End of the Line

When I was in college, my mom had terminal cancer, and our family company collapsed due to heavy debts.

Just when I was at my lowest, my childhood friend Zach Hall rushed back from overseas. For seven years, he stayed by my side and helped me heal.

…Until the night before our engagement ceremony, when I was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.

I wanted to tell Zach, but instead, I overheard a conversation between him and the lead surgeon who had operated on my mother.

"Zach, your fiancee's mother could've been saved back then. But you stopped me from treating her, just so Jessica could get that poor woman's corneas. If Jessica is the one you love, why marry your fiancee?"

"I do feel guilty toward Annie, but I don't regret it. It was the only way for Jess to pick up a brush again and keep chasing her dreams."

Through the crack in the door, I saw clearly the tenderness on Zach's face when he mentioned Jessica.

"What if Annie finds out?" the surgeon asked.

Zach fell silent, rubbing the band on his ring finger. "I don't know. I've already decided to marry her. I'll love her, protect her, and spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

The pain hit me so hard at that moment that I almost collapsed, as if my heart was being ripped out.

Compensation?

What a farce!

Was that ever a valid reason for Zach Hall to deceive me the entire time we were dating, all while he remained hung up on Jessica Baker?

Feeling even more disgusted, I tossed the test result straight into the trash bin.

And here I was, actually worried that Zach would be upset about my illness. It turned out I was just overthinking.

Back in the bedroom, I stared at the photo on the nightstand—in it, Zach and I were smiling. Now, it just made me feel empty.

Zach walked in with a cup of hot lavender tea and carefully fed it to me, one spoonful at a time.

"Honey, you're not doing well right now. If your boss makes you work overtime again, just play pretend and slack off a little. Look at you—you've lost so much weight in just a few days!"

His eyes were full of concern as he gently wiped the corner of my mouth.

Moments like this used to make me feel so lucky—that I still have someone to love me like this, especially after my mom passed away.

But now, I turned my head away. "I don't want it anymore."

He held my face and kissed my forehead. "What's wrong? Who upset you?"

I didn't answer, but he didn't seem bothered. He just tucked me in under my blanket.

"Tell me when you're ready, Annie. Whenever you want to talk about what's on your mind, I'll always be here for you."

It was fake—so fake that it disgusted me.

Tired of us hiding things from each other, I wanted to finally tear off this farce.

"My mom could have been saved. It was you…" I began.

Just then, Zach's phone rang. Jessica's name flashed on the screen.

He picked it up right away and walked out of the room, lowering his voice..

"Jess…?"

"Zach, you said you loved me the most! So why are you marrying Annie? Do I have less worth than her to you?!"

Jessica's questions came one after another, her voice choked with tears.

Zach's voice was filled with anxiety. "Don't cry. Where are you? I'll come find you."

Hearing, I didn't feel like arguing with him anymore.

The door closed behind him. Zach, who had just promised to always stay by my side, didn't even bother to say goodbye as he left.

My stomach turned. I stumbled into the bathroom and threw up all the tea I had just drunk. There was bile and blood, and darkness began to consume me.

Just before I passed out on the cold bathroom floor, I caught a glimpse of Jessica's latest post on her social feed.

It was a photo of two hands tightly holding each other, and I recognized Zach's hand immediately.

His left hand, where a ring should have been, was now marked only by a faint line.

The caption read: "No matter where I am, I'll be there if you need me."