After being admitted to the psychiatric hospital, I fell in love with the attending physician, Finley Sampson. When I was discharged and accepted his marriage proposal, I learned that he was the one who had caused all of my mental breakdowns. My younger sister, Patricia Roberts, who was the only one I could count on and had been through thick and thin with me, committed suicide and left behind nothing but a suicide note. That was when I realized how much Patricia resented me. I isolated myself at home, cutting off all contact with the outside world, and sank deeper into self-blame day after day. It was Finley who accompanied me day after day and stayed by my side to protect me. He proposed to me, and looking into his affectionate eyes, I agreed. On the day I returned from the psychiatric hospital, I happened to overhear Finley talking on the phone with his best friend, Zachary Blair. Zachary asked, “Do you regret what happened to Patricia all those years ago?” “Not at all,” replied Finley.
Zachary continued, “Natalie keeps questioning herself because of that suicide note. If she ever finds out that the note is a fake and there’s more to her sister Patricia’s death…” Finley interrupted him, “Shut up. There’s no way she’ll ever learn the truth about what went down back then.” “Have you forgotten what happened? Patricia was crying out for help, and your indifference led to that tragedy,” Zachary said. “Harper is the most important woman in my life. Not only would I cook up evidence for her, but if I had to, I’d even kill someone for her.” Harper Wilson was the woman Finley held dear above all else. Zachary replied, “If Natalie finds out, she won’t be able to handle it.” “She won’t. Natalie is crazy about me. I’m her last emotional crutch. Besides, I’m about to marry her, so I’ve already made amends,” said Finley in a patronizing tone, as if marrying me was some huge favor he was doing. The voices inside carried on, but I couldn’t make out a word now. My mind went completely blank. I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying my damnedest not to let out any sobs. My blood seemed to turn to ice, and my body wouldn’t stop shaking. An excruciating pain in my heart made it almost too much to bear. When I heard some movement inside, I turned around and left. I ran all the way home, feeling like every ounce of strength had been sucked out of me. I plopped down on the floor and stared blankly at the spot on the floor not far away. I thought Finley was my knight in shining armor, but it turned out he was the mastermind who’d shoved me into the abyss. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I was shivering all over when the door was pushed open from the outside. The familiar scent enveloped me, and Finley picked me up off the floor and placed me on the sofa. There was deep concern in his eyes. “Natalie, were you thinking about what happened back then again? “Don’t dwell on it. Patricia was too young back then to understand your good intentions. It isn’t your fault at all. You had nothing to do with it.” His gentle voice was just like the way he used to soothe me. If I hadn’t heard the whole conversation, I probably would’ve been fooled by his top-notch acting for the rest of my life. I looked up and stared at him for a long time. Finally, I said softly, “The one in the wrong isn’t me. “Patricia was a tough person, and we had an amazing relationship. I don’t believe that letter was written by her. “I’m gonna get that letter authenticated. I’m sure the police will give me justice. What do you think?” Finley panicked at my words and blurted out, “No, you can’t.” Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, he explained, “It’s been ages. The truth about what happened back then can’t be dug up anymore. “Revealing this thing means you’ll have to put yourself back in the spotlight. “I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it, and I don’t want you to go through that rough patch again. Let’s just let it go, okay?” I looked at him with bloodshot eyes, feeling like I’d fallen into an ice-cold cave. I was giving him one last shot, but he just didn’t cherish it.
I kept my eyes fixed on Finley, and he bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll go cook for you.” With that, he turned and walked away. On closer inspection, his steps were a bit wobbly. I stared at his back, and tears welled up and trickled down from the corners of my eyes. My chest felt as if it were filled with ice-cold water, making it difficult for me to breathe. I bit my lip hard, but the tears still streamed down uncontrollably. Finley had always been the support in my heart. Now that the support had crumbled, I didn’t even know what reason I had to keep going. My phone rang, and it was the doctor who had done my last physical. “Is this Ms. Roberts?” “Yes, it’s me. What’s up?” I answered. He said, “Ms. Roberts, the results of your last physical are in. You’d better come here.” I slumped to the floor, my face expressionless. “Just tell me.” He replied, “Ms. Roberts, you’ve been diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer.” At that moment, my mind went completely blank, and only the words “advanced gastric cancer” echoed in my head. I started laughing, and then I broke down in tears. The doctor on the other end of the line tried to comfort me, saying, “Ms. Roberts, if you cooperate actively with treatment, there’s still a chance.” “How long do I have, roughly?” I asked. “Conservatively, one month.” I hung up with the doctor, got up, and headed downstairs. When I heard the news, my first instinct was to find Finley. These days, he had become my mainstay. But as soon as I got downstairs, I heard sobbing. In the kitchen, two figures were locked in a tight embrace. “Finley, I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.” Harper said, “The doctor said I only have three months left, and there’s still no matching heart donor. Am I going to die soon?” “No, Harper. Don’t worry. I won’t let you die,” Finley said, patting her back, trying to soothe her. His face was etched with worry and panic. So, when you cared about someone, you couldn’t stay calm. Finley had never looked panicked in front of me, so I guess I just wasn’t important enough. I opened my mouth. I had rehearsed what I was going to say, but at that moment, not a single word came out. My lips trembled slightly, and the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. Every word I managed to utter came out with a faint cracking sound. Hearing the noise on my side, Harper looked up. She quickly pushed Finley away and explained, “Natalie, don’t get the wrong idea. I was just so upset, and Finley was consoling me.” I gave her a cold stare, and she was the woman my ex-boyfriend loved. It was because of her that my ex-boyfriend had dumped me and married her. I only knew that Finley had met Harper after we got together, and I had often argued with Finley because of her. But every time, Finley would look at me, frustrated, and explain helplessly that they were just friends. I could sense that Finley treated her differently, but I felt helpless. Just as he had said, I loved him deeply, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to go on living after losing him.
Seeing that I remained silent, Harper’s eyes welled up with tears as she said, “I know you hate me, Natalie. I’ll leave. I’ll leave right this minute.” I picked up my handbag and turned around, ready to leave. Finley grabbed her wrist and stepped in front of her, looking at me with a disapproving frown. “Natalie, Harper and I are just friends. Don’t be so narrow-minded.” I thought, “Narrow-minded? That’s how he thinks of me? I didn’t even utter a word.” I felt my nose sour, and I managed to swallow the bitterness in my throat. “You two are friends, and I’m the one who’s in the way.” I clutched my handbag and left the house. Before I left, I could still hear Finley consoling Harper. “Harper, don’t pay her any mind. She just likes throwing fits and will be back soon.” I wandered around on the street as if there was an invisible barrier separating me from the world around me. Patricia and I had been orphans since we were kids, and we’d leaned on each other as we grew up. She was the most important person in my life. But Patricia killed herself on her eighteenth birthday and left behind a suicide note that blamed me. It said that because of the pressure I’d put on her and my lack of understanding, she couldn’t carry on. Everyone called me a murderer, and I holed myself up at home, too scared to go out, and even cut off all contact with the outside world. When I felt like I couldn’t go on living, it was Finley who broke open my door and took me to the hospital. He stayed by my side, looking after me with great care. One day, Patricia’s classmates came to the hospital and called me a murderer who’d killed Patricia. Finley was like an angel. He pulled me into his arms and glared at them sharply. “It has nothing to do with Natalie. She’s not a murderer.” Over the years, he was the first and only one who was willing to believe me. So, a tiny crack formed in my frozen heart. Later, as we spent more time together, my world revolved around him. Naturally, we got together, and he proposed to me. Finley was the light that brightened up my life. At that time, I even daydreamed that after we got married, we’d have a simple and peaceful life together. Now, it all seemed incredibly ironic. I randomly found a park and plopped down on a bench. Suddenly, the sky darkened as dark clouds gathered, and the whole world was cast in shadows. The thunder roared deafeningly, and the rain came down in torrents. Everyone around was running for shelter, but I was the only one sitting on the bench, unmoving. I didn’t want to go back, and I didn’t want to face Finley. The rain soaked through my clothes, and the cold seeped deep into my bones. Suddenly, I was pulled into a familiar embrace. Finley looked a mess, and there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He scolded me, “What are you doing sitting here all alone in this downpour?” For a moment, I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down my face. He’d come looking for me. My heart felt as if it had been ripped open, and I couldn’t put into words how I felt at that moment. I followed him like a zombie. Then, Finley led me to the hospital. When I saw the hospital, an inexplicable sense of resistance welled up in me. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go to the hospital.” The memory of seeing Patricia’s cold body in the morgue played over and over in my mind like a broken record, and I was shaking all over. Finley didn’t seem to notice my distress and tried to take me inside. I struggled frantically. “Let me go! Let me go!” There was a sharp pain in my neck, and I blacked out. When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. I’d already been changed into dry clothes. Finley was sitting beside me. When he saw that I was awake, he was overjoyed. “Natalie, how are you? Do you feel any pain anywhere?” My face was pale, and I waved my hand dismissively. “No, I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Can we go home?” I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but I got the sense that Finley was extremely excited. Finley stopped me from getting up. “Natalie, you just got drenched in the rain. Stay in the hospital and rest well for one night. We can leave tomorrow.” I thought about it for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
Finley made up an excuse about going to buy me food and headed out. I stared at his back, and my vision gradually grew hazy. He was right. I was completely dependent on him, even after finding out about his past actions. The instant I laid eyes on him, all my anger and resentment melted away. I sniffled, thinking, “After all, back then, he just stood by and did nothing. Patricia’s death wasn’t his fault, and he seems intent on making amends.” I wanted to forgive him. During my final days, I wanted to spend the remaining time with him in peace. I muttered, “Patricia, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for being selfish. I can’t bear to lose him.” There was a sound at the door, and I thought it must be Finley coming back. I quickly got out of bed, eager to open the door for him. Just as my hand reached the doorknob, Finley’s gentle voice sounded. “Harper, you can have the surgery tomorrow. I’ve managed to get the heart.” I didn’t know what was said on the other end of the phone, but his smile grew even more tender. At that moment, a chill spread through my entire body. When he walked in, he was holding a surgical consent form. He approached me and gently stroked my hair, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Natalie, why didn’t you tell me about such a huge thing?” There was a hint of sob in his voice. “The doctor said that as long as you cooperate with the treatment, there’s still hope for you to beat this gastric cancer.” He held out the surgical consent form to me. I lost my mind and tore the paper to shreds, my voice sharp. “Get out! Get out! I won’t sign it!” I knew what he was up to. He wanted me to donate my heart to Harper and was trying to get me to sign the consent form. Finley looked at me as if I were a stubborn, disobedient child and kept trying to convince me. “Natalie, you’re so irrational. Don’t you want to be with me forever?” He took out another surgical consent form and shoved it forcefully into my hand. “Sign it now. I’ll have the doctor arrange the surgery for tomorrow morning.” I held the pen, and my fingertips trembled uncontrollably. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with hope. “Do I have to have the surgery tomorrow morning?” Finley didn’t even hesitate. “Yes, the earlier you start the treatment, the better. Natalie, don’t be scared. I won’t leave you. I’ll always be here to protect you.” I lowered my eyes, closed my eyes, and wrote down my name. I thought, “Finley, since you’ve already made up your mind, let it be as you wish.” I lay on the cold operating table, a cold shiver running up my spine. Watching the doctors bustling around in front of me, I found my head grew dizzier by the second.
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