’d read it. I didn’t give up, kept insisting, and regretted not saving LJ’s number before changing my SIM card. But how could I have guessed something so serious would happen? I expected never to see him again.

Finally, after weeks of trying, she replied:Get lost. My brother moved on, bitch.

I accepted that message and the lack of any attempt from him to contact me as the universe’s sign that, from then on, the responsibility was no longer mine.

My mom, however, thinks differently. Even though she also has no idea how we’ll find him to tell him he has a son, she insists that LJ has the right to know, and Sedric, even though still a baby, deserves to know his father.

I don’t want anything from LJ, and as selfish as it may sound, I’d rather wait a few years until Sedric is older to introduce them. But about a month ago, I finally looked into the cause of my exhaustion, and to my absolute horror, I found out I have a condition called congenital coronary artery anomaly.?1

It’s usually asymptomatic and the second leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, especially athletes.

The cardiologist explained many technical details, but to sum up, the mechanism that causes compression of the artery originates in the opposite coronary sinus, which is abnormal.

He told me the disease is still a mystery to doctors and that most of the time, physical exams come back normal, even in patients with this condition.

These coronary artery anomalies refer to structural or positional abnormalities of the arteries responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. They’re present from birth but can go unnoticed until symptoms appear or complications occur.

After pregnancy, I felt increasingly tired for no apparent reason, but afraid of worrying my mom, I stayed silent. When I finally took action, the news wasn’t good. All three cardiologists I saw told me that although the surgery I need doesn’t pose a higher mortality risk than average, there’s only one surgeon in the country who could, with a new technique he developed, reduce the risk to about one point two percent?2: Lazarus Jasper Seymour.

The first time I heard that name, I wanted to laugh. I was sure it was either a mistake or the universe playing some cruel joke. Then I saw a second specialist for a second opinion. Heconfirmed what the first one said, and I wanted to scream with frustration. Finally, last week, I saw a third specialist, and when he confidently said LJ’s name, my mom made the decision for me. We’d have to find him.

Since then, I’ve been doing everything possible to delay the inevitable. Not just because the idea of being anywhere near him makes me even sicker than I already am, but also because I know that seeing him again will mean I have to tell him everything about Sedric.

Like a nightmare, a thousand scenarios have played through my head. I imagined him being with someone else, or that this new woman might be pregnant too, and our child would be seen as an inconvenience.

I also thought LJ might say he didn’t want him, which, while not a pleasant scenario, would at least free me from having to deal with him.

Worst of all, the most terrifying possibility: that he might not even remember me.

"Even if I try to book an appointment with him, there’s a low chance he’ll see me," I argue, instead of voicing my fear. "The other cardiologists said he only takes very special cases now."

She stays silent for so long I start squirming in my chair, until she finally says, "I got his number and made an appointment."

"What? How could you do that without telling me first?"

"My priority is keeping you alive, Alexis. You can go on hating your son’s father after he saves your life, though I think that would hurt Sedric. But right now, what matters to me is eliminating the risk of losing you. Your son and I need you in our lives."

I feel defeated, but there’s no argument I can make against that. "How did you get his number, Mom? I tried so many times and hit dead ends everywhere."

"I went to the hospital. I waited there for several days until the receptionist got so annoyed with me that she threatened to call security. I dared her to do it, and at that moment, one of Dr. Lazarus’s partners was walking in. I can only call it a miracle."

"What did you do then?"

"I told him about your case and that you and the cardiologist knew each other in the past. I gave him your name and my number. This morning, Lazarus called me."

"Jesus Christ!"

"I told him about your condition, and he said he would see you tomorrow morning."

"Just like that? He must be incredibly busy!"

"He didn’t ask questions, Alexis. He just told me to bring you to the appointment first thing tomorrow."

"You told him . . ."

"No. I’d never do that. It’s up to you to tell the man he’s a father."

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