Chapter 9

When Sophia returned, I bit my bottom lip and spoke, my voice trembling. "Sophia, deep down, you still care about me." "That's the funniest joke I've ever heard." She stood by the bed, her expression cold and sharp, her piercing gaze cutting straight into my heart. "Do you know why I'm afraid you'll die? Because only when you're alive can you truly suffer. Death would be a relief." I shut my eyes in pain, my fingers twitching helplessly at my side, unsure how to respond. If the ambulance took me to the hospital now, she would inevitably find out about my cancer. And when she did, would she still be this composed? "Sophia, debts are settled once someone dies. The debts I'm paying are not to Edson but to you." My thoughts wandered to when I was locked in that dark room as a child. I was eight years old at the time. My father had locked me up again for wanting to go to school. Afraid I would escape, he tied my hands and stood drunkenly at the door, shouting gruffly, "You little brat, let's see how you run this time! Stay put in there for two days, and you'll realize that school is useless. Go out and make money to help the family instead! "I raised you, not for you to eat for free!" With that, he slammed the door shut. The room was pitch black, and the squeaking of mice echoed around me. While I wasn't as terrified as I was the first time, fear still lingered. I turned toward the small window, recalling the faint noises I had heard from it before. "Hey, are you there?" The faint rustling came from outside, followed by a small, delicate voice. "Why are you locked up again?" I responded, "You said you'd rescue me before. How else could you have the chance if I wasn't locked up?" I fixed my gaze on the window, filled with fragile hope. Even then, I knew it was unlikely for another child to truly save me. But miraculously, she found a way to open the window. Her tiny body wriggled through and untied the ropes, binding my hands. She said, "Don't be afraid. I promised to save you, and I will." Once we climbed out, I saw her clearly for the first time. She had twin pigtails and would've looked like a pristine doll if not for the smudges of dirt on her face. Like a little angel, she led me out of that dark room and treated me to the sweetest dessert I had ever had. When I returned home later, I faced yet another brutal beating, and she disappeared from my life altogether. A year passed before I saw her again. At that time, a major event happened in our suburban neighborhood. Well-known entrepreneurs, the couple from the Holmes family and their young daughter had donated a large sum to support impoverished students. When we met again, she didn't recognize me. She said, "Don't worry, little boy. Even if your family is poor, mine isn't! I'll cover your tuition fees." From that day on, my father grudgingly allowed me to attend school. Of course, it wasn't out of newfound generosity. He simply wanted to pocket half of the sponsorship money. While rushed to the hospital in a daze, I vaguely heard Sophia speaking to Cade. "Cade, Edison needs me for something. You can accompany him to the hospital." When I finally regained full consciousness, the first thing I saw was the stark white hospital ceiling. Cade stood at my bedside, speaking to her on the phone. "Ms. Holmes, Mr. Palmer is awake. Are you coming to the hospital to visit him?" I heard her say, "If he's fine, why would I bother?" Sophia's dismissive tone pierced through the line. Just as she was about to hang up, Cade stopped her. "Ms. Holmes!" "What is it?" she asked, sounding puzzled. He hesitated, throwing me a conflicted glance. "Ms. Holmes. Mr. Palmer, he—" "Enough, Cade. I'm busy. I don't care about Joshua's condition. Just handle it." She hung up without waiting for him to finish.cShe truly didn't care if I lived or died. It was strange. I had known this for a long time, yet realizing it stung deeply. Cade looked at me awkwardly, pausing before offering a clumsy reassurance. "Mr. Palmer, don't overthink it. Ms. Holmes must be swamped with work—that's all." I stared at him and asked plainly, "You know about my illness, don't you?" I suddenly fainted and was rushed to the hospital. When the doctor noticed something was wrong, they would definitely have asked the family to do basic tests immediately. As for myself, those tests weren't a priority. Cade nodded reluctantly, guilt written all over his face. "I... I didn't know you were sick. If I had, I would've brought you meals or done something. I'm sorry..." "You have nothing to feel guilty about," I said, my tone flat. "This is my burden to bear." Loving her was a mistake—one I had to atone for alone. "Cade, please don't tell her about my condition," I requested. He froze, stunned by my words. "But... But you don't have much time left. She'll find out eventually." "She doesn't care whether I live or die. To her, it makes no difference." I glanced at the IV drip beside me and added, "It's late. You should head home and rest." Cade offered to stay and look after me, but I declined. I needed solitude. Unexpectedly, as soon as he left, Jayden stormed into the room. The moment he saw me, he erupted. "Joshua! Are you trying to kill yourself? Do you know how close you were to dying when they brought you here? If you don't want to live, just say so! I've been holding Juliette back, hoping she could save you, but what's the point?" He used to be calm and composed, but my condition had made him increasingly volatile. I forced a smile and raised my hands in surrender. "I was wrong. Starting tomorrow, I'll cooperate with treatment. Happy?" "Really?" He eyed me suspiciously, clearly doubting my sincerity. I nodded weakly. "Promise." Satisfied, he fed me half a bowl of oatmeal. After eating, I closed my heavy eyelids and took a restless nap. When I woke up next, I noticed numerous missed calls and messages on my phone, all from my business partner. As I sifted through the messages, I quickly pieced together the situation. Several major clients had abruptly terminated their contracts, choosing to pay hefty penalties rather than continue working with us. This was baffling. We had always maintained great relationships with our clients, so why this sudden wave of cancellations?