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Troy had narrowly escaped death.
A sick old man in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney
The doctor told us his heart had slowed to a dangerously low rate, and that if an ambulance had arrived a few minutes later, he wouldn’t have survived.
I wasn’t sure what I felt. This was the man who had abandoned me after 36 years. And yet, when I saw him lying pale and weak in that hospital bed, I felt something stir in my chest, something deeper than anger.
Love? Maybe.
When we entered his room, Troy’s eyes widened in shock. He looked at me, then at our children standing beside me, and his expression changed from surprise to something heavier. Guilt. Shame.
An old man in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney
His voice broke as he spoke. “I… I owe you all an apology.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. My children remained silent, their faces unreadable.
He looked directly at me. “You saved my life.”
I exhaled slowly. “Yes, I did.”
In that moment, despite everything, we embraced again as a family. My children wrapped their arms around their father, and for a brief second, I felt as if the last 36 years hadn’t been irreparably shattered.
Then Troy explained what had happened.
An elderly man in hospital speaks to his family | Source: Midjourney
“When I woke up this morning, Alicia was sitting next to me, acting… loving and concerned,” he said bitterly. “I thought she’d called 911.”
He clenched his jaw. “Then the doctor came in. And he told me the truth.”
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“It was you.”
Troy’s face darkened as he recounted what the doctor had told him.
Old man in a hospital bed talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney
“They ran some tests, and asked me about my exercise program… the one Alicia made me do.” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “And then… they told me the truth.”
I held my breath.
“The workout program she gave me was killing me.”
A stunned silence filled the room. My children exchanged horrified glances.
“The doctor said my heart couldn’t take the strain,” Troy continued, his voice tinged with anger. “At first, I thought I was just out of shape, that I had to push myself to the limit. But instead of getting stronger, I was getting weaker. And last night…” He swallowed hard. “My heart couldn’t take it anymore.”
Senior Couple Conversing | Source: Midjourney
I suddenly remembered how Alicia had pushed my phone away and yelled at me to leave. The pieces clicked into place like a sinister puzzle.
She wanted this to happen.
Troy let out a bitter laugh. “I guess all she wanted was my money.” He ran a hand over his face, exhausted. “After I rewrote my will to include it, she gave me this crazy workout plan. I thought she was helping me get healthier.” He let out a hollow chuckle. “But instead, she nearly killed me.”
I crossed my arms. “And now you see her for who she really is.”
Troy’s gaze met mine, filled with regret.
Senior couple deep in conversation | Source: Midjourney
Continued on the next page
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