arsh clinic lighting was replaced by the soft, warm glow of a ho

ve us a scare. You collapsed from stress and blood

asked, my v

ion carefully neutral. "He left a while ago

s no pain this time, only a cold confirmat

was on the phone, arguing about a jewelry pur

nk you for telling me.

h," he said. "Yo

hallway was quiet, lit by dim safety lights. As I neared the nurses' station, I heard v

and

st the wall, my heart ha

ng, her voice high and irritated. "So dramatic.

stration. "The good news is, her doctor confirmed the tumor is r

od ran

that mean?"

"We use her guilt. We use her love for her little brother. If she hesitates wi

e wh

pause. I hel

uable old guitars. If Sarah gets difficult, we'll make it so Tom needs expensive medical car

und. I clapped my hand over my mouth, but it

at. It was a plan. A plan they had probably conceived long ago, a contingency for my defiance. The hit-and-run f

pure, so absolute, it burned

innocent, beloved face, I burst into tears. I threw my arm

asked, hugging me back.

eyes. "I'm fine. I'm ju

g every feature, assuring myself he

ring about his day, about a new piece

d called me this morning. Asked a lot of weird ques

ched into fis

"He's always talking about being sick, but... he doesn't seem sick.

gut punch of validation. Even he c

Tom," I whisp

med in my heart. I wasn't just goin

didn't call friends or family. I made three call

. "Fast. I'll take the first cash offer, I don't

nsfer of all my liquid assets to a new account at a

all was to

ts to New Zealand," I sai

ing to vanish from the face of the earth. David Chen wan