Alexander Kane Is Not a Poor Bastard!

Chapter Two Another Slap and Hospital Bill

Jeruel arrived at the hospital drenched in sweat, her chest heaving. She had sprinted furiously, her heels clacking on the pavement, refusing to wait for a taxi. Jack had pulled up beside her halfway, the sleek hum of his car cutting through the quiet of the night. Without a word, she had jumped in, and together they sped toward the hospital. Her mind raced with every passing second.

Inside the hospital, Jeruel pushed through the automatic doors, her sharp gaze darting across the waiting room. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a sterile glow on the gray walls. She spotted Alexander slouched in a chair by the secretary’s desk, his head bowed, his shoulders hunched. He looked up as she entered, his eyes tired and red-rimmed.

“Jeruel,” Alexander said, standing quickly. His voice trembled with urgency. “I—”

She didn’t let him finish. Her gaze dropped to Jack, who had followed closely behind her. Alexander’s eyes widened, lingering on the stranger, his confusion momentarily eclipsing his worry. But there was no time for explanations. Jeruel strode past him, her heels clicking with purpose.

Her mother, Diana, stood near the entrance to Zoe’s hospital room, her face etched with a mixture of fury and weariness.

“Mom, what happened?” Jeruel demanded, her voice breaking. She grabbed Diana’s arm as if to steady herself.

Diana glanced past her at Alexander, who lingered uncertainly by the door. Her lips curled in disgust. “It’s his fault!” she snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “That useless man is to blame!”

Jeruel stiffened. “What did he do?”

Diana’s voice cracked with emotion as she relayed the events. “He left Zoe alone while he was playing housemaid in the laundry room! The poor girl wandered off and fell into the pool! I found her just in time—she was barely breathing. I pulled her out myself!” Diana’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “The doctor said she'd recover, but, Jeruel, it was close. Too close.”

Jeruel’s world tilted. Her vision blurred as fury erupted inside her, white-hot and unrelenting. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The room around her seemed to vanish, leaving only the sound of her mother’s words echoing in her mind.

She turned on her heel, her eyes locking on Alexander. He took an instinctive step back, his expression shifting from worry to dread.

“Jeruel,” he started, raising his hands in placation. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen—”

Her hand flew before he could finish, the slap reverberating through the hallway. Alexander stumbled, his hand flying to his cheek, his eyes wide with shock.

“How dare you?” Jeruel hissed, her voice trembling with rage. She stepped closer, her body shaking as her words came like venom. “You had two responsibilities—do the damn chores and keep an eye on our daughter! What if my mother hadn’t been there? Zoe could’ve died, Alexander!”

“I didn’t know—” he stammered, his voice cracking.

“Exactly!” she snapped, cutting him off. “You didn’t know because you weren’t paying attention! This is beyond incompetence—this is negligence. What use are you to me? To Zoe?”

Her words hit him like a blow to the chest. Alexander lowered his gaze, shame washing over him. “Jeruel, please, I—”

“You what?” she interrupted, her voice rising. “You’ll try harder? You’ll do better? Don’t make me laugh. You’ve been nothing but a burden. I’m done, Alexander. For Zoe’s sake, I’ve tried to tolerate you, but I’m done.”

Alexander’s head snapped up, his heart pounding. “Jeruel, you don’t mean that—”

“Oh, I mean every word,” she said, her tone icy. She glanced over her shoulder at Jack, who had been standing silently nearby. Her voice softened as she turned toward him. “I’ll be speaking to my lawyer tomorrow. You’ll get the divorce papers soon enough.”

Jack stepped forward, his presence commanding. He placed a hand on Jeruel’s waist, his posture protective. Alexander’s stomach twisted as he realized the truth: Jack wasn’t just a stranger. He was Jeruel’s new partner.

“Jeruel,” Alexander tried again, his voice barely above a whisper.

But she didn’t look at him. Instead, she leaned into Jack, letting him guide her toward the exit.

From across the room, Diana’s voice rang out, cold and sharp. “And don’t think for a second you’ll still be part of Zoe’s life. You’ve proven you’re incapable of protecting her. I’ll make sure of it.”

Alexander stood frozen, the world spinning around him. His marriage was crumbling, his wife was walking away with another man, and now they threatened to take his daughter—the one person he still had a shred of hope for.

Before he could respond, Jack paused, turning back to face him. His tone was low but firm, carrying an air of finality. “Do yourself a favor and leave, Alexander. Man to man, it’s over. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

The hospital doors slid shut behind them, leaving Alexander standing alone in the corridor. The weight of their words bore down on him like a physical force. He felt small, insignificant—a shadow of the man he used to be.

But as the silence settled, something stirred deep within him. Anger. A spark of defiance that had been buried for years flickered to life. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His breathing grew steady, his mind sharpening.

He looked toward the hospital room where Zoe lay, the faint beeping of monitors audible from the hallway. His daughter needed him, and he wasn’t going to let her down again. Not this time.

For too long, he had let others control his life. Jeruel, her family, and now Jack—they had taken everything from him. But not Zoe. She was his anchor, his reason to fight.

Alexander turned and walked toward the exit. The night air hit him like a slap, cold and bracing. He looked up at the sky, the stars faint against the glow of the city lights.

He had been beaten down, humiliated, and cast aside. But he wasn’t broken. Not yet.

For the first time in years, Alexander felt a sense of purpose. He didn’t know how he would fight back, but he knew one thing for certain: he wasn’t going to let them take his daughter.