Chapter 28

Chapter 28 BLAIRE Despite my inner struggle between going back to the hospital and staying as far away as I could, I still ended up going back to the hospital. I’m just glad that Sebastian has been with me the whole time, showing his support.

My heart is racing as we step inside the hospital. Our way to Catherine’s room has been the longest walk I’ve ever taken in my entire life. I’m not sure why, but I have a bad feeling about this. We still have no idea what’s going on with Catherine’s health, but I can’t get off this feeling that it will have a big impact on our lives.

“Are you ready?” Sebastian asked me when he noticed my discomfort upon reaching the front door.

I took a deep before nodding my head. Before Sebastian opened the door, he planted a soft k*ss on my forehead. I was holding my breath as I watched him slowly turn the doorknob. I gulped, trying to even out my breathing as I started to panic inside. I might look normal on the outside, but my inside is in turmoil right now.

“Thank Go d, you’re here!” Stacey was exasperated when she saw us walk inside the room. She was quick to go near us.

I was slightly taken aback when she suddenly grabbed Sebastian’s hand and pulled him onto Catherine’s side. She deliberately places their hands together. It earns a deep frown on my forehead, as it seems weird to me.

I noticed that Catherine was already awake, but her eyes were still a little bit lazy, probably from the medicine that she was taking.

“Thank you for coming back,” Catherine said in her weak and h o ar se voice.

Sebastian looked at me as if he were asking for my consent before he answered. I give him a weak smile and a gentle nod to tell him that it’s okay.

“I came back because your mother asked me to. Blaire said it was okay, so I’m here,” Sebastian said as if he was trying to point out that I was the reason why he’s here. Somehow, his words gave me the comfort and assurance that I needed.

She weakly turned towards me and smiled. “Thank you, Blaire,” she said, which completely caught me off guard.

Before I could even react, we heard a soft knock coming from the door. After a few seconds, the door swung open, and the doctor was expelled from it.

“How are you feeling, Catherine?” The doctor greeted him as he continued to walk 1/3 947%

Chapter 28 closer to the hospital bed. He reached out for the patient’s record at the end of the bed and read it. After checking it, he put it back before facing us again.

“I’m feeling better, doc,” Catherine answered before she smiled weakly.

“I’d like to talk to your family first, Catherine. So, will you please excuse us?”

“There’s no need for that, doc. You can say it. There’s nothing you can say that I haven’t heard of,” she said.

The doctor gently nodded before taking a deep breath. “I’m afraid the tumor is back,” he said, breaking the horrible news. “I hate to be the bearer of the bad news, but the only way to save her is through surgery. Although the surgery doesn’t guarantee that she’ll be out of danger completely, it’s still the best solution I can suggest.

“What if I don’t get another surgery, doc? How long do I have?” Catherine asked.

“Three months at least. You’re lucky if you survive six months.”

“And if I do the surgery?”

“I can’t give you a guarantee, but in my expert opinion and based on your lab reports, I’d say you have at least a fifty percent chance of getting a successful surgery. I’ll give you some time to think about it. If you’ll excuse me,” he said.

“Thank you, doc,” Catherine replied.

The doctor then bid goodbye. As soon as he left the room, everything finally sank in.

“What are you talking about, Catherine? Tumor? What do you mean it’s back?” My father exclaimed in shock. “Can anyb*dy explain something to me?” he shouted in frustration. “Stacey! What’s going on here?”

I was left speechless, while Sebastian was just watching everything intently.

Stacey blew a loud breath before she answered. “I think it’s time for everyone to know the truth. Catherine didn’t run away with someone on the night of your engagement. She left because she’s trying to protect you, Sebastian.”

“Mom...” Catherine tried to stop her mother, but she’s determined to tell her everything.

In a tense moment, Catherine urged her mother to stop, but Stacey was determined to reveal long-hidden truths. The room held its breath as we anticipated the impact of these revelations on Catherine’s narrative.

“No, Catherine. They deserve to know everything, so they would stop painting you as the bad guy,” Stacey insisted, carrying the weight of undisclosed secrets. “Yes, you heard it all right. She left when she discovered that there’s a big chance that she will die. She-

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didn’t want to be a burden to you, Sebastian. That’s why she chose to lie and make it seem like she didn’t want you anymore.

But the truth is, she doesn’t want you to see her losing her hair in chemotherapy or losing a lot of weight because of the tons of medicines she was taking. She endured everything alone so she wouldn’t be a burden to you.”

As the truth unfolded, a mix of emotions surged within me: understanding Catherine’s struggles, worry about the aftermath of these revelations, and curiosity about Sebastian’s impending reaction.

Stacey laid bare the reality-Catherine left when she learned of a high chance of her own death. She didn’t want to burden Sebastian with the harsh effects of her illness, choosing to create a facade of rejection instead. The room felt heavy as we absorbed the selfless sacrifice beneath Catherine’s departure, transforming her perceived betrayal into an act of love and protection.

Mixed feelings swirled: empathy for Catherine’s ordeal, frustration at the circumstances that led to her choices, and uncertainty about how Sebastian would interpret this revelation. I glanced at Sebastian, stoically standing by Catherine’s side, his expression revealing nothing.

As the room absorbed Stacey’s words, a tense quiet settled in. The revelation prompted a reassessment of Catherine’s actions, yet the uncertainty of Sebastian’s reaction hung in the air.

The silence that followed became a canvas for emotions. Catherine’s vulnerability, laid bare by her mother’s words, sought acknowledgment. The room, once filled with anticipation, yearned for clarity and reconciliation.

Sebastian’s gaze, fixed on Catherine, remained unreadable. Would the revelation cra ck his composed facade, revealing the emotions beneath? Or would it fortify his stoicism, concealing the turmoil within? What will happen to our relationship now that everything is revealed?

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