Chapter 7

Jeff had no idea why he said that. He just felt that urgent need to keep Cecilia from slipping away, even if it meant promising her a marriage he was not sure he wanted.

Cecilia stopped moving when she heard him. She stayed turned away from Jeff and was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Why?"

She wondered why he was asking now, after all this time, and especially after betraying her so openly.

Jeff thought she was about to say yes and smiled as he leaned in closer. "Why not? We've been together for years. It's about time we got married, right?"

Cecilia felt nothing as she heard his words, just a flat "Oh, really?"

He was taken aback by how uninterested she sounded. He thought she was upset with his casual attitude, so he quickly added, "Cecilia, you won't miss out on anything that's yours, I promise."

Then, without waiting for her to say more, he left the ward. Cecilia drifted off into a confused sleep, and by the time she woke up, night had fallen.

The company had sent a note to check on her flight out of the city, which was coming up in two weeks.

After she double-checked the details, she popped in to see her doctor. He gave her good news—she would be ready to leave the hospital in about a week.

With a big sigh of relief, Cecilia turned to head back.

However, as she rounded the corner, she walked into a surprise. A bunch of people with roses were cheering and circling her, shouting: "Way to go, Ms. Jones!"

It took a second, but Cecilia spotted Jeff in a suit, holding a sparkly ring, right in the middle of them.

She sneezed a bunch, her hand flying to her nose.

Jeff, all smiles, got down on one knee and held up the ring. "Cecilia, will you marry me?"

Cecilia's face scrunched up. The pollen was making her nose super itchy. She tried to get Jeff to stand, but he was too quick. He slipped the ring on her finger, saying, "Cecilia, you said yes! We're going to—"

"Jeff." Her voice was weak as she struggled to breathe in between coughs. "Tell everyone to go... I'm allergic to pollen..."

Jeff got it and told everyone to scram. They all rushed off.

However, Cecilia's head was spinning, and down she went.

As she started to black out, she remembered another time, the first time she had a pollen attack. Jeff had carried her up seventeen flights of stairs without stopping, so she would not miss her treatment.

Then, he had forgotten all about her allergy.

What a twist, she thought.

Cecilia was not sure how long she had been out, but when her eyes fluttered open, it was already the next morning.

The hospital room was quiet and empty. Cecilia's stomach rumbled with hunger, and she thought about asking a nurse to order some food for her.

As she walked out the door, Yvonne appeared, carrying a fancy little meal box. She handed it to Cecilia with a smile.

"Ms. Jones, Jeff sent me to bring you this breakfast."

Cecilia barely glanced at her, her eyes dropping.

"Just leave it there and go, please."

Yvonne smirked, suddenly grabbing Cecilia's hand with the ring on it.

"Is this the ring Jeff proposed with yesterday? It's pretty, but mine is even prettier." She showed off her own ring, which was much bigger.