The wind blew past the curtains.
After a night of not sleeping and me not picking up when he called me, Zach finally thought about going to my work studio.
But before he reached my work studio, he got a call from the hospital.
It was Catherine. She was kicking up a fuss and saying that she felt sick.
He hesitated for only one second before he turned around and left.
My heart was already as calm as still water a long time ago.
Of course, he would do this.
This was not the first time Zach cast me aside because of Catherine.
Naturally, it would not be the last.
When Zach was studying at university, we were poor.
His father had not reunited with him, so not only did Zach have to pay for his living expenses and tuition fees, but he also had to
pay for me, an art student studying sculpting.
I signed to Zach once that I did not want to take up such an expensive major.
I could even drop out and take up jobs to wash dishes, sell things by the streets, or take up whatever job it took so that he could
have an easier life.
In fact, I actually did it.
I went to become an usher in a hotel.
It was snowing that day, and I wore a really short, fitting skirt while I stood outside. I was cold, and the wind made me shiver.
When Zach went out to eat with his friends, he saw me.
1/3
+15 BONUS
I could never describe Zach’s gaze at that time, but he must have found me embarrassing.
That night, he did not eat and just dragged me back home.
“Who got you into such clothes?! Stella, am I not providing for you?! How could you let yourself fall into such a state?!”
I signed to him that I wanted him to have an easier life.
But Zach just scoffed. “That bit of money you earn isn’t even enough to buy your own hearing aid.”
I felt sad and told him that I could give up on getting a hearing aid.
I could hear from my other ear, anyway.
And Zach was the only one who would talk to me.
That day, I cried horribly, and Zach hugged me while he rubbed my knees, which were red from the cold. Then, he patted my head
and cooed at me. “It’s fine. As long as you’re a good girl, I’ll take care of you forever.”
My face turned red as I signed. I still wanted to fight for a chance to keep on working, but he only laughed.
“It’s really okay. You’re worth the best things in life. I’ll earn loads of money and keep your belly full at all times.”
Later on, he went to become an intern in a hospital under Queen Corporation. As we got more money, he also spent less time with
- me.
He spent most of his time with Catherine.
Honestly, I was worried that he would leave my side.
Perhaps I was also thinking about getting him to rest from work, so I would occasionally lie by telling Zach that I was feeling sick
or that my stomach hurt in order to get him to come back.
But just like the boy who cried wolf, the results were not good.
Slowly but surely, Zach lost his patience with me and even started to frequently hang up on me.
Even when I got appendicitis in the middle of the night, he just said, “Starling, don’t bother me because of such trivial matters.
Catherine is sick and is in the hospital now.
“Stop kicking up a fuss all the time. It’ll just annoy me.”
From then on, I seldom called Zach again.
But during the final moments of my life, I still called him.
At that time, I was covered in blood while I crawled forward despite my body feeling like lead.
I called Zach during that time, but he rejected my call twice.
2/3
When I called him a final time, the call went through, but he snapped at me impatiently.
“Stella, could you stop! I told you that Catherine is in danger! If you won’t help her, stop annoying me!”
That was bow be bang up on me when I called him for help
He even forgot that this was our code.
I called in once, it was because I missed him.
If called him twice, it was because I wanted him back for dinner.
If I called him thrice, it was because I was in danger and needed help.
He… forgot our promise.
