02 He Needs her Back

Emily ended the distressing call, took a moment to collect herself, then pushed open the glass doors of the hospital. A familiar scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, a signature smell of hospitals that always sparked a hint of unease and concern.

She navigated the cold hospital tile floors with an experienced ease, making her way to Victor's room. The lights along the corridor were pale and weary, seemingly swallowed by the endless white and the atmosphere of sickness.

Arriving at Victor's room, she saw the faint light filtering through the window on the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Victor was lying on the narrow hospital bed, holding an old, well-used book. As soon as he saw Emily, he immediately put down the book. His body seemed even thinner than the last time they met, his face was paler, and even his lips had lost all color.

The bedside monitor beeped rhythmically, marking the cadence of Victor's life, but it was often drowned out by his coughing.

"Emily, you're here," Victor's smile brightened at her arrival.

"How are you feeling today, Victor?" Emily asked, handing him a new book she brought for him.

"Oh, wait, Emily, why are your eyes red? Have you been crying?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that Issac and I, we've finally decided to get a divorce."

Victor reached out to embrace Emily, "Are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay. Your sister is finally divorcing that brother-in-law you dislike. Aren't you happy for me?"

"Of course, I'm happy for you," Victor patted Emily's back, hoping she would stay in his embrace a little longer, but Emily suddenly pulled away, "When can you be discharged? I need a roommate now."

Victor gave a faint smile, "Very funny, Emily. You know I can't take care of myself after being discharged."

Emily's smile froze on her face, "We still have to...keep hoping..."

Victor didn't speak, he gently tapped Emily's head, "Don't be sad, my big sister, I will be strong for you, okay?"

Emily looked at Victor, his strength in the face of adversity breaking her heart. She took a deep breath and walked out of the room, intending to speak with his doctor about his condition. She didn't want Victor to be trapped in the bleak hospital any longer.

Upon reaching the doctor's office, she pushed open the door and saw him sitting behind his desk, studying a document. The doctor looked up, recognizing Emily and gave a small smile.

"Emily, you're here. Please, sit," he gestured to a chair opposite him. Emily nodded, walking over to take a seat.

"Doctor, how is Victor's condition?" Emily asked anxiously.

The doctor examined some information on his computer before responding, "Victor's condition is relatively stable, and we're doing everything we can to maintain that. However, I have some good news for you."

Emily's heart skipped a beat as she asked nervously, "What good news?"

The doctor smiled and said, "We have a new medication that we can try, and it has shown impressive results for cystic fibrosis patients. It could potentially improve Victor's condition."

A glimmer of hope sparked in Emily's eyes, "Really? Can we start the treatment now?"

The doctor nodded, "We can, but this medication is quite expensive. You'll need to prepare around 200,000 dollars for the medical expenses."

Emily's heart sank, her hands clenching tightly to regain composure. "200,000 dollars, just 200,000, and Victor can fully recover?"

The doctor's expression turned somber, "I apologize, I wasn't clear. It's 200,000 dollars per year. Victor will need lifelong medication."

"Victor is only 23 years old, if he lives to be 100, that's 77 years, which means... 15.4 million dollars..."

Before marrying Issac, Emily was just a waitress earning tips in a restaurant, her annual earnings wouldn't even cover Issac's monthly medical costs.

But after marrying Issac, she has been paying hefty medical bills for Victor every month. This is why Issac firmly believes that Emily will never leave him.

"Yes," the doctor confirmed, his face devoid of emotion. Emily could sense he was trying to suppress any sympathetic expression.

"Could I..." Emily started to ask more questions, but her phone suddenly rang, interrupting her. She had to step out of the doctor's office to take the call, only to be met with a barrage of angry accusations.

"Emily Jones, I've heard! You want to divorce Issac! I absolutely forbid it!" It was her overbearing mother who had forced her to marry Issac. Emily was somewhat angry, "Sorry, mother, it's not convenient for me to talk right now."

"Is there anything more important than your marriage to Issac Lloyd? You are my daughter! You should obey me completely! You should give birth to a child with Lloyd's blood, then inherit his property!"

"Goodbye, mom." Emily hung up the phone.

Emily walked back into the doctor's office, where the doctor was waiting for her with a smile, "We understand that 200,000 dollars a year might be a large sum, but this drug has proven effective in all test subjects."

"After using this drug, his frequent fevers and difficulty breathing will completely disappear, and his respiratory abilities will recover to almost normal. In that case, he..."

"He can go back home and live as a normal human-being." Emily instinctively completed the doctor's sentence, "Right?"

"Yes. He has a good chance of being discharged."

Emily knew that she shouldn't be spending Issac's money now, but she knew Victor deserved better medicine. She couldn't stand to see Victor struggling to breathe any longer.

"Swipe my husband's card, Doctor." Emily pulled Issac's card from her wallet. She just remembered that because she left in such a hurry, she forgot to leave the card at home. Now it was just coming in handy. 

Issac had kept her waiting through so many lonely nights. He owes her this 200,000 dollars,"Please start this year's medication. Thank you."

After Emily hung up the phone, Isaac found himself unable to gather his thoughts, standing frozen in the kitchen. Even when the maid brought the sweet pancakes to his side, he didn't have the strength to lift his hand to grab the fork.

Suddenly, a notification lit up on his phone. As Isaac's empty gaze shifted to the screen, he saw an alert for a credit card transaction, and his expression transitioned from a daze to disbelief. The message clearly showed a large transaction, deducted from his credit card account.

His heart pounded in his chest. It was the supplementary card he'd given Emily, and she was still using his card for shopping!

She had just announced her intention to divorce, and now she had charged a substantial amount of money on his credit card - 200,000 dollars!

Isaac immediately realized that the divorce was nothing more than a tactic for Emily, she was trying to attract his attention again through this move.

A smug smile unconsciously curled up at the corner of his mouth. His heart filled with glee and a sense of victory, as if he had seized the initiative in this psychological game.

He quickly got up from his chair, grabbed his car keys, and decided to find Emily in person for an explanation. He wanted to confirm whether his guess was correct and see what other tactics Emily might use.

"I will bring her home today!" he confidently turned the steering wheel, heading towards Emily's mother's house.