William’s calle came in rapid succession, lane declined the first but he kept calling. forcing her to answer.
<
Before she could say a word, William’s voice came through, sharp and anxious. “What’s this about a cancer diagnosis?!”
Jane froze, realizing she had accidentally left the paper behind.
After a brief pause, she replied softly, “It’s for a friend. She knew I go to the hospital often and asked me to pick it up for her.”
William let out a long breath, relief flooding his voice. “Thank God. Have you made it home yet? If not, let me come pick you up-”
In the background, Summer’s voice chimed in, playful and insistent. “But I really want those dumplings from that one place! And I want them now!”
Jane cut him off before he could answer. “You’re busy. I’ll make it home on my own.”
She hung up decisively.
Listening to the dial tone, William felt a strange emptiness in his chest.
He wondered if he had missed something.
But Summer, now dressed and glowing with excitement, looked up at him with stars in her eyes. “William, are we leaving now?”
He could only nod. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
It was past midnight when William finally came home.
He slid into bed, his cold body waking Jane from her sleep.
She instinctively shifted away, but William rolled over and pulled her into his arms. His voice was heavy with exhaustion.
“Jane… just let me hold you.”
“These past few months have been so hard.
“Thank God you’re still here with me. Between the company and the hospital, I don’t think I could’ve kept going without you…
He kissed the back of her head, and for a moment, Jane’s heart softened.
But then her eyes fell on the new ring on his finger.
It was from a brand known for selling rings that could only be purchased as a pair–rings meant for soulmates.
When William had proposed to her, she had asked why he hadn’t chosen that brand.
She had wanted it so much.
William said lightly, “If I’m giving you a gift, of course, it has to be the best and most expensive one.”
The ring was, indeed, worth a small fortune. But to her, its value paled compared to its brand. She didn’t like it.
Still, she wore it anyway.
Her cold fingers pressed against William’s palm, brushing over the ring. She asked softly, “Is it a couple’s ring?”
William froze, his composure slipping. “Oh, I went shopping with Summer today. She saw the ring and thought it was pretty. They were sold as a set, so I bought both. She insisted I try one on, and I… forgot to take it off.”
As he spoke, he sat up halfway, quickly slipped the ring off his finger, and carefully placed it into a jewelry box on the nightstand.
Jane’s stomach twisted painfully. Watching his back, she felt a wave of nausea rise, the kind that made every fiber of her body scream in
discomfort.
9:16 AM J
<
She thought to herself how foolish she was–just moments ago, she’d been debating whether or not to forgive him.
But how could she?
Turning to the side, she gagged several times, her face pale and drained of all color.
William rushed to her side, gripping her arm. “Jane, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing… probably just a chill. My stomach hurts a bit,” Jane evaded his touch, and to her surprise, even his mere presence now made her feel sick. “I’ll just take some meds. It’s fine.”
William hurried to the living room to fetch her some medicine. But before he could find it, Summer’s call came in like a siren.
Her voice was tearful. “William, I had a nightmare. I dreamed I was in prison, locked in the dark, and people were hurting me. I was in so much
pain… I was so scared…”
“Please, can you come over? I need you.”
Without a second thought, William bolted out the door.
He didn’t even glance back at Jane, not once, even as she curled up on the floor, unable to straighten from the pain in her stomach.
Jane was later diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis. At the ER, the pain was so severe she nearly blacked out.
A nurse asked her for an emergency contact. Jane hesitated, then dialed William’s number.
To her surprise, William answered with, “I was just about to call you. You need to come to the hospital right away–Summer’s anemia is acting up, and she needs a transfusion.”
Jane paused, her voice hoarse. “William, I’m not feeling well…”
“Isn’t it just a stomachache? Take some medicine and stop being so dramatic,” William snapped, clearly losing patience. “This is a
life–or–death situation–get here now!”
Jane hung up without another word.
William called several more times, but she muted her phone and ignored them all.
After getting an IV, Jane finally felt some relief and drifted into a deep sleep. When she woke up, it was already the next afternoon.
Her phone was flooded with missed calls from William and countless text messages. The last one read:
“Jane, that’s your sister. How can you be so heartless?”
Jane let out a bitter laugh. She laughed and laughed until tears rolled down her face.
Pulling out the IV needle, she slowly made her way to the third floor, where Summer’s room was.
What greeted her was unexpected–a lively, almost celebratory atmosphere. The kind of buzz that didn’t belong in a hospital.
A small group of patients and visitors crowded near the door, craning their necks to peek inside.
Jane approached, and someone immediately stepped aside for her, grinning. “Oh, look who’s here! Your sister’s in there confessing her love to your brother–in–law. It’s so romantic!”
