LOGINIn the eighth year of helping Keith Hunter pay off his debts, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I tested the waters and asked him, half joking, "If I got cancer, would you save me?" He laughed, saying I was overthinking it. Then he added firmly, "If it ever came to that, I would sell my blood to pay for your treatment." I lay awake all night, tossing and turning, still feeling like I couldn't drag him down with me. Before taking a sleeping pill, a notification popped up on my phone about a social media post. [How do I dump an older woman who paid off my debts for eight years without too much drama?] The profile picture looked eerily like Keith's silhouette from behind. He wrote, [Eight years ago, my family went bankrupt. She stuck with me, living off dry toast and squeezing into a rented apartment. She helped me pay back over 600 thousand dollars in debt. [Back then, I thought she was innocent and cute. Now, I feel like she's just a materialistic woman putting on an act. [Last month, she even asked whether I would save her if she got cancer. How does someone even ask that? [Obviously, she was trying to get money out of me. Good thing I didn't tell her that my family recovered three years ago. [Now, my family has arranged a fiancée for me. She's the daughter of a publicly listed company. [I want to cut things off with my girlfriend, but I'm afraid she'll cling to me. After all, she wasted a lot of her youth on me.] By the time I finished reading, I had crushed the stomach cancer diagnosis in my hand into a wrinkled mess.
View MoreThe man standing in front of me had bloodshot eyes and dark stubble covering his jaw.That once handsome face was twisted with panic and fear."Amanda… How did it get like this…"Keith reached out, then yanked his hand back halfway, as if he was afraid I would shatter if he touched me."I'll take you to the hospital. The best one. Money's not a problem. I still have money. You'll be fine, I swear!" he rambled, tears and snot streaking down his face.I looked at him calmly. That face was familiar, and yet completely foreign."Leave. I don't want to see you.""I'm not leaving!"Keith grabbed my hand. His palm was cold and damp."I'm not leaving. Amanda, I can't live without you. Hit me. Yell at me. Do whatever you want! Just let me stay by your side."I gently pulled my hand back and looked at him with distance. "I'm not worthy of your kindness, Mr. Hunter."The mockery drained the color from his face in an instant. He looked hollowed out, as if all the strength had been sucke
The only thing that answered Keith was silence.In the cramped apartment, a faint metallic smell hung in the air.His heart dropped."Amanda? Where are you?" he shouted as he rushed into the bedroom.No one was there.The bathroom was empty as well."Amanda? Stop messing around. Come out."His gaze darted around the room in panic until it landed on a white sheet of paper on the floor, stained with blood.He bent down and picked it up. It was a folded hospital report.Patient name: Amanda Watson.Diagnosis: Stomach cancer, mid-stage.The report was dated one month ago.Keith's breathing stopped.He stared at the words, disbelief freezing him in place, as if every drop of blood had drained out of his body.Mid-stage stomach cancer. How was that possible?Details he had deliberately ignored came rushing back all at once.Amanda had rapidly lost a ton of weight recently. Keith had even joked that she had finally gone on a diet.During meals, she would barely eat a few bi
Keith had buried his face in Amanda's hair more times than he could count, breathing in the faint scent of shampoo.When had her hair become like this?To save money, she must have stopped buying conditioner a long time ago.Back then, he had only thought she was cheap and embarrassing.But all these years, Amanda had burned through every bit of her own shine for him.Keith couldn't take it anymore. He yanked the white sheet back.The face beneath was completely ruined. The cheekbones shattered, the shape of the skull distorted beyond recognition.It didn't even look human."How… How could this happen…"A nearby officer sighed, pity in his voice."From that height, her face hit the ice directly. It must've hurt like hell. They say she wasn't gone right away. I'm sorry for your loss."Keith bent down and wrapped his arms tightly around that icy, rigid body.He had thought he didn't love her anymore.He had thought he was long past being tired of a woman five years older tha
Keith's hands were shaking as he found Amanda's number and dialed.After several rings, an impersonal automated voice cut in.He didn't wait another second. He shoved the car door open and bolted out."Keith!"Rebecca's scream was left behind him.He shoved through the crowd, slamming past an officer who tried to stop him."Sir, calm down. This is a restricted area!"Inside the cordon, on the frozen ground, lay a human shape covered by a white sheet. You could vaguely make out a black winter coat beneath it.An hour ago, Amanda had been wearing that coat.The world went silent all at once, except for the shrill ringing in his ears.Keith lunged forward like he had lost his mind, his voice hoarse and warped."I'm her boyfriend! Let me through! I'm her only family!"Every pair of eyes around him locked onto his face, some filled with shock, some with pity and disdain.The officers held him back, telling him to calm down.Rebecca finally caught up. Seeing him like this only
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