Chapter 1: Their Unfortunate Destiny

A familiar ringtone resounded in the room, breaking the ice-cold silence. Allison stiffened immediately, for she knew who it was without even looking at the phone screen.

She watched silently as Matthew took the call and excused himself to the balcony for some privacy. She didn’t say a word or make a move to stop him; it was the least she could do, after all.

Matthew’s phone rang every night recently, and Allison knew exactly why that was.

It was because Lily missed him dearly.

Allison knew her well. Lillian Hanson was a genuinely nice woman, a pretty girl with long, flowy blonde hair and vibrant hazel eyes. Her personality was warm and charming, and she genuinely cared about other people with no such pretenses.

They were pretty much opposites of each other; Allison was quiet while Lily was talkative. Allison normally kept her feelings to herself while Lily preferred to speak them out honestly. Allison liked solitude while Lily liked to be with others as much as she could.

Lily had accompanied her for a week while Allison had been devastated over her illness, and she never complained or talked about anything negative during the time she was here. She cared and only wanted Allison to be as comfortable as possible.

This was the reason why Allison felt immensely guilty.

Because Lily was also Matthew’s current girlfriend of one year.

The three of them knew it, and yet they somehow wound up in this kind of situation that put a test to their feelings.

Allison watched silently from her bed as Matthew happily talked on the phone with a bright smile that she hadn’t seen on his face for a long time. She gazed on, ignoring the unbearable pain that was crushing her heart, enduring the pang of jealousy she felt at the rare sight.

'Don’t go…' she whispered to him in her mind, feeling her eyes well up with unshed tears. 'Stay with me, please, Mattie.'

Allison knew she was being incredibly selfish right now.

She knew, but…

'Just a little more…' she pleaded silently.

'Please, just a little bit longer…'

***

“When are you coming back home?” Lily’s sad voice drifted into Matthew’s ear, and he felt his heart clench painfully at her tone. “Tell me, has Allison’s condition improved yet?”

“Not yet. I…” Matthew slowly took a deep breath, the conflicted thoughts dancing inside his head. “She’s still really scared. She refuses to go through with the treatments if I’m not with her. She needs me, Lily.”

“Oh no,” Lily said softly, sounding distressed. “She has to get better soon. I’m worried, Matt. Doesn’t she have any family or friends to help support her?”

“No, honey. Her father… died of cancer years back while her mother also passed away soon after. She’s an only child,” Matthew said solemnly, shutting his eyes. “Marina, her closest friend, is happily married in another country and taking care of her kids. I’m the only one she has left.”

“I understand that this must be a really painful time for her,” Lily said gently. “I hope you can cheer her up, Matt. I’ll be praying for the treatment to be a success.”

Matthew managed a small smile. He had always thought of Lily as the kindest person he had ever met, and she never failed to show him just how beautiful her heart was.

“Thank you, honey. Once all of this is over and Allison gets better, I’ll come back to you immediately and we can make up for all the lost time.”

There was a momentary pause before Lily took a raggedy breath. “I’ll be waiting for that time to come,” she said quietly, and the longing in her voice didn’t go undetected by Matthew.

“You’ve been so patient and understanding with me the entire time. Thank you so much,” Matthew said gratefully. “I know it must feel awkward for you since Allison is… well, you know…”

“It’s okay. I trust you,” Lily said understandingly. “Even though Allison isn’t your wife anymore, and despite the hardships you went through because of her… I know that you two hold many good memories together nonetheless.”

Matthew was about to respond when Lily suddenly continued on, in a softer tone this time.

“When she said that she was ill at the hospital that day… I can’t forget the look on her face when she said those words, Matt. She looked so drained. You remember, right? The time I told you about my grandfather? He had to suffer through his illness all alone, with nobody else knowing, so he endured the pain all by himself without complaining. That really broke my heart.”

Matthew fell silent, speechless.

“Relationships last a lifetime despite it not being romantic anymore,” Lily said gently. “So, I’d like you to be there for her as a good friend, and support her all the way. She’s a good person, Matt. I could see it in her eyes. Now go ahead, because she needs you more than I do.”

***

Matthew didn’t know how long he’d been talking to Lily. Ten, twenty, or thirty minutes, maybe? He missed her so much and longed to feel her warmth against his skin, but he knew deep in his heart that he couldn’t leave just yet.

Placing his phone inside his pocket, Matthew turned around to look through the transparent glass windows, gazing at Allison sleeping on the bed with her back facing him. He knew that she knew who he’d been talking to on the phone, which only made this situation all the more awkward and painful for them both.

He let out a deep sigh and tilted his head upwards, gazing at the sky filled with stars. He wondered how and why their story had become like this. It was a bittersweet feeling, to be reunited with his first love who broke his heart years ago, and now she was depending on him to get through this distressing period of her life.

He was all she had, and he didn’t know what to think about it.

Once upon a time, he had been deeply in love with Allison Whitney. They had been happy together and shared many first times with each other.

Until she left him and broke his heart.

Matthew couldn’t help but sigh heavily, feeling a wave of poignant sadness wash over him like a tide.

'Why now?' he couldn’t help but wonder.

Why did it have to be now, when his heart already belonged to someone else?