Chapter 7
I answered the call, a little thrown off by his voice.
“Did you read the letter?” I asked.
He said, “I did.”
I continued, “Oh, did you call to thank me in person? Don’t bother.”
Stephen was furious, and I could hear how hard he was breathing. “That letter was written under the influence of some random guy! I won’t accept a single part of it! Get back here and continue your treatment!”
I said no.
After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly lowered his tone and said, “I’m sorry. I was wrong to think you were lying.”
I remained silent.
He started begging, “You’ve only got about three months left. Please don’t throw your life away like this.”
“No,” I said flatly.
There was a crashing sound, like something had shattered, and I heard a
woman cry out.
So, Braelyn was there too.
Suddenly, I changed my mind and said, “Fine, I’ll return, but only if you arrange the surgery and have Dr. Rifkin tell me about it directly.”
Stephen had no other choice, so he agreed right away. “Alright.”
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Chapter 7
I ended the call with a steady hand, and a cold smile spread across my
face.
In the days to come, he’d probably notice that the sweet, innocent girl wasn’t acting the same anymore.
Stephen let out a breath of relief and turned to look at Braelyn.
He had taken good care of her all these years.
She used to be thin, sick, and drowning in gambling debts. Now she was healthy, glowing, and upbeat. She was finally the perfect match for the
surgery.
He was sure this brave, big–hearted girl would be ready.
“Braelyn, once Zorelle comes back in a couple of days, we’ll go ahead with the surgery.”
But there was no response for a long moment.
Stephen started to feel something was off and asked again, “Braelyn?”
A cold, sharp look flashed in Braelyn’s eyes before she ran into his arms, crying hard.
“Stephen, I’m really scared.”
Stephen spoke softly, trying to calm her down. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. Just close your eyes. It’ll feel like falling asleep.”
Braelyn looked up at him, tears still falling, and said shakily, “But…”
But he cut her off, “That’s enough. Zorelle can’t wait any longer!”
Stephen felt something wasn’t right and quickly pushed her away.
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Chapter 7
He asked, “You’re not backing out now, are you?”
Panic washed over Braelyn’s face.
“Stephen, isn’t it enough that I’ve stayed by your side all this time?” she asked.
“Wait, what did you say?”
Stephen was stunned by what he had just heard. To him, Braelyn had always been like a younger sister, nothing more.
But what followed was even harder to take in.
Braelyn dropped her innocent act and showed her real, twisted self.
She said, “Stephen, you love me. I know you do.
“You hugged me at Mount Fuji, kissed me in Hokkaido, and slept with me in the Maldives. We were so happy together. So why do you still care about someone who’s barely hanging on?
“You’ve been feeling bad about Zorelle for a long time. That’s fine. I can wait until she’s gone so we can finally be together. I love you more than she ever could, and I understand you better, too.”
“Shut up!” Stephen was furious.
He had to tighten his fists just to keep himself from losing control.
How could she say such horrible things about Zorelle?
How dare she?
He said it again, “Braelyn, the only person I care about is Zorelle. She means everything to me.”
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Braelyn laughed like it was a joke. “Is this what all guys are like? You sleep with one and say you love another?”
Shame crept over Stephen. He wanted to explain it was a mistake, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Braelyn made herself crystal clear, “I don’t care. I’m not going through with the surgery. Even if I have to stall and drag this out, I’ll wait until Zorelle’s dead.
“She’s not got much time left anyway, right?”
That was the final straw. Stephen snapped and slapped her across the face.
“Who do you think you are to talk about Zorelle like that?”
Braelyn was furious, too. She reached out to yank his hair. In seconds, they started fighting, pulling, and clawing at each other, completely losing control. Whatever dignity they had left was gone.
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