Chapter 60
I still remember that day–my parents were holding my hands.”
Brian sat at the edge of my hospital bed, his face filled with sorrow. His arm was covered in bruises from a whipping, the Heath Family’s so–called discipline.
When he caught me looking, he hurriedly pulled down his sleeve.
“I… I’ll go home and ask for more money,” he muttered hesitantly.
I reached out weakly, grabbing his wrist. He tried to pull away, afraid of hurting me, but even that slight movement sent me into a violent coughing fit.
“You’ve done enough.“\
After the Foster Family collapsed overnight, we became the public’s favorite target, scorned and ridiculed. Even the Heaths, once allies, wanted nothing to do with us. They forbade Brian from getting too close to me. When he defied them, kneeling outside their gates in the cold for an entire night, all he got in return was a brutal beating.”
I coughed again, my chest tightening painfully.
“Laura!“}
Brian looked desperate, clutching my hand as if he could hold me together just by sheer will.
“Just, don’t go. I’m fine, really.” I forced a weak smile, trying to reassure him.
He held onto me tightly, his reluctance written all over his face.
“Mom… I… I want to hear Matt’s voice one last time.”
No one expected me to say that. The room fell into silence.
On the TV, a news segment played, featuring none other than Matt–the rising business mogul, celebrated and untouchable. His name lingered in the air, a name I hadn’t spoken in three years.
My mother was the first to react.
“Alright.””
She took out her phone and dialed his number. It barely rang before someone picked up.”
“Hello?”
“Hi, Matt. It’s me,
Laura.”
was his assistant’s.
A scoff echoed through the line, dripping with disdain. But it wasn’t Matt’s T
“What a surprise, Miss Foster calling our CEO. What’s the occasion? Trying
worm your way back in now that you see
how successful he is? Let me remind you, Miss Foster, our CEO isn’t the same man he used to be. So, do yourself a favor, stop calling him and get lost.”
Click. The call was cut off.
I stared blankly at the screen, my mind numb.
After all this time, after struggling so hard to dial that number, after gathering the last bit of courage I had left… it wasn’t even Matt who answered.<
A shudder wracked my body. I coughed violently, my breaths turning
shaking.
thy Skin felt ice–cold and I couldn’t stop
Just days ago, I had thought the daily medication wasn’t making much of a difference. I fell pains but it’s manageable. But after missing two doses today, the effects started to hit me hard. It felt as though all the pain I had felt before was amplified a hundred times and now I was experiencing new kinds of pain, equally intense.
“Is he not picking up?” I asked weakly.
My mother kept redialing, her voice soft and coaxing, as if trying to comfort a child.”
“Maybe he’s just away from his phone. He’ll pick up soon. I’m sure he will.”
My father stood by, his eyes red, but he fought to keep strong. His pain was silent, but I could feel it radiating from him, thick and heavy.”
“Laura, don’t sleep. Stay with us, sweetheart. Stay with us,” he urged desperately.”
My mother clung to me, her warmth barely reaching my cold skin.
“I… I can’t. I can’t just sit here and watch,” Brian muttered, getting up from his seat. “I’m going to see my friends. There has to be a way. There must be.” His voice cracked, raw with helplessness, but his footsteps were firm as he stormed out of the room.
My vision blurred. My world felt like it was dimming and my consciousness was slipping away, like grains of sand falling through my fingers.
11:42 PM
“No, Brian…” I tried to call out to him, but my voice was too weak, barely more than a whisper.”
“Brian!” I gathered all my strength to shout his name, but the effort caused me to collapse.”
Brian turned mechanically, his face twisted in grief as he rushed over to grasp my hand, tears streaming down his face.
Everything felt distant–fading, dissolving. The memories of my life flickered before my eyes like an old film reel, moments playing one after another.
I watched them, a bittersweet smile forming on my lips.
“Mom, look. He’s here. Matt’s here.”
I laughed softly, my voice trembling. I reached up, my fingers searching for something–someone–that wasn’t there.
A tear rolled down my cheek as I whispered, “But I, I don’t love you anymore, Matt. I really don’t.“”
As I spoke, my hand fell slowly from the air. My body no longer obeyed me, but I could still hear their sobs. It felt as though my soul was being pulled away from my body and I simply watched them in silence.
I could no longer hear their cries. I was merely a spectator now, watching from somewhere beyond, as my soul slowly drifted away.
