Chapter 25
Ariel sounded calm. She no longer cared even if she had to forfeit her ability to have children.
She would do whatever she could and leave the rest to fate. Faced with a highly uncertain future, she had accepted that motherhood was no longer a concern.
Howard could understand how Ariel felt. He asked, “When do you plan to start chemotherapy? I recommend that
you
don’t wait more than three months.”
She clenched her fists and replied, “Alright, I’ll make arrangements for everything as soon as possible.”
Ariel and Howard ultimately came ou Ariel and Howard ultimately came out with a temporary conservative treatment plan, which was to start with radiation therapy.
She was prescribed an effective imported medication to take in order to suppress the spread of her cancer cells as much as possible.
After receiving her prescription, Ariel did not go straight to get her medication. Instead, she turned and headed toward the nursing home behind the hospital.
No matter how calm and composed she was, when faced with death, she felt like a lost child instinctively looking for shelter.
Suddenly, Ariel wanted to see Leonard.
Leonard’s ward was located on the 12th floor. The ward was empty when Ariel arrived, and she found out from the reception that he had gone for chemotherapy.
She then headed to the chemotherapy floor.
As Ariel informed her of her visit, she happened to hear the pained, muffled cries from inside. The cries gradually escalated and became unbearable.
Even someone as composed as Leonard seemed so fragile at that moment.
Ariel felt her body go cold, and she ran away. It was until she saw the nurse pushing Leonard back to his room. He was looking pale, and he was on the verge of vomiting bile with how intense the chemotherapy reaction was. Ariel did not enter the ward. Instead, she sat in the hallway for the longest time, wondering if she would also turn out just like Leonard if she underwent chemotherapy.
She got up and left with a numbing sense of despair.
As Ariel passed through the first–floor lobby to get her medication, she heard a familiar voice. “Why would you suddenly catch a cold, Nancy? I feel so bad for you!”
She turned around and saw Renee anxiously checking Nancy’s forehead on the bench. Renee’s eyes were red. Nancy chuckled and replied, “It’s just a cold. You don’t have to get so worked up, Renee.”
“You’re my future sister–in–law, so I’d feel upset if you’re sick. I heard that Jay spent the night taking care of you yesterday. Is that true?” Renee asked, teasingly.
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Nancy was taken aback before she pressed her lips into a smile and said nothing. It looked like she was silently acknowledging it.
Meanwhile, Jayson was focused on the prescription beside her. He was giving all his care and attention to Nancy, who caught a cold, as if they were a real family.
Ariel looked down at the bag full of cancer medication in her hand. She didn’t know what to think about that.
They! “Look how much I care for you, Nancy. I prepared some oatmeal and side dishes for you. They’re the best meal to have when you’re sick–you should try them!” Renee took out the insulated lunch boxes from her backpack and carefully opened them to show Nancy.
“I’ll make you more if you like them,” Renee continued.
Ariel’s gaze was drawn to the insulated lunch boxes. She instantly recognized them as the ones she had prepared for Betty today.
She was shocked to see what was happening, unable to understand why the lunchboxes she had prepared for Betty had ended up with Nancy. She instinctively looked toward Jayson.
His expression remained unchanged as he watched Renee scooped some oatmeals and took out the side dishes for Nancy. Ariel had been preparing food for him for the past three years–it was impossible that he couldn’t tell the food came from her.
Yet there wasn’t even a hint of surprise on his face.
Ariel tightened her fingers, and the winter chill crept in from outside the lobby, filling her with cold. She then turned to leave.
Just as she looked away, Jayson seemed to sense something. He glanced over and saw her familiar figure.
Ariel was already exhausted by the time she made her way to the parking lot. She leaned against the car door for a
moment.
Just as she was about to open the door and get in, a hand grabbed her wrist.
Jayson’s cold voice could be heard. “Is this your test result, Ariel?”
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