Desperation

The doctor hesitated, his eyes darting between Simon, Kayla, and the butler. Finally, after a heavy sigh, he spoke.

“I sold him poison,” he confessed.

The room fell into a stunned silence. Kayla’s face turned pale, her hand trembling slightly as she tried to comprehend what she had just heard.

“What?!” Simon and Kayla both exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with disbelief.

“You… sold him poison?” Simon repeated, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger. “Are you saying Gerald McCollum poisoned himself?”

The doctor nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. “Yes, it was immediate. It was not a slow-acting poison. He wanted to die right away, because he knew his time was limited. He said it was better than suffering a long, drawn-out illness,” the doctor explained, his voice heavy with guilt.

Kayla’s legs felt weak as she leaned against the desk for support. “Why didn’t anyone know? Why didn’t he tell us?” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Simon clenched his fists, h