Chapter 380
Nicole gave Aileen’s head a gentle tap. “Your brother loves you the most. He even sent you to the best junior high. He wouldn’t want you to keep him company like an old hag.”
Aileen chuckled. Just then, Halley entered the ward.
“Hey, Hailey,” Aileen greeted cheerily.
Getting to her feet, Nicole asked, “Did you get the examination report, Hailey?”
Hailey’s eyes were red–rimmed as she nodded. “Yes.”
Her reaction caused Aileen to ask anxiously, “What’s wrong with my mom? Is she sick?”
Hailey only stared at Pamela in silence. Realizing something was not right, Nicole said, “Aileen, come out with me for a second. I have something to tell
You”
Not suspecting anything, Aileen responded, saying “Okay.” With that, Aileen and Nicole left the ward.
Now that Hailey and Pamela were the only ones in the ward, Halley sat beside the bed and studied Pamela. The latter was dressed in a set of clean but old clothes.
kind
d as ever.
Although the colors had faded, her clothes were clean and neat. Most of the hair on Pamela’s head had turned grey, but she still looked as Hailey’s mother was around Pamela’s age. Her mother, who was traveling in Eapifora, would buy pretty dresses and dress up nicely. According to Halley’s mother, women liked to dress up prettily. Hence, it was not that Pamela did not like to dress up prettily, but she lived a very different life.
“Hailey, you saw my examination report, didn’t you?” asked Pamela,
Nodding, Hailey said, “Yes. You have late–stage cancer.”
Smiling. Pamela explained, “I know. Four years ago, I tainted at home. So, I visited the hospital to get checked. That was when I found out there was something wrong with my body.”
“Why didn’t you get it treated, Mrs, Zamora? If you did, you probably wouldn’t be in such a state.”
“Maybe. Even the doctor said there was a possibility. Perhaps I would we lived longer if I had taken out around a million dollars to pay for the treatment. “But Aileen was still young, and Declan was not an adult yet. He had it harder back then. When his father died, we were left to repay a debt of two million.
“With my disability, I couldn’t do anything. So, Declan secretly skipped school to take up part–time jobs.
“Due to his age, he had trouble making people listen to him. That’s why he got tattoos, a buzz cut, and treated everyone coldly.”
While saying that, Pamela raised her hand. Sensing that Pamela wanted to hold her hand, Hailey quickly took it. Pamela’s palm was covered in thick calluses that were rough to the touch.
Smiling warmly, she asked, “Is Declan always cold to you?”
Hailey nodded. “He treats everyone like that. He never smiles,”
“Declan wasn’t born like that. He always smiled in the past, and he looked good when he did. But after his father left, the three of us were left to fend for ourselves. His father was a drug dealer, so people always criticized us wherever we went.
“He stopped smiling to prevent others from bullying us,” explained Pamela.
Hailey felt miserable. As someone who grew up showered with love and care, Declan’s life was the most heart–wrenching event she had ever known. Ever since Halley got t to know Declan’s family, she felt as if she had encountered a completely different life.
“On top of all that, my family had mountains of delats. We barely had one million. Even if we did, I would never use it on something that’s a mere possibility
“For the past
years, I’ve been praying every day so I could live longer. At least until Declan had grown up. I wanted to stay by his side for a few more
