Chapter 2
Once Travis walked out, I picked up the phone and dialed Stephen’s number.
The phone rang six times before he picked up, just before the line would’ve cut off.
“Why are you calling me? Did something happen?”
His voice was cold, slightly annoyed, like he was answering a spam call.
I froze for a moment, but before I could say anything, a new voice filled the line.
“Hey, Zorelle! Did you call to wish me a safe trip for our sunrise trip tomorrow?
“Don’t worry, Stephen looks after me really well! He even helps me put on sunscreen before we go out. It’s like having a dad.
“There’s so much fun stuff here! You’ve probably never seen any of it, since you’re always stuck in the hospital. Hahaha!”
Braelyn’s laugh sparkled with excitement. She sounded nothing like someone suffering from anxiety.
As for what was real and what wasn’t, I couldn’t be bothered to care.
“Put Stephen on,” I said flatly.
Suddenly, everything on the other end went quiet.
Three seconds passed before I caught the sound of faint crying.
вот
Chapter 2
“I’m sorry, Zorelle… please don’t be upset. I’ll hand the phone to Stephen.
now.”
Of course. The same old act.
I pulled the phone away from my ear in silence.
As expected, the next thing I heard was Stephen yelling at me. “Zorelle, did you force Braelyn to go back for the surgery?”
His voice was so loud, even from half a meter away, that it still made my ears hurt.
I responded, “I didn’t force her.
“I only called to let you know. Dr. Rifkin told me I have about three months left.”
His outburst cut off midway, his voice tightening. “That can’t be true.”
I continued, “That’s why I need you to bring Braelyn back right now for the surgery. Will you agree or not?”
At that moment, he exhaled as if something had eased his mind. Then came his mocking tone. “Wow, Zorelle. You’d even pretend to be dying just to get us back. That’s low, even for you.”
“I’m only asking one more time. Will you bring her back or not?” It was the last time I asked.
Stephen sounded annoyed. “She still wants to visit Hokkaido for a couple more days. Let’s not rush things.”
Rushing? I’m running out of time.
I ended the call, cut off every way for him to reach me, took two long breaths, and pressed the call button by my bed.
H
Chapter 2
“Dr. Rifkin, I want to be discharged,” I said.
Stephen looked like he had more to say.
He tried calling again, but the line wouldn’t connect. His expression darkened in an instant.
He thought to himself, “Zorelle didn’t just lie and hang up on me, she even blocked my number. Throughout everything, she didn’t care about me one bit.
“I had done so much already. Even taking Braelyn on a trip was just to help her prepare mentally for the surgery.
“Why was she treating me like this?”
Right then, Braelyn wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned gently against his chest. “Is Zorelle upset?” she asked softly.
To an outsider, it might look like a sweet moment, but to him, she was just like family, a sister.
That’s why he never pushed her away.
In fact, with his emotions sinking, he leaned back slightly, seeking comfort himself.
He muttered, “It’s fine. She’s just in a bad mood.”
Braelyn puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy. “You’ve been so good to her, and she still treats you like this,” she grumbled.
At that moment, something clicked in Stephen’s mind.
That’s right. Maybe he had spoiled Zorelle too much. That’s why she acted so arrogantly now.
07 510
Chapter
Maybe it was time to let her cool off.
He looked down and asked gently, “Braelyn, anywhere else you’d like to go besides Hokkaido?”
A flicker of satisfaction danced in Braelyn’s eyes.
She said sweetly, “I still want to sunbathe in the Maldives, but would that be wasting too much time? If Zorelle finds out, she’ll be upset again.”
Stephen just waved it off. “Don’t think about her. As long as you’re enjoying yourself, that’s all that matters.”
Back at the hospital, Travis was firmly against my decision. He tried to convince me to stay.
He insisted, “Zorelle, the surgery has a high success rate! We’ve spent years preparing for this. Everything’s set, we just need one final step!”
But I gave him one short reply, and he gave up instantly.
I said, “Stephen has changed. He won’t help with my surgery anymore.”
He used to be the man who would give everything to protect me. That person is gone.
He had someone else by his side now, and she was not a kind person.
Travis’s hands trembled with frustration, his aged face tight with anger. But in the end, he had no choice.
He walked with me all the way to the hospital gate.
Outside the hospital, I wore a mask, yet I couldn’t help taking deep, greedy breaths.
The air wasn’t clean like the sterile hospital air, but it felt alive. It made
Chapter 2
me feel free.
Travis looked at me, his eyes full of the quiet sorrow only an elder can feel. He said gently, “You’re a good girl, but no one can withstand how quickly people’s hearts can change.”
I gave him a calm smile, as if to say none of that mattered anymore.
“Be happy for me. I’m finally going to enjoy the rest of my life.”
