Chapter 5
Yvette and I were anxiously waiting for that life-saving cash when Zack called, his voice full of anger.
He demanded, "Yvette, you untrustworthy snake.
"Didn't you promise you'd stop messing with Iris if I gave you the money? Then why is there a new scandal about her every single day?
"Let me be clear. You're not getting a single cent of that 200 thousand. I'm divorcing you, and you'll be leaving with absolutely nothing.
"Iris said you and Nora are just pretending to have brain cancer. Since you want to play games, why don't you just drop dead already?"
Yvette was pushed past her limit. She spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out cold.
The machines hooked up to her started blaring like crazy.
I groped desperately along the wall, searching for the nurse call button to get a doctor, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't reach it.
I crashed to the floor, my head hitting the tile, blood pouring out. But still, I came up empty.
I never told Yvette, but I'd already lost my sight long ago.
Cancer turned out to be way scarier than I ever thought.
As the alarms on the machines shrieked louder and louder, I totally broke down, bawling my eyes out and yelling for help, hoping some doctor or nurse passing by would hear us and come to our rescue.
But it was like the universe just didn't care. Didn't matter how much noise I made, nobody came through that door.
Yvette's breaths were getting fainter by the second.
I finally found Yvette's hand and held it tight. I choked out, "Yvette, maybe it's better this way.
"Living hurts too much. It's just too much pain!
"Don't be afraid. I'll be right behind you.
"Let's be friends again in the afterlife."
Just when I was at my lowest, that familiar electronic voice chimed in.
The System said, "Host, what on earth happened to you two?
"Jeez, you guys are really in a bad way."
Yvette got saved by the System.
After the System got the whole story, it wouldn't stop apologizing to us.
It said, "Host, I'm so sorry, I swear I had no idea things would get this bad.
"I tried to reach the main system, but then, bam, I just got disconnected out of nowhere.
"As compensation, when you're back in the real world, I'll give each of you 65 million. Deal?"
Yvette and I locked eyes, both of us totally stunned.
Honestly, for that kind of cash, we could put up with a bit more suffering.
Seeing we didn't object, the System let out a huge sigh of relief and said, "Host, just get yourselves together and you can head home."
We were both stunned.
"Wait, we can really go home?" I blurted out, barely able to believe it.
The System said, "Yes, you can go home right now.
"You didn't complete the mission, but you've earned enough points.
"So you're allowed to return to the real world.
"Once this body dies, you'll be back home.
"You still have some time. You can decide how you want to go out, or if you're not ready, just wait until the time's up."
Yvette and I were both shaking our heads like mad. We were all for dying immediately.
After all, there was 65 million waiting for us in the real world.
Who'd want to waste time here with Frank and Zack, those two losers, anyway?
Yvette and I went for the most savage exit: jumping off the building.
Since Zack and Frank never believed we were actually dying, now they could see it with their own eyes.
Once we made up our minds, we walked out of the hospital room together.
Just our luck, the moment we stepped out, we ran right into Frank and Zack, who were there with Iris.
Looks like fate finally decided to step in.
Even though we didn't lift a finger, someone still outed Iris as the homewrecker.
Iris came to the hospital today because some psycho fan had thrown disgusting stuff right in her face.
Zack and Frank's faces instantly soured when they spotted us.
"How dare you two bitches even show up here?" Zack snapped.
"You think screwing over Iris is gonna make us fall for you? In your dreams!" Frank scoffed.
Frank glared at me, his eyes bloodshot, like I'd done him dirty for years.
"Nora, weren't you supposed to be dying of brain cancer? So why are you still breathing?" he sneered.
Zack stormed up to Yvette and spat, "Yeah, Yvette, you bitch, why aren't you dead yet?
"Why don't you just drop dead? Who the hell do you think you are, screwing with Iris?"
Yvette couldn't hold back anymore. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She said, "Alright, I'll go die.
"I'll do it. Right now."
I shot Frank one last look and said, "Frank, since that's what you want, fine, I'll die right now.
"Once we're dead, nobody's gonna get in your way anymore.
"I wish you a hundred years of bliss and a barren bloodline."
With that, Yvette and I bolted straight for the hospital rooftop.
Behind us, Iris called out in her sweet, fake voice, "Frank, Zack, you guys should go check on them.
"Even if they're just putting on a show, if some nosy person sees it and says we're cold-blooded, that'd be bad for our image."