Chapter 3
Meanwhile, David was losing his mind at home.
He couldn't get through to me, so he took it out on the furniture.
Pillows, glasses, and the remote were scattered all over the floor.
The hospital called again, urging them to check Anna out as soon as possible because beds were in short supply.
David looked at the messy house, then glanced at the screenshot of the flight ticket I had sent him on his phone.
He finally realized I wasn't joking.
I had really left.
David collapsed onto the couch, burying his hands in his hair and letting out a desperate howl.
What was he supposed to do?
Anna was still waiting for him at the hospital.
How was he supposed to handle everything for someone who was paralyzed from the waist down—feeding her, bathing her, helping her use the bathroom, turning her over?
David frantically dialed Mary's number, his voice trembling with panic and tears. "Mom! You need to come over right now. Flora's gone. She really left. I can't do this alone."
Mary showed up in the afternoon.
She burst through the door, hauling a bag of fruit.
Instead of a neat living room, she walked straight into a total mess.
Smashed cups, throw pillows scattered everywhere, and David slumped on the couch, looking like he had completely given up.
Mary's temper exploded the moment she walked in.
But her anger wasn't aimed at her precious son.
"Where's Flora? Where did that little brat run off to?" Mary asked. "The place is a mess, and she can't even be bothered to clean up? Does she think she's some kind of queen?"
David looked up, his eyes red and his voice hoarse.
"Mom, she's really gone," he said. "She left for a job out of town. She said she'd be gone for two years."
Mary froze, and the mesh bag of fruit dropped from her hand with a loud smack.
Apples and oranges were scattered all over the floor.
"She's gone? like that?" Mary blurted out. "How could she? Anna's still in the hospital. She's nothing but a heartless, ungrateful brat!"
Her curses echoed in the empty house, sounding extra harsh.
David didn't say a word. He buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by pain and frustration.
An hour later, David was behind the wheel, driving Mary to the hospital to pick up Anna.
They had to sort out the discharge papers, grab Anna's meds, and get her into the wheelchair.
By the time they were done with everything, David was drenched in sweat.
Mary trailed behind, grumbling nonstop.
"Flora used to run around and handle all this stuff for us. We never had to worry about a thing," she complained. "Now look at us; we have to do everything ourselves. It's like we married a queen."
Anna sat in her wheelchair, her face pale and drained.
Ever since she became paralyzed, she hardly said a word.
Her eyes were hollow, like a lifeless doll.
But whenever Flora's name came up, a glint of malice flashed in her eyes.
When they got home, that was when the real nightmare began.
How the hell were they supposed to move Anna, who couldn't use her legs at all, from the wheelchair to the bed?
David and Mary stared at each other, clueless about what to do next.
"David, pick her up," Mary said.
"Mom, I... I can't. I don't have the strength," David muttered.
"Come on, you're a big guy. How can you be so weak? Hurry up!" Mary snapped.
David gritted his teeth, bent down, and strained with all his strength to lift Anna.
But he had zero experience with this kind of thing.
David was awkward and clumsy, not knowing how to use his strength properly.
Anna winced as David's grip was too tight, making her cry out in pain.
"David, you're hurting me," Anna said.
David's hands trembled, and he nearly dropped Anna right onto the floor.
Mary hovered nearby, barking frantic orders. "Oh, my god. Careful, her legs—don't touch her legs!"
It took the three of them nearly half an hour of fumbling and struggling before they finally managed to get Anna onto the bed.
Everyone was out of breath, totally exhausted.
Anna lay on the bed, her tears quietly falling.
"David, I don't want to go on anymore," she said. "I'm nothing but a cripple now—a burden to everyone."
David's heart ached for her, and he hurried to comfort her.
"Anna, don't say that. I'm your brother; no one can bully you while I'm around!" he said.
Mary was wiping away her tears, too.
"Why does my poor daughter have to suffer like this?" she said.
The whole family clung to each other, crying their hearts out in a scene so dramatic it could make the gods weep.
*****
I was lounging in the executive lounge of a five-star hotel.
Champagne in hand, I watched the city lights glitter outside the window.
This so-called business trip of mine? Total fiction.
I simply used the company's name to reserve myself a suite at the best hotel in town.
A whole month here, to finally spoil myself for once.
I pulled out my phone and tapped open the security app.
When I had the place remodeled, I was worried about the housekeeper, so I had hidden cameras put in both the living room and bedroom.
David and his family were totally clueless.
Right now, my phone screen was streaming the disaster unfolding at home in real time.
Watching them run around like headless chickens, with all hell breaking loose, my grin kept getting bigger.
The real fun was only beginning.