Chapter 7

My heart raced with anxiety as I picked up the call. "Hello, is this Mr. Gebb?" It was Dr. Liam Benson from the hospital. A wave of dread washed over me, and I hesitated before replying, "Yes, this is Samuel. Dr. Benson, is something wrong with my sister?" Although I was prepared for the news, chills ran down my back when I heard Liam's update on my sister. "Mr. Gebb, Kayla's cancer cells have started to spread. The chances of success with surgery aren't high. Would you prefer we proceed with surgery, or would you like to consider a non-surgical approach?" he asked gravely. His words plunged me into the deepest pits of despair. I felt every glimmer of hope drain from me. Kayla was everything to me. I wanted her to live a healthy life no matter what. I took a shaky breath and asked, "What is a non-surgical approach, and what are the odds with surgery?" Liam answered patiently, explaining, "A non-surgical treatment would involve medication to slow the progression, but with the rate of her cancer's spread, I'm afraid…" He didn't finish the sentence, but I already knew. Both Kayla and I had fragile, unique health profiles. My condition had only been diagnosed this year after lying dormant, but Kayla's was different. She'd been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer at age three, the first known case of its kind worldwide. No doctor had dared to attempt surgery on her. All these years, she had been surviving on medication alone. Just recently, she had been walking. She held my hand and asked me for a doll set for her 12th birthday. I thought she was finally getting better. How could it have spread so fast that surgery now offered only the slimmest chance? Given the severity of her condition, it seemed that either option led down the same bleak path. But if there was even a slight chance with the surgery, I had to try. If it worked, she would be safe. I silently prayed, vowing to do whatever it took to help her pull through. As I told the doctor I wanted to go ahead with surgery, Liam delivered even heavier news. "Mr. Gebb, our hospital doesn't have the expertise required to perform such a complex surgery." My heart sank, and I clutched the phone tightly. "What should I do?" Liam replied gravely, "There might be a sliver of hope if we bring in a top specialist from outside. But the surgery would cost a lot. We estimate it will cost around a hundred thousand dollars." I exhaled in relief. If there was any chance to cure my sister, I'd find a way to cover the surgery costs, no matter what. After finalizing the details with Liam, I ended the call, planning to ask Abigail for a loan. Since our marriage, she'd been in control of all our finances. But as the thought crossed my mind, Sophia asked solemnly, "Do you need money?" I forced a bitter smile, brushing it off. "Why would you ask that?" Without answering, she offered quietly, "If you need money, you can come to me anytime. I don't have much savings, only 30 thousand dollars, but I'd be willing to lend it all to you." Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly thanked her, worried that she might see my tears. Sophia seemed to notice that I didn't want to show her my weak side, so she quickly stood up and said, "I'll be going now. I'll check on you tomorrow." I nodded and thanked her, breathing a sigh of relief as she left. I couldn't possibly accept her kindness. Kayla desperately needed that money, and I couldn't waste another second. I picked up my phone and called Abigail. The phone rang, but Abigail never answered. She was probably busy in some business meetings or out with her lover. I sent her a carefully worded message. "Abigail, Kay is seriously ill. She needs 100 thousand dollars for surgery. Could you lend me the money? I promise I'll pay you back." Just as I hit send, the door opened, and Joshua walked in, holding a bouquet. He flashed a cheerful smile and greeted me enthusiastically. "Samuel, are you feeling better?" I wasn't in the mood to chat, so I simply replied, "Much better. Thanks for asking." Joshua didn't seem bothered by my cold tone. Instead, he cheerfully set the bouquet on the bedside table with a grin. "These flowers are from Abi. She asked me to bring them, but I picked them out myself. I hope you like them." The pollen hit me immediately, triggering a fit of sneezing. Frowning, I waved him off. "Do me a favor and take those away." I'd been allergic to pollen since childhood and had told Abigail about it more than once. She'd promised to remember each time, yet she continued to bring fresh flowers into the house, placing them in vases. When I'd asked her why, she'd just smiled and said she wanted to live life elegantly, as if she had forgotten entirely about my allergy. I didn't know if Abigail sent these flowers, but I knew Joshua didn't have good intentions. Joshua's face darkened when he heard my request. He grabbed the bouquet, then sneered as he dropped it on the floor and stomped on it. "It seems like you're still jealous of me deep down, aren't you?" He grabbed my hand and twisted it with a sneer. "But so what? Abigail is in love with me, not you. Nothing you do will change a thing." He pressed his fingers into the wound on my hand, and I gasped in pain, but he didn't let go. Instead, he dug his fingers deeper, blood soaking through the bandages. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, calculated malice. Just then, the sharp sound of high heels echoed from the hall. Joshua quickly grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it to the ground, then let out a dramatic gasp, stumbling back and collapsing heavily on the floor. "Samuel, I visited you out of concern. Why did you hit and yell at me?"