Chapter 4

I loved Samantha with everything I had, but I had no answer for her as she stood in front of me, questioning me.

Seeing her in so much pain… It hurt me just as much.

But what else could I do or say?

I was nothing but a worthless man right now.

I pulled her hand off my shirt and coldly said, "That was just a warning, Ms. Scott. Whether you listen to it or not isn't my problem."

That only made Samantha angrier once she heard what I had to say. "That's right. It has nothing to do with you. Who I marry has nothing to do with you. But out of everyone in this world, you're the least qualified to tell me what to do!"

She was right. I really had no right anymore. "Then, I wish you happiness in your marriage, Ms. Scott."

With that, I turned around to leave. But she shouted after me in an angry tone instead, "Do you really not regret the decision you made back then?!"

There were too many emotions in her voice. There was anger and also expectation… Of wanting to know more about this.

I stopped and stood there in silence for a long time. Then, with my back still facing her, I said, "No. I never regretted what I did back then, and I never will."

Samantha hurled the folder of papers in her hand at me angrily. The hard file hit me hard in the back, but I felt nothing.

Her voice full of fury and disappointment, she questioned me, "Did you really leave because you thought I would drag you down?!"

I balled up my fists and forced out the words as I gritted my teeth, "That's right. That's exactly why. What I wanted back then was someone who could help me get ahead, not someone like you, someone whose family was about to go bankrupt. You and your family would've only dragged me down, and I didn't want to stay with dead weight like you."

After saying that, I walked straight into the elevator without looking back.

She glared at me, fury burning in her eyes. "Fine. If that's the case, I'll make sure you regret the choice you made back then."

The elevator doors slowly closed, and she gradually disappeared from my sight.

The moment the doors were fully closed, I lost control of my emotions. I put my cap back up and pulled it down over my face, letting the sorrow consume me whole.

I suddenly hated myself.

Why had I hurt her once back then, only to hurt her all over again now?

Those cruel words had come out of my mouth again. It was like a double-edged sword, and both of us had been sliced through. Both of us were injured by the words that we threw at each other.

When I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Harry waiting outside. I did not know whether he had seen me, but he glanced at me.

I will never forget that look. It was the same look he had worn five years ago, when he personally kicked me into the ocean.

-

After leaving, I went straight back to the company.

There was not much to do that day. I did not know why, but it felt like fewer orders were being assigned to me. On top of that, I had been staying up too late lately, and my body felt drained, so I did not think much of it.

When no more orders came in, I went home early. I bought some vegetables at the market on the way back home.

Theodora looked so happy to see me home early, and she asked, "Why are you back so early today?"

I said, "There wasn't much work, so I came back first. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing fine. Well… It's entirely my fault for making you bear all of this yourself," Theodora suddenly said.

"Mom, what are you saying? You saved me twice back then. Just sit on the sofa for a bit. I'll start cooking, and we can eat soon," I consoled her.

She smiled faintly and nodded. "Sure, sure."

I took the vegetables into the kitchen and started cooking. She was on the sofa, just like she used to in the past. Lately, her health had been deteriorating, so she had been coming out less often.

I used to step out now and then to check on her and talk to her for a bit, but as I was occupied at the stove, I was worried the food would burn, so I figured I would go out after I finished the dish.

By the time I stepped out of the kitchen, I found Theodora lying on the floor by the sofa.

The second I saw her lying there, my heart skipped a beat, and I had a bad feeling about this. "Mom? Mom?! Can you hear me?!"

She did not respond, but she was still breathing. So, I quickly called 911 for an ambulance to get her to the hospital.

Soon, the doctor told me, "Mr. Parker, your mother's condition can't wait any longer. It has now been confirmed as acute leukemia. We told you about this earlier. It wasn't too serious then, but her condition is no longer stable. Please decide on the treatment as soon as possible. Chemotherapy can still keep it under control, and a transplant later may help extend her life as well."

I had always known about Theodora's condition, but I just never told her about it. I had lied and told her it was something else. She had always thought it was because she was getting older and that her body was starting to give out.

"Thank you, Doctor. I understand. May I ask how much the treatment will cost and how much insurance can cover? How many rounds of chemo will she need? And what will the later treatment look like?"

The doctor looked at me and seemed to understand my situation. "The cost can get a bit high. You need to prepare yourself. For the details, go speak with our director, Dr. Lewis. He'll explain everything to you. Our main concern right now is to stabilize the patient."

I nodded. "Alright. I'll go speak with Dr. Lewis immediately."

After hearing Dr. Lewis's explanation, I lost all confidence instantly. That was because the cost of treatment was far beyond what I had saved up.

Even if we started treatment, I could only cover the early stage of the treatment. There was no way I could afford the other stages of the treatment.

"Think it over. Whether you want to go for conservative treatment or something else, give us an answer as soon as you can so that we can start making a plan," Dr. Lewis said.

I gripped the corner of my shirt. "Alright. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

When I returned to the hospital room, Theodora was already awake. She insisted on going home. "Let's go home. Staying in the hospital costs money, and I'm doing alright."

I gently pressed her back down. "We're insured, so don't worry. Since we're already here, we might as well do a checkup. Didn't the doctor previously say that it's best to get checked once every three months at your age? That way, we won't have to worry so much."

She only looked partially convinced. "That still won't do. Even checkups cost money. Let's just go home."

I smiled and said, "Did you forget? Our company gives us a free annual physical. My manager helped me get two spots, so don't worry."

Only then did she relax. "These old bones of mine aren't worth checking, really."

I had just calmed her down when my boss, Samuel, called. "Arthur, are you free right now?"

"Not at the moment. What's going on?" I asked.

Samuel fell silent for a moment, as if he had something difficult to say. After a long pause, he finally spat it out. "I… Well… There's something I need to tell you."

The tone of his voice gave me a bad feeling. "Just tell me. What happened?"

He coughed and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I did everything I could. I don't know what's going on either, but you've been getting more complaints lately, and management just told me they're firing you. They didn't give any other reason. I asked, and they wouldn't say. It sounds like you won't be allowed to work in this area anymore. Did you cross someone? Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone this far."

The second I heard that, I felt as if my heart had sunk to the deepest depths. I had lost my job right when I absolutely needed money, and the person who had most likely taken it from me was the woman I had once loved the most.