Chapter 1640
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
It felt like a thorn had lodged itself in my throat, and it refused to go up nor go down. Nevertheless, it
kept reminding me of its presence, denying me of any moment of peace.
Fortunately, Camelia did not make any other moves, so the heart in my throat lowered slightly.
After recomposing myself, I said in a much calmer tone than before, âTell me, Camelia. What do you
want to agree to come back?â
However, Camelia ignored me and asked, âDid you visit him?â
Marcus?
It was a few seconds before I nodded. âI just came out of his ward. Heâs much better than yesterday
and heâs finally eating.â
âHa,â came the soft laugh that escaped from behind Cameliaâs lips. The morning sun cast a warm,
golden veil on her face, but somehow, she still looked miserable. âThen, do you know that they had just
resuscitated him?â
âWhat?â I knew nothing about what she was saying.
âLast night, he selfishly took himself off the oxygen mask. If it was not for my worrying, I wouldnât have
entered his ward to check on him another time. If not for that, what you would have seen in his ward
today would have been his dead body.â
His dead body.
It was the second time of the day that I had heard those three words. Every time I heard it, it brought
me more dread than before.
It was only when I thought about the smug look Marcus had, then did I realize where he had gotten the
confidence to do that. At that moment, it felt as if someone had scooped a hole in my heart and let the
terror rush in to fill its gap.
The fear of killing oneself would only happen on the first suicide attempt. After that, one would be
numb. Countless images of my imagination and reality overlapped and reflected on the same ending
for Marcus. With once came twice, and with twice came countless times. It would truly be a life where
one only lived for the sake of living and nothing else.
Unsure of what Camelia was trying to tell me, I tentatively said, âMarcus wants to die, and youâre
planning to follow in his footsteps? Donât you care about your parents anymore? Donât you want your
child anymore?â
I could vaguely hear the officers whispering to each other behind me.
âHave you contacted any of her family members?â
âWhat? The other person on the line said that he doesnât have a daughter. Apparently, theyâve cut ties a
long time ago, so he refused to even come here to see her.â
âAre there such cruel parents?â
âThis isnât the time to chat about this. Hurry up and ask where the firefighters are at now.â
Indeed, Camelia had cut ties with her family when she had chosen Marcus; she had broken her
parentsâ hearts.
Marcus was the only home she had now.
Belatedly, I realized I had said something foolish. I could only hope that Camelia did not want her child
to be alone.
A smile curled on Cameliaâs lips, but I did not know whether she was laughing at herself or at someone
else. As if she had made up her mind about something, the look in her eyes abruptly turned sharp. âIâll
ask you just one question. Will you marry Marcus and fulfill his wish?â
âSo you knewâ¦â My hands slowly went down, and I did not know what else to say.
At the end of the day, that term of his would hurt her most.
âI donât want to hear that! I just want to know if youâll do it or not!â Cameliaâs voice rose higher with each
word, and by the end of her sentence, her voice cracked.
At that, I quietly said, âThatâs impossible. Iâm already Ashtonâs wife. Iâd have committed bigamy if I were
to marry him.â
After a pause, I added, âEven without the legal repercussions, I donât love Marcus. I wonât make the
wrong decision. You know best what will happen if you force two people who have no love for each
other together. Have you not suffered enough all these years?â
The nervousness I felt earlier was slowly forming into a different kind of aggression. The more I spoke,
the angrier I got, the less control I had over my emotions. âCould you stop putting yourself down like
this, Camelia?â I shrieked.
It seemed like Camelia never expected me to have an outburst, for she froze after hearing my shout.
The negotiator by my side even chided me, âSpeaking like this to her will easily agitate her. We should
be prioritizing saving her. Youâll be killing her indirectly by doing this!â
I could hear that he was angry but afraid that Camelia would notice our conversation. Hence, he had
said that in a hissing whisper, and I could almost hear him gritting his teeth.
âSorry,â I said when I realized I must have made more trouble for them.
Nevertheless, it was not the right time to dwell on mistakes like those. After a moment of silence,
Camelia broke down.