Chapter 114
Chapter 2
My hands wouldn’t stop trembling. The first photo was too blurred, so I steadied myself and took another,
clearer this time. Every passing second felt like a countdown. I hit submit again.
I retook the photo. My hands were shaking. The picture was a bit blurry, so I took another. Every second was
a matter of life and death. I submitted again.
Five minutes later, the notification flashed across the screen: Rejected. The reason stated: Application amount excessive. Requires a detailed cost breakdown, itemized down to the unit price of each medication.
I lost my mind. The surgery hadn’t even happened. The doctors were still trying to save him. How could I possibly get an itemized breakdown now?
I messaged Sophie: [Please, just approve this. It’s for my father’s life. I’ll submit the full breakdown later, I promise. Just don’t let this wait p>
A cute animated sticker popped up in reply, a cartoon bunny nodding sympathetically. Then her text
followed.
[I really wish I could help, Summer, but you know how the financial controls work here. My hands are tied. Ethan feels you’ve been… let’s say, a bit too casual with procedures before. He thinks it’s important to build better habits now p>
Phone clutched in my hand, I sank to my knees outside the operating room, empty, hollowed out, like something vital had been torn straight from me.
I sent Ethan texts and voice messages. “Ethan, please, I’m begging you. Just give me the money, and I swear I’ll do anything, no more arguments, no more jealousy. Please. Just save my dad p>
Half an hour later, Ethan finally replied with a voice message. The background was noisy. His voice held the impatience of mild intoxication. “Do as Sophie says. Stop bothering me p>
At that moment, the light above the operating room door went out. The doctor walked out, removed his mask, and shook his head regretfully.
“I’m sorry. Even just ten minutes earlier to pay for the medication…” I didn’t hear the rest. The world suddenly
went silent.
The man who had worked herself raw to raise me, who had dug through garbage to pay for my schooling, was gone, killed by a line of text on a screen: incorrectly formatted.
He died in this city of glittering towers, and as his body grew cold, something inside me froze, too. Whatever I had once felt for Ethan turned to ice, silent and unmoving.
Chapter 2
Lora
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For these three days, I handled the arrangements. Cremation. Burial. I didn’t tell Ethan. There was no point. Wasn’t he afraid I’d cheat him for money? From now on, I wouldn’t ask him for a single cent.
A humorless smile touched my lips as I read Ethan’s message. That condescending offer to “reinstate” treatment, as if he were bestowing some great favor.
My phone buzzed softly. A notification glowed on the screen, Sophie had just posted on Instagram.
The photo showed an artfully arranged plate of high-end omakase sushi. In the foreground, a man’s wrist rested casually against the table, adorned with the distinct face of a Patek Philippe Nautilus, the very watch I’d once saved for months hoping to give Ethan.
Her caption read: [Grateful for a boss who appreciates fine taste. So much better than those who only see dollar signs. Some vibes just can’t be bought or begged for p>
My thumb hovered, then tapped the heart icon below the photo. Seriously. It was the first like I’d ever given
her.
Not thirty seconds later, my phone lit up with Ethan’s call. He must have seen the notification. I let it ring out. He sent me message: [What’s with the petty stunt, Summer? Do not make this into something it’s not. Sophie was following protocol. Delete it. Now. Or your cards get frozen tonight p>
Doing her job? Doing her job by killing someone?
A cold, quiet laugh escaped me. My fingers moved deliberately as I opened her post and typed a comment directly below her glossy photo: [Promoting yourself by delaying the emergency funds of your boss’s wife? Classy move. Here’s to hoping you two get everything you truly deserve together p>
I hit send, blocked both their numbers, and powered off my phone. The sudden silence felt heavy, and for the first time in years, it was entirely my own.
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