When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

I stared at Geneva in shock. "Didn't your mom go through a bone marrow transplant? How could she still pass away?"

I remembered Lisa had mentioned something about it, which meant her mom should have undergone the procedure in Aurorea.

Geneva looked back at me, equally shocked, and then her eyes filled with rage.

"So you did know! Your family knew my mom was sick, and yet you didn't lend us the money! Why?"

"Every time you came over, my parents welcomed you with open arms. How could you be so heartless, going abroad for a vacation, just watching my mom die?"

"My parents treated you like a daughter, and I considered you my sister. Why couldn't you help us out? Why?"

Tears streamed down her face as she trembled uncontrollably. I wanted to comfort her but didn't know how to explain.

Peeking outside the hospital room to make sure no one was eavesdropping, I returned to her side and slowly unbuttoned my shirt.

The moment she saw the surgical scars on my chest, she was too stunned to cry.

"You, you..." She pointed at me, speechless.

I placed her hand over my chest. "This is from my first surgery in Aurorea. And this one is from a more recent operation back home."

I quickly buttoned up my shirt, my voice shaking.

"My mom passed away from cancer, something you probably didn't know. When I went abroad..."

"You had cancer? Breast cancer?"

Geneva's eyes widened, filled with guilt.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I silently nodded. "I didn't go abroad for fun, nor did I run off with some rich kid. I had no choice."

Fighting back tears, I gently held her hand.

"Geneva, if my parents had known about your situation, they would have helped. I don't understand why you'd think otherwise. And about going abroad, I had no clue. I checked, and we left just a day apart. Something's not right."

It was better to clear the air.

Geneva wasn't a child prone to overreacting.

After crying for a bit, she quickly pieced together the reality.

"It was Talbot who told me your family refused to help because were being sent abroad,

drained all your resources eget

"He lent us money, asking my dad to help him in return, but then my dad..."

I hugged her, unsure how to console her.

If that person was Galen, then he

was

ovel

e his daughter?

But why didn't h

Was he afraid Talbot would interfere?

Thinking of her mom's death, I asked again, "Why didn't the surgery happen?"

"There was no match abroad, and the match we found here refused to donate, so..."

Geneva clung to me, sobbing about facing her mom's death alone in Aurorea.

Having faced my own mortality in Aurorea, I understood her pain.

"Talbot refused to donate but still gave you living expenses, right?"

"What?"

Geneva looked at me in disbelief. "Was it him? Was he the match?"

"I'm not sure, Lisa told me."

We fell silent, both sensing something amiss.

Suddenly, I saw a figure at the door, not very tall, in hospital attire.

Instinctively, I ran to the door, but the person had vanished.

I was certain it was Galen.

Just as I was about to search for him,

t appeared, c

a

basket of fruit.

Swo

"Melanie? What are you doing here?"