The IV needle jumped on my arm, causing the blood to flow backward.
Jasper held me quickly and called for the nurse. I was frantically trying to get up and force Asher out.
Asher seemed taken aback by my reaction, and I saw panic flash in his eyes as he backed out of the room.
Jasper held me close as the nurse adjusted my IV, “It’s okay, it’s okay. From now on, I’ll stay by your side, and you won’t have to see the Becketts again,” Jasper reassured me, gently patting my back.
The harsh white light streamed down, my mind still foggy from fatigue. “Time for a blood draw,” the nurse said, as fourteen tubes clinked near my bed. I turned my head away, the sound of the tubes being inserted and removed echoing in my ears.
The second round of chemotheraput
12:16 PM
<
The second round of chemotherapy began.
I suffered through headaches and nausea. It felt like an invasion, with the only option being to destroy myself with it. While it killed the cancerous cells, it was also destroying my healthy ones.
I curled up tightly in pain, biting my lips until they bled.
Outside, Jasper donned sunglasses, tears silently streaming down his face.
In the midst of this agony, I couldn’t tell reality from dreams-
I seemed to see those people again, wielding ropes, scissors, branding irons… They surrounded me!
They shredded my clothes, tied my hands and feet. Cameras flashed relentlessly, capturing it all…
I was lost and desperate. Just when I thought I might die like this, a gentle voice pierced the darkness.
I jolted awake to find myself back in the hospital, the chemotherapy session over.
Returning to my room, Jasper gingerly asked, “Asher is outside again. Do you want to see him?” Avoiding my gaze, Jasper quickly added, “I just thought maybe he owes you an apology.”
I told Jasper to let Asher in. I felt some things needed closure.
I looked coldly at Asher standing by my bed, devoid
any
emotion.
“At 17, when I first came back, I transferred to Adeline’s class and was ostracized and ink was poured on me. You said I didn’t know how to get along with classmates.”
“On my 18th birthday, despite my peanut allergy, Adeline’s breakfast had peanuts mixed in. I nearly died.”
“When Adeline had a relationship and wrote love letters, she blamed it on me when our parents found out. I was punished to kneel outside in the rain all night.”
“The Beckett family is wealthy, and Adeline lived a life of luxury. I worked part–time even after returning, and you said I was doing it for attention.”
Asher shook his head frantically. Jasper stood silent, fists clenched in anger.
“It’s been four years since I returned to the Becketts,
Stm
last name is still Lu.”
“Asher, you lost me as a child and found me again at 17,” I paused,
“I never had a choice from start to finish, but,” I paused again.
Asher tried to step forward, but Jasper, eyes burning red, punched him.
“Why did you always think I was bullying Adeline?” I asked quietly.
