Brad didn’t reply to me instantly like he usually did.
Each minute of waiting for his Telegram message felt like an eternity.
The worry for my grandma gnawed at me, as if I were being consumed by invisible flames.
Ding!
Through my tear-blurred vision, I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve and saw his reply:
Brad: [Baby, I’m sorry. I lost your bank card.]
Brad: [I’m sorry, baby. I’m so useless. What should I do? Will Grandma be okay?]
Darkness engulfed me. For a moment, it felt like my consciousness slipped away.
Ah!
How despicable!
He must have used the money I set aside for Grandma’s life-saving treatment to buy a bag for Kathy.
I collapsed onto the ground, my nails scraping the floor in despair.
Even as my fingers bled, I felt no pain.
The physical hurt was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.
I sent him a Telegram message.
Wendy: [Please, give me the money. Grandma needs it.]
But no matter how many times I messaged, there was no reply.
I called him, over and over again.
Each call was rejected, until eventually, his phone was turned off.
I lay on the ground, sobbing so hard that my body convulsed. But I couldn’t afford to wallow in grief. I rushed to the hospital.
In the private room, Brad switched off his incessantly ringing phone.
‘Tsk. She’s so annoying. It’s only 10,000 dollars. Why is she making such a big deal about it?’ Frowning, he felt a flicker of disappointment toward Wendy.
Three years together, and he did feel some reluctance to part with her.
He had always thought that even if he married Kathy, he’d keep Wendy around. But now, seeing her petty, unrefined behavior, he realized she wasn’t even presentable enough to be a lover, let alone anything more.
She’d only invite ridicule.
Kathy, slightly tipsy, looked at him with dreamy eyes. “Brad, who was calling you just now?”
He gazed at her and his expression softened.
“Just someone insignificant,” he replied gently.
…
At the hospital.
“Doctor, please, perform the surgery for my grandma! I’ll figure out the money somehow,” I begged, my hair disheveled as I knelt before the doctor.
The doctor sighed. “Please get up. Your grandmother is too old for a heart transplant. We can only install a stent, but even the materials for that are expensive. The hospital requires at least 20% of the surgery fees before we can proceed.”
