¶Chapter song-At my worst¶
*By-Pink sweat$ & Kehlani*

"You have to act before it's too late."

"I know but it's not that easy too, I have to think about every pros and cons before taking any step."

"Fine! Keep thinking and that Adam will sue her for Cora's custody." Luke huffed, banging his palm at the table between them. "And yes, if you didn't do anything right now and Hailey loses Cora. Then don't blame her for spoiling the childhood of that young girl!" He hissed with a clenched jaw before leaving the room.

Arthur sat lost in his chair. The way he reacted to Hailey the previous day, was certainly not a planned thought but at the same time, not a rash, momentary reaction too.

Arthur meant his words. He had concerned a few of the best lawyers of the town and at the same time, the security of the hospital was tightened. Arthur talked with the sheriff who came to meet Hailey after the assault. Hoping to drag Adam in that case. This way he at least have some legal matter regarding his behavior.

"Doctor Arthur, I need a favor." Hailey entered the room, announcing, "can you please give me, my reports of the night Adam assaulted me?"

"What?" Arthur reacted with confusion as he was thinking about the same thing.

"Yes sure, but may I ask why you need it?"

"I'm going to file a complaint."

Arthur got a faint smile, "eventually, you thought something reasonable. But seems late."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you have denied it earlier, and all of a sudden you think to go and put him behind bars." Arthur reminded her, "even if you do so, he might use it against you. Let me remind you. You were assaulted in a bar."

"It happened at a nearby lane, not in the bar." Hailey rectified him and turned around to leave.
"Whatever! Even if I were a stripper at a bar, no one has the right to force himself on me! Or to snatch my daughter!"

"Agree." Arthur huffed with a smile.

"Now what's so funny about it?" Hailey came back from the door just to argue.

"Did I call it funny? I was amused to see that you are ready to show guts for Cora." He gestured for her to sit.

"As if opting for being a single parent never needed guts," Hailey replied with a frown, taking a chair in front of him.

"I never doubt it. However, I don't assume it a wise decision." Arthur replied, this time in a much calm and grave tone. Hailey looked at him with anger as she hated it to be judged and that's what she had been confronting her whole life.

"Before you start to argue and we start to fight, I want you to listen to me first." He added extending a glass of water forward at the table.

"Fine." She pushed aside the glass of water and reclined backward as if waiting for some lecture from him.

"I have been thinking about our last conversation and things going around. It's all messed up so badly. Seems like everything, everyone going insane. I never thought to be connected with anyone like this but, " Arthur paused as he looked up at her face, She was looking at him with confusion.

He felt uncomfortable and forgot what he was talking about, "I...I.."

"Please don't tell me! Are you Proposing to me?!"
Hailey got more confused at the way he started to stutter.

"Yes... No! What are you saying?" This time Arthur felt more uncomfortable at her candor?

"Doctor Arthur, I guess we have a lot to deal with instead of playing the game of guessing." Hailey rebuked him this time.

"Fine! I have thought about it, a lot! I know you are her mother and will do anything for her but currently, She considers me her father. And I want the same." Arthur said in one breath.

Hailey looked at him for a moment blankly then stood up in rage, "I won't give you my daughter till I breathing! She is not an orphan!" She stood up in aggression and let out without realizing how much that word could hurt him.

"For the sake of God, woman! I am an orphan, I know the difference between being an orphan and having a single parent! Dr. Jones was the guardian for me who saved me and many more like us before the darkness of this harsh world could devour us. I want to be that guardian for Cora but not by snatching her mother from her." He announced with a double amount of rage.

"Say it clearly what you want to say., Hailey asked for an explanation trying to control her anger, grabbing the glass of water to drink, he had offered earlier.

"Fine! Marry Me." Arthur said clearly.

At once she spit out the water in shock. Arthur quickly dodged it.

"Damn Woman! Watch before spitting."

"Sorry, seems like I need sleep. My mind playing strange tricks." She wiped her face to make sure that it was a hallucination.

"You heard me correct. I have talked to the sheriff he said that he can register a complaint but your case will be weak because earlier you have lied. So, I consulted my solicitor." Hailey just stood in shock trying not to miss any detail.

"He said the complaint can be a hurdle for him to reach Cora but it would not be enough to put him behind bars or at least not for long." He kept adding, "if you want to keep the wolf away, you have to be strong enough to scare him... Think about it. You can do anything for Cora, so do I. If you marry me, I will be her legal guardian. Then no matter what he does, I will not allow anyone to disturb the childhood of my daughter. I can promise you for that."

"Your words make some sense but, do we need to marry? I mean..." She hesitated to think about it.

"It's not an easy task for me either. But for Cora, it's nothing. You need not worry about..." This time he took a pause, feeling the discomfort between them, "nothing gonna change between us. You are free to do what you want."

"Now, what does that mean?" It clicked her offensively, " What Do you think that I'm? listen, Mr. Miller, I'm not Lily. If I get in any kind of relationship, I believe in honesty and loyalty. If it's going to happen. If we have to do this then I expect a lifelong commitment. I don't want a broken house for my daughter."

"Neither do I." He replied calmly with a smile this time. " I'm happy to see that at least at some point our thoughts are the same. And by 'you are free to do what you want.' I meant to say that you are free to do what you want like your job at the store etc anything that is not affecting Cora in a wrong way."

"Ok, so I needed your permission for it now." She gets furious now.

"Got it. My bad that I thought to find a way to save Cora from that Adam. You deserve that Moron!" Arthur finally lost his cool.

"What!"

"Yes! Here I'm tired of finding a way to stand between your Ex and Cora, and you are accusing my intentions! I know that I am bad at conveying but that doesn't mean that I'm interested in controlling anyone's life. All I said till now. Meant that this union will be for Cora, I'll not interfere in your personal space and choices until it's not good for her." He explained himself for the last time.

"I didn't..." Hailey tried to defend herself but couldn't find anything.

"What? Think about it. I have asked the sheriff to register the complaint from my side against him. My lawyer gonna look into it, as we have to make a foreground for it."

"For what?" She inquired in confusion.

"To show that we are a couple, you are my fiance. A happy couple, going to marry. A couple which will be the best parents." He huffed looking away, expecting an accusation again.

"Ok." She answered lost in thoughts. Her mind was unable to process things changing around so rapidly. Arthur and She were going to be a couple, they were going to marry.

Just a few moments back she was trying to find a way to get rid of Adam and now, she was trying to make space for Arthur in her small yet chaotic world.

"Ok? You are strange. I was expecting some abuse for implanting my lawyers on the job before taking your permission." He smiled this time genuinely, gesturing for her to sit.

"Well, yeah, I should but as it is for Cora. I know I can trust you." She took the chair looking at him. Observing his relaxed behavior.

"Thanks for the trust."

"Yeah, even after getting deceived, I have guts to trust. As I need to keep Adam away from Cora. I can't allow him to disturb her life." She smirked ironically at her own choice of Adam.

"You won't be sorry for this one. I assure you."