Chapter 3
Cindy stond alone in the lake, an ineffable desolation welling up within her. She’d spent the entire night hunched over, searching, until she finally found the
bracelet.
As dawnbooke, she straightened up, shivering, her body numb and marked with purple from the cold. Juried back to the Forsyth Group building
Annette was in Anthur’s office. She took the bracelet, giving it a quick, dismissive look
But
it she didn’t care a about the pain Clutching the bracelet, she
“It’s covered in mud. It’s totally ruined. I don’t even want it anymore!” she snapped, breaking the bracelet in two and tossing it into the trash.
Arthur barely glanced at it, his voice cool and detached. “Just t throw it away if you don’t like it. I’ll get you a new one.”
Annette flashed him a sugary smile. “You’re so nice to the
Cindy walked out, looking disheveled.
The employees in the CEO’s office had long grown accustomed to seeing
ng her like this. Over the years, she had endured more than her fair share of hardships. None of them could understand why she still insisted on staying
Cindy didn’t even take a single day off. She simply popped two cold pills and went along with Arthur on his inspection four as usual
By the time the tour wrapped up, it was already evening. Annette showed up, asking Arthur to join her for dinner.
“Cindy, why don’t you come with us?” she suggested eagerly.
(it wasn’t until the dishes arrived that Cindy realized why she’d been invited. The table was laden with spicy dishes, and the only dessert was mango ice cream,
made from a fruit she was allergic to.
In the past, Anthur would have carefully picked out even the tiniest speck of chill from her food. Now, It seemed, he had forgotten all about that
He didn’t spare Cindy a single look, his attention fired entirely on helping Annette with her water and food.
Annette deliberately turned to Cindy and asked, “Why aren’t you eating, Cindy?”
Arthur finally looked up, a hint of coldness flickering in his expression. “Why are you even sitting here if you’re not eating?”
Cindy had no choice but to pick up her fork and spear a hot wing, bringing it to her lips. Once the meal was over, Arthur lett with Annette.
Cindy went home alone, her forehead slick with sweat from the spice, her stomach chaming with seating pain. She lay on her bed, numb b, her eyes dry, no matter how much it hurt.
The suffering she’d endured over the years was her penance to Winter. Each ounce of pain eased the weight of the guilt pressing down on her, letting her breathe just a little easter
The agony blurred her thoughts, yet a faint, desolate smile lingered on her face.
A few more days went by. Without proper treatment and with her stomach constantly imitated by alcohol, Cindy’s health had taken a tum for the worse.
Still, each time, she simply tossed back two pills and forced herself to push through the pain.
It was the werkend Cindy lay on the couch, her body in so much pain she couldn’t bring herself to move.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Arthur.
“Ann wants a chicken pot pie from Crusty Comforts. Go get one for her.”
As Arthur’s assistant, Cindy lud never known what it meant to have a day off. Whenever he demanded something, she was expected to jump to it without question.
But today, the pain was so intense she couldn’t even muster the strength to stand.
“Could you ask your other assistant, Mr. Ackerman, to go today? –
Before she could fish, Arthur cut her off coldly “Cindy, when did I ever give you the right to decide?”
Her breath hitched, and no words came out.
“You can go, or you can disappear for good.”
With that, Ambur hung up without another word.
Cindy had no choice but to herself up, biting back the pain as the staggered out the door.
Crusty Condomy, known for its chicken pot pir, was tucked away on a remote street but drew huge crowds, Cindy waited in line for three long hours before finally
Sherburried to Arbour’s place and handed the ple to Amette, whose expression hardened.
“Who told you to add spicy seasonings?” alie unapped.
singgling to breathe through the pale, Cindy answered, “I thought you liked spicy food.
Annette dumped li without a semnad thought. “I don’t like spicy food anymore.” Arthur’s gaze darkened as be turned to Cludy arad ordered, “Du get another one.”
Dure again, Clady rushed out the door
The second time she returned with the ple, Annette complained that it contained celery.
Arthur, acting as though he didn’t notice she was deliberately making things difficult for Cindy, said flatly, “Go get anotherone.”
And so, Cindy made the trip back and forth several times.
By the time she retumed with the final pie, night had fallen She clutched the carefully wrapped chicken pot pie, her step
steps shaky as she hurtled back
The pain in her stomach was excruciating, and her legs felt as though they might give way at any moment. Her mind was fogry, and she barely registered the road
Suddenly, a sharp honk pierced the air. A van sped toward her, stamming into her with a sickening crash!
Cindy was thrown to the ground, rolling several times from the impact. The force was so great that she could no longer hold back. A rush of blood poured from her mouth
TV screen
The chicken pot pie lay spilled on the ground, its scent watted to her nose. Everything before her eyes dissolved into a blurry haze, like static on an old T Was she finally going to die? would she finally get to s
see Winter again?
A single rear of reliet slipped from the comer of her eye. Then, darkness swallowed her whole.
When Sylvan saw
“Cindy Cindy!”
person being wheeled in on the emergency stretcher at the hospital, his heart lurched. It was Cindy!
gave no response. She was still vomiting blood.
He called her name repeatedly, but the figure on the stretcher gave Even the chief physician was allanbed. “Could it be an organ rupture? Sylvan’s face twisted with fear as he said, “She has stomach cancer!–
The doctor’s expression shifted instantly. He quickly instructed the team to rush Cindy into the operating room for emergency treatment.
Several hours later, the surgery ended, but it had only managed to stop the bleeding from her car accident injuries. Every monitor in the room screamed the same troth her life was slipping away!
Sylvan, francie, turned to the professor “What’s happening to her, Professor?”
The professor shook his head. “Her body had already been weakened by late–stage stomach cancer, and the car accident led to her organs falling ahead of time.” Cindy lay unconscious on the hospital bed, coughing up blood as she murmured a name over and over, “Arthur Arthur.
She looked as thinugh she might take her last breath at any moment
Sylvan’s eyes burned and as he clutched her hand, his voice breakding with tears. “Cindy, hold on. Please, just hold on I’ll get him to come see you just wait a little longer. Just a little longer!”
His hands shook as he pulled out her phone and dialed Arthur’s number.
The call connected, and a cold voice came through. “Cindy, did you get so last buying a chicken pot pie that you can’t find your way back?”
Sylvan clenched his fists, muttering, “It’s me, Sylvan.”
There was silence on the other end, followed by a low, tense voice after a few seconds. “Why do you have her phone?”
Sylvan’s
‘s eyes were fixed on the heart monitor. The line was nearly flat.
His voice trembled as he emphasized each word “Come to the hospital and see Cindy one last time.”
