Then, I left without saying a word. Armond shocked me to my core once again. I had the feeling he could take any human organ he wanted at any time. All he had to do was say the word. That fact alone made him terrifying.
At that moment, Cameron gave me a call to ask me why I was out for so long. I lied by saying that I had gone quite a distance, so I couldn’t get back that soon. In the end, I bought some stuff at a convenience store nearby before going back.
Summer was lying in the bed. She was looking skeletal after the chemotherapy sessions, and looking at her broke my heart. Even so, I couldn’t cry before her, so I forced a smile. “Are you angry with Mommy, Summer? It’s been a while since I last saw you.”
Summer shook her head and held my hand weakly. “No. Grandma said you have a baby in your belly, so you can’t stay here for too long, or the baby’s going to get sick.”
I took a deep breath before holding her hand back firmly. I couldn’t face her because of my guilt. I felt that everything was my fault. If I hadn’t let her go with Jared to W City, she wouldn’t have to suffer that much.
If I hadn’t left for A City, if I hadn’t left her behind with Cameron, I would probably notice something wrong with her. Cameron even called me to talk about Summer’s symptoms, but I delayed her treatment because of my carelessness. I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant either. I always thought I cared and loved Summer with all my heart, but I realized I was only acting out of my selfish desires. I brought her to R Province because I thought it was best for her, then I brought her back to K City and left her alone for the same reason. I brought this suffering unto her.
I felt guilty, and I couldn’t face her because of that.
“What are you thinking about, Mommy?” Summer waved her hand before me, snapping me out of my trance. “I’m not scared, Mommy. Granny told me lots of people fall sick, but everyone gets better if they follow the doctor’s orders.”
I nodded, but I felt sad. I knew I would break down the moment I started talking, so I felt relieved when Cameron came in. “Talk to granny for a bit, Summer. I’ll be back in a second.”
Cameron wanted to ask me something, but since I was in a hurry, she stopped herself.
My tears finally fell when I got to the staircase. Ashton called me, but I waited for a bit before answering the call. He was silent for a while before asking, “Have you taken dinner. Is Summer fine?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “What about Jared? Did he agree to it?”
“Yes. I’ll take him to the hospital tomorrow. What happened? Your voice sounds hoarse. Are you crying?”
I wanted to say no, but I knew I couldn’t hide it from him. “Summer’s just skin and bones now. It’s heartbreaking whenever I see her.” I didn’t know how to break the meeting with Armond to him. First, I didn’t know what Armond was trying to do; secondly, I couldn’t understand why Armond said it was easy for him to get a suitable kidney for Summer.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Summer. Mrs. Dune told me you look tired. Don’t forget to rest up when you get home. I don’t want you to exhaust yourself,” he said gently. Well, he did mellow out over the years.
I stayed at the staircase for a bit after hanging up, then Nora called me. I thought it’d be awkward, but I took the call anyhow. Nora was as vivacious as usual though. “Can you pick us up at the airport, Scarlett? We just got here, so everything’s really unfamiliar.”
I froze up. “You’re in K City?”
“Yeah. Armond said you’re really worried about your daughter when I called him. I can’t really help you, but I can take care of her for you. I won’t trouble you, I promise,” she said a lot, and I was surprised, but I felt touched.
I could feel tears coming up again, but I answered, “Thank you. I—”
“Oh, stop yammering and come pick us up quickly. K City’s freezing. I should have worn more clothes. It feels so chilly right after we landed, you know,” she grumbled.
I smiled. “Alright, I’m coming over. Wait, ‘we’? Who did you come with?”
“A new friend I got to know. She’s here on a business trip, so we came together. I’ll introduce her to you later.” Her teeth were chattering from the cold.
