- 6.
Infuriating Jason had worked. He stayed
away.
A month later, Chloe brought the urn, her
eyes red–rimmed. “Why did you… why did
you get this so early?”
Sarah traced the smooth surface, a strange
comfort in its coolness. “If I didn’t, who
would?”
The words hung in the air. Chloe was crying
again.
Following Dr. Chen’s orders, Sarah started
treatment. The pain eased; she had enough
energy to walk in the hospital gardens. A
burning sensation, someone watching her.
く
She whirled around. “Jason! Are you stalking
me now?”
He approached, his gaze sweeping over her.
“What do you want? A fight?” she asked,
bracing herself.
He grabbed her wrist, his eyes locking on the
hospital band. “Oncology?”
His pupils contracted, his expression shifting.
She yanked her hand away, wanting to punch.
him into oblivion.
“You’re… really sick?”
“None of your business. Go see a neurologist.
Maybe you have a brain tumor.” Years of
animosity had honed her sharp tongue.
<
He just stared, his lip trembling.
“You missed your calling. Should’ve been an
actor.” She turned to leave.
“What did the doctor say? How long?” he
called after her.
“Stay away from me, and I might live longer.‘
He understood. This wasn’t temporary. “I’ll
find you the best doctors.”
She laughed, a hollow sound. “In sickness
and in health, right? You’ve always been
good with promises, Jason.”
55
Silence stretched between them.
“I’m your only family,” he finally said.
Her anger flared. “How dare you? While you
were sneaking around with Anya, screwing
her, demanding a divorce… were we ‘family‘
then?”
“Don’t play this concerned husband role. It’s
disgusting. Like you.
Spotting Dr. Chen, she latched onto him,
escaping back inside. Jason, for once, didn’t
follow.
As the weather cooled, sleep became elusive.
Chills, aches, constant pain. She threw off the
covers, heading for the nurses‘ station for
more painkillers. She nearly tripped over a
figure huddled on the stairs, looking like a
bankrupt businessman. Jason.
She clutched her blanket tighter. “Move.”
<
He extinguished his cigarette, standing.
“Where are you going? I’ll go with you.‘
Her head throbbed. “To hell. Care to join
me?”
He didn’t flinch. The raw emotion in his eyes made her chest ache. “Yes. I’ll go with you.”
“Crazy. Get lost.” Ignoring him, she made her way downstairs
“Sarah,” his voice pursued her, the nickname he hadn’t used in ages now grating on her nerves. “I mean it. Wherever you’re going, I’m going with you.”
She found Dr. Chen in his office. “More pain
meds, please. I can’t stand it.”
“The dosage is already high. It’s damaging
your organs.”
She slumped into a chair. “My organs are
already failing. What’s the difference?”
He didn’t budge. As she left, he called out,
“Sarah, that man… he says he’s your
husband. He wants to transfer you to another
hospital.”
She almost choked. “Ex–husband. He has no
right.”
“He’s probably fighting with his girlfriend.
Using me to make her jealous.” It wouldn’t be
the first time he’d used her.
She opened the door, startled to see Jason standing there. “Have you lost it completely?”
く
“I… I broke up with Anya,” he blurted out.
Closing her eyes, she sighed wearily. “Are you
blaming me again? You already blamed me
for her miscarriage.”
