6
Г
Zach pulled Rhonda up. But the anger was
gone, replaced by a calm tone.
“No need for that. Chloe, focus on recovering.
I’ll postpone the wedding. When you’re better,
we’ll get married.”
Then, as if he’d made a firm decision,
He added lightly,
“Tomorrow, I’ll take leave from the hospital to
stay with you until you’re discharged.”
Everyone’s faces changed.
Rhonda abandoned her act, pulling at Zach’s
“Zach, you’re up for promotion, taking leave
now will give people the wrong impression. I
know you feel bad for Chloe, but you have to
think about your future!”
“Chloe’s just throwing a tantrum, it’ll be fine.
Even if you’re worried, you can hire
professional nurses!”
X z V y Q Q W Y Y x H x D
Kiki, like a protective mother hen, stepped in
front of me.
“Who do you think you are?! Chloe doesn’t
need you! The best thing you can do for
Chloe is get the hell out of here!”
Zach frowned.
I knew him too well. That alone told me how
irritated he was.
But surprisingly, Zach didn’t explode.
He softened his voice, as if persuading me.
“Chloe, don’t be angry, I’m a doctor, I know
how to help you recover. If you’re still
unhappy, I apologize.”
“I know what’s best for you, right?”
From behind Kiki’s protective arm, I looked at
Zach.
His face felt alien to me.
Even when apologizing, he still acted superior.
Of course, he never felt he was wrong.
And he never understood how much more
L
painful that unanswered phone call was
Than the truck running over me.
I gently pushed Kiki’s arm away, using a
coldness I’d never shown Zach before.
“Zach, wake up.”
“It’s over between us. I don’t need your care,
or your false acts of kindness. When I needed
you most, you weren’t there, and I don’t need your belated attempts at making amends.”
Zach had been indulging me for too long.
I was always so accommodating.
He’d never experienced
<
Being challenged by me.
Anger flickered in his eyes, but he suppressed
- it.
“Chloe, what do you want from me? Do I have
to kneel to satisfy you?”
In the past, seeing Zach treat me this way
Would have left me heartbroken.
But now,
I felt nothing, not a single ripple of emotion.
Then, Zach became relentless.
He seemed to forget my harsh words.
He came to my room at the same time every day, bringing tea and water, like clockwork.
Kiki initially cursed him out, even locking the
door, refusing to let him in.
But soon, Kiki had no time for me.
Ethan was clinging to her as well.
Kiki, who always put Ethan first, skipped the
family dinner.
Then Ethan received her breakup notice.
Ethan didn’t take it seriously, thinking it was
just me and Kiki making trouble, putting
pressure on him and Zach.
He assumed we’d apologize and return to our
previous roles of caregivers.
But Ethan waited a week.
