HAZEL

As long as I did 100 things for Austin, he would be completely mine.

Deep down, I know it was absurd to ask someone to do something like that in exchange for their love.

But I was desperate to be loved by him.

He made that promise to me three years ago when I married him. No Sophia, no other woman, no obstacles.

Just me and him.

Only one task remained. I planned to cook him a delicious meal.

His favorite food.

For three years, I had honed my culinary skills, but he always said it didn’t taste as good as his mother makes it.

But tonight, I was determined to get everything right and maybe after dinner, we would share a night of passionate love.

But when everything was finally ready, nausea twisted my stomach. I collapsed in pain, struggling to breathe. I called Austin, but the line was busy—over and over again.

In the end, my best friend came to take me to the hospital.

I thought I was pregnant. I wanted it to be that.

If I could get pregnant for him, maybe I could finally have him all to myself for life.

I felt better the following day and I was discharged. I was told to come by in three days for the results.

My friend, Lucia felt skeptical. She told me that usually, I could get the pregnancy results back in that same day.

But asking me to come in three days was kind of unsettling.

I assured her that it was nothing.

Because I was sure it was.

************

“Your diagnosis results are out, ma’am. I was thinking maybe you’d come here with someone, maybe your husband.”

Lucia was on a business trip and couldn’t come with me.

I still couldn’t get a hold of Austin, he barely comes home these days.

But as the doctor said that, I instantly thought it was a pregnancy news.

But I had no one right now so I replied.

“I can handle it. Tell me what’s wrong with me.”

“You have cancer, cervical cancer. Treatments are open for the stage that it’s in, but there’s a fifty percent survival rate…”

I completely zoned out on him.

Cancer?

Me?

I was only twenty-three.

How can I have such a deadly disease?

I shakily asked.”Since the treatment option isn’t certain, how long do I have to live?”

“Three months. We can…”

I zoned out on him again, not knowing what he was saying.

Tears filled my eyes.

I stood up, absentmindedly and staggered out of the office.

Almost ten years ago, I lost both of my parents.

It had been a devastating time of my life. I had promised to make them proud.

But now, my life was getting cut short as well.

Just three months?

Why me?

Tears gushed out of my eyes as I walked through the hallway.

I didn’t know how to take this news.

I sniffed when I caught sight of someone.

Looking closely with my vision that was blurred with tears, it was Austin.

I wiped my cheeks as I wondered what he was doing here.

Does he perhaps know about my condition already?

Did he come to see me?

Wanting to find out, I hurried after him.

I saw him enter a VIP intensive care ward labeled: Sophia Beckham.

I stood frozen on the spot as I finally understood why he suddenly became distant again.

His ex-girlfriend was back.

Did they rekindle old flame?

It seems they did.

What about the promise he made to me?

I stared at the door of the ward.

For her to be in the ICU, she must be really sick.

Without wasting time, I headed to the Director’s office. I demanded to see the health report of Sophia.

Under normal circumstances, this was confidential and couldn’t be shown to just anyone.

But this was J&G Hospital, it was one of my family business and I was the head.

I went through Sophia’s medical report and discovered that she had a terminal heart disease and needed a transplant.

So far, they’ve gotten a few offers, but none was a match.

Getting heart donors wasn’t easy as most times, people who donated had to be on their last stages in life.

He seemed Austin had really been trying to get her treated.

Would he show that much concern to me if he found out about my cancer diagnosis?

Wanting to know if he cared about me, even a little bit, I dialed his number.

He took so long to answer my call.

“What do you want?”

His cold voice made me feel sad.

I wanted a tender and loving man.

“Can you come home tonight, Austin? I have something to tell you.”

I badly wanted someone to comfort me right now.

“I can’t come home tonight.”He replied, flatly.

“Why? You haven’t been home for a few days now. Are you hiding something from me?”

“The nerves of you to ask me that, I know what you did three years ago, Hazel. For your information, Sophia is back and I’m sticking by her side now, like glue.”

That crushed me, completely.