- 8.
Inevitably, Jason and Chloe ran into each
other. Sarah overheard snippets of their
conversation.
“…doctor said it’s getting worse. She might
L
not make it through the winter.”
Jason’s voice was flat. “I know.”
Dying in the winter, then. She walked to the
bathroom, locking the door, staring at her
reflection, trying to smile.
How ugly. She wiped away the tears, touching
her wig. I thought I was prepared. But I’m
still… terrified.
Dr. Chen’s prognosis was grim. That night,
the pain intensified, spiraling beyond
endurance. She was rushed to ER.
Later, as the anesthesia wore off, she saw
Chloe by her bedside. “Chloe… I don’t want
to do this anymore…
<
“No!” Jason, unexpectedly, was on the couch.
“The doctor said you’re too weak now.
Surgery later, when you’re stronger.”
She didn’t have the energy to argue. “And then… will I be okay? Will it stop hurting?”
His voice was barely a whisper. “…You’ll
have… more time.”
More time. More pain.
Two days later, feeling marginally better, she marched to Dr. Chen’s office. “Discharge me. I’m done.”
Jason appeared, grabbing her wrist. “Do you even hear yourself?”
“Do you?” she wrenched free. “What I do is
L
none of your business. We’re divorced,
remember?”
He struggled for a response. “Sarah… I don’t
want…
Her anger, long suppressed, exploded. “You don’t get to ‘not want‘ anymore! Did you ask what I wanted when you were hurting me? Stop being selfish. Especially to someone who’s… dying.”
She laughed, a brittle sound. “Or I’ll make sure you die first.”
He seemed to comprehend. “I told you. If you
want, I’ll… I’ll go with you.”
She gagged. “Don’t you dare. You’ve
tormented me enough alive. Don’t drag it into
く
the afterlife. Don’t be a monster.”
His face crumpled. He turned and left without
a word.
He stayed away for days. The air felt cleaner,
lighter. Looking at the sunshine, she wished
for a few more months.
The reprieve was short–lived. A week later, he
was back.
“What now?” she asked coldly.
“Mrs. Davies called. Wants to see you.”
She almost shoved him to the floor. “You told
her?”
“No. She saw you in the garden. Asked Dr.
<
Chen.”
She couldn’t speak. Her chest ached.
“I’ll see her,” she finally whispered.
With Dr. Chen’s approval, she was driven to
the orphanage. Jason, uninvited, tagged
along.
At the gate, she hesitated. How to face Mrs.
Davies, the closest thing she’d ever had to a
mother?
“Don’t be afraid.” Jason was beside her, close enough to feel his warmth. It reminded her of the time his parents had caught them together. He’d held her hand, whispering the same words, “Don’t be afraid.”
<
He’d defied his family to marry her, cutting
ties with everyone.
One night, she’d held him close, asking, “Do
you regret it?”
“Nothing about you,” he’d whispered back.
They’d married the following year, a small
ceremony, just friends, no family.
She’d been happy. So happy.
“Let’s… walk,” she said, stalling.
“Okay.” He fell into step beside her.
The orphanage looked the same. Only the
faces had changed.
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“The tree… it’s still here,” he said softly. She
looked. The lilac tree. “Sarah, do you
remember…”
She cut him off. “No. Maybe I’ll remember when I’m… you know… on my deathbed.”
He was silent. She glanced at him, his eyes glistening.
