Chapter 2 - THE BIRTHDAY TOAST
At 9:17 p.m., Julian Caldwell walked into the ballroom of the Grand Meridian Hotel.
The party was magnificent.
White orchids hung from crystal installations. Champagne flowed from a towering display. A live orchestra played beneath golden chandeliers.
At the center stood Sienna Vale.
Thirty-two years old.
Beautiful.
Wearing a silver dress worth more than some families' annual income.
When she saw Julian, her face lit up.
"You're late."
He kissed her cheek.
"Traffic."
She studied him.
"Where's Khloe?"
"Home."
"Really?"
He loosened his tie.
"She wasn't feeling well."
Sienna smiled.
"Poor thing."
But there was no sympathy in her voice.
She slipped her hand through his arm.
"Come. Everyone's waiting."
Julian glanced at his phone.
No messages from Khloe.
He felt irritated.
She was probably making a point.
She would call.
She always called.
He silenced the phone.
Then stepped onto the stage.
Sienna handed him a microphone.
"Everyone," she announced, "Julian has something special to say."
The room quieted.
Julian raised his glass.
"To Sienna. A remarkable woman who reminds us that life should be celebrated."
Applause.
Sienna leaned against him.
A photographer captured the moment.
The picture would later appear in every major Chicago newspaper.
But while Julian smiled for the cameras, forty miles away, surgeons were fighting to save his wife and unborn child.
At St. Jude's Medical Center, Dr. Rebecca Shaw studied Khloe's monitor.
"Suspected placental abruption," she told the team. "We need to act quickly."
Khloe was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Baby," she whispered.
Dr. Shaw took her hand.
"We're going to do everything we can."
Khloe tried to nod.
Then she was rushed toward the operating room.
A nurse searched her emergency contact information.
The first name was Julian Caldwell.
She called.
No answer.
She called again.
No answer.
The third call went to voicemail.
At 9:42 p.m., the nurse left a message.
"Mr. Caldwell, this is St. Jude's Medical Center. Your wife is undergoing emergency treatment. Please contact us immediately."
Julian's phone remained silent in his pocket.
At 9:51 p.m., Khloe's son was delivered by emergency cesarean section.
He weighed four pounds and eleven ounces.
He was breathing, but needed respiratory support and specialized neonatal care.
Khloe had lost a dangerous amount of blood.
The medical team continued treating her.
At 10:06 p.m., the baby was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit.
At 10:14 p.m., Julian kissed Sienna beneath a shower of silver confetti.
Someone recorded it.
May you like
Someone uploaded it.
And by morning, the video had gone viral.
