Chapter 1

Sheila's POV

After I sent the message, my boyfriend, Henry Scott, immediately called me.

His voice was as cold as ice as he asked, "Why?"

"What?" I asked in confusion.

He said, "Tell me why you want to break up. What are you up to this time?"

I remained silent, staring at the lit red light in the operating room.

Henry and I had been together for eight years.

Yesterday afternoon, he said he wanted the homemade tamales my mom, Isla Lind, made. Overjoyed, Mom took an overnight train to Harton with the tamales.

I was at work when she arrived at the station, so I had Henry pick her up instead. He agreed. But then, he forgot about it because he was busy helping Mina Stetson find her missing dog. He even forgot to call me to let me know.

It was pouring rain across the city. Mom waited alone at the train station for four hours. Ultimately, she had no choice but to take a cab.

But the roads were slippery, and a car rear-ended her. She was then rushed to the emergency room with multiple fractures and a severely collapsed lung. Coincidentally, she ended up in the hospital where Henry worked.

After getting the news, I called him eight times. He never answered a single one. He never replied to my texts either.

Half an hour passed before he finally replied with a simple message. "Mina twisted her ankle. I'm treating it right now. Tell your mom to wait."

He wanted me to wait?

I scoffed. My sobs were stuck in my chest, and my suppressed feelings tore at my heart.

We had been together for eight years, and he always made me wait.

On our anniversary, I waited alone in the restaurant because he wanted to watch the fireworks with Mina first. On my birthday, he wanted to pick out a gift for Mina first, so he made me wait with the cake.

Whenever I had a cold, fever, or menstrual cramps, I had to go to the hospital to book an appointment with a doctor like him, even though I was his girlfriend. He made me wait for him because he was busy replying to Mina's messages.

But I couldn't forget how he had rescued me from the ruins once, so I waited for eight years.

Yet now, even when Mom was in the emergency room with her life hanging in the balance, he wanted me to wait.

Noticing my silence, Henry asked with a hint of anger, "Cat got your tongue, Sheila Leston? Tell me why you want to break up."

I looked down, my throat burning as I retorted, "What about you? Why didn't you pick up my mom? She came here for you. You promised to pick her up."

Henry froze. It seemed he had just remembered his promise to pick Mom up from the train station.

He explained, "I-I was too busy today… Mina's dog got lost, so I spent the morning helping her look for it. Then, she sprained her ankle, and I was rushing to work…

"Okay, I'll have a nurse take my shift. Tell Isla to wait for me. I'll be right there."

Then, he hung up without even waiting for my response.

As I stared blankly at the operating room, Henry texted me again. "Sheila, I'm sorry. Mina really needs me right now. Apologize to Isla for me. I'll see her after I take Mina home. Tell her to wait a little longer."

I looked at the text, but I didn't send a reply. We had dated for eight years. That was how long Henry had made me wait.

I could wait. But Mom couldn't.

So, this time, I gave up on him.

After the three-hour surgery, Mom was taken to her ward for further observation. Yet, Henry still hadn't shown up.

Instead, I saw a new post Mina had uploaded on X. "A special someone knew I had twisted my ankle and was worried. He took me home and also insisted on cooking for me. I'm so touched!"