Bitter 6

Chapter 6 Suffering
Watching the two of them leave, I suddenly realized something. No wonder Leonard had never brought Lily back home. He was worried about her having an allergic reaction to Buddy’s fur. Anxious, the young nurse wanted to call him back. But I stopped her. “Ms. Greene, he’s your husband, isn’t he? That’s outrageous!” The nurse was young and had probably just graduated. She was indignant at the situation. I shook my head. “It’s fine. We’re getting divorced anyway. If he stayed here, I might die even faster.” It wasn’t healthy for women to be angry. I wondered if my cancer had relapsed again because of how much I had been suppressing my anger for the past three years. After the commotion was over, Patrick started scheduling the surgery. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty toward me, he scheduled the surgery for me first after confirming that my vital signs were barely adequate. I did not know if Agatha’s lucky charm had really worked. Patrick had originally said the chances for the surgery to be a success were low since it was a second relapse, but this surgery went really well. Clearly, using up some of my luck had allowed me to live a little longer. I suddenly felt grateful that Leonard came to upset me today. If he had been too kind to me, I might have died sooner. When I was in the ICU, the amount of pain I felt was excruciating. Although it wasn’t my first surgery, it hurt more than the first. Maybe it was because I knew no one cared about me. During my first surgery in Manovia, at least my mother was by my side. I couldn’t help but cry at the thought of her. If I had listened to what she said back then, would she have lived a little longer? The nurse who was monitoring me gently wiped my tears and comforted me softly. “The surgery was really successful today. The anesthesia wearing off can make it hurt a bit, but just hang in there.” She could not hide the sympathy in her eyes. I could probably guess the reason. I must have become the hospital’s celebrity today. It was not because my head got injured, but because my husband had left with his mistress. He had abandoned his wife who needed surgery for cancer. But I no longer cared. As long as I could live, there was hope. Nobody contacted me in the few days after the surgery, and I did not bother thinking about it. The old lady next to me and I hired a shared caregiver, which saved me a few thousand dollars. When it was quiet at night, I would sometimes check my phone. Leonard never contacted me. There were no phone calls or WhatsApp messages from him. But I could always see updates from him and Lily. Lily was a very avid sharer, so she would constantly post things on her WhatsApp moments. She was the center of attention in the group chat that she was not in. “Leonard is spoiling her so much! Did he actually take her on a vacation in Sheffold just because she had an allergic reaction?” “Corporate slaves like us can’t relate to that. While we’re toiling away doing strategy planning, she’s getting spa treatments by the sea!” “We may not be enjoying life like her. But no matter how much we’re suffering, it’s not as bad as Mrs. Harmon.” “Does she not mind him cheating on her at all?” Whenever these two were mentioned, everyone would think of me. In their eyes, I was just a poor cuckquean who had to swallow my pride for money. But they had forgotten that I used to be a highly regarded designer in the company as well. And when I first joined the company, they had added me to this group chat for gossiping. They did not know my identity back then. They would include me in anything they did. Now, I bet no one even remembered that I was still in this group. Just as I was about to turn off my phone, a call came in from a business partner. I had not been involved in this project for a few months, so I did not know why he was calling me. However, he started yelling at me the moment I answered the call. “Ms. Greene, it’s fine if Harmon Group doesn’t want to continue the collaboration. But you can’t just keep delaying the project, right? “Mr. Harmon isn’t answering the phone, and no one from the company is handling it. What about our project then? Who’s going to cover our losses?” The business partner got more and more agitated as he spoke. Only then did I realize that Leonard had left behind a lot of work when he took Lily to Sheffold, including the project I used to be in charge of. I let him vent their anger before replying weakly, “I’m sorry. I just had surgery and am not responsible for the company’s matters.” My years of work experience told me that acting weak would be the best choice here. Since it was not my fault, why should I take the blame for it? He seemed to be taken aback, and his tone became less aggressive. “You… you had surgery? Are you in the hospital?” “Yes. If you can’t reach him, you can contact his secretary. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” After hanging up, I looked at Lily’s photos in the group chat. Then, I turned off my phone in silence. Leonard had always been an attentive person. He knew I was allergic to peanuts, so he would repeatedly remind restaurants not to add peanuts to the dishes. Even if there were peanuts in the food, he would pick them out one by one. Now that Lily had an allergic reaction to dog fur, it made sense that he would take her to the seaside to get some fresh air. Suddenly, my wound started throbbing with a dull and persistent pain. Biting my lip hard, I told myself it was nothing. But the pain intensified the next day. Patrick said it might be a side effect of the relapse. “Ms. Greene, about the medication I mentioned before, I still recommend you take it continuously for half a year because this is your second relapse. You can’t guarantee that you’ll always be lucky, can you?” Patrick spoke sincerely. Unfortunately, I might not be able to afford the medication. However, I was in too much pain, so I called Leonard in the end. “Hello? Leonard is in the shower. Do you need anything?” Lily’s voice came through. The pain in my chest intensified.