Chapter 3

Soon, Ella woke up.

They were in the same ward. I went to take care of them every day to make up for what I'd done, even though getting there meant crossing dangerous traffic.

I thought Joel had forgiven me, but a week later, his lawyer showed up with a group of creditors.

His lawyer handed him a marital property authorization agreement, his face completely blank. "Mr. Owens, the creditors have issued a joint notice."

Turned out Joel had racked up debts from his racing obsession.

Now the people he owed money to were here, and he wanted to use our shared property to pay them back.

With all the strength he had left, Joel rasped out, "Sign it."

I stared at him in shock. "Joel, what do you mean? Why are you doing this?"

I stared at the agreement, tears spilling down my face.

He was going to sell our only house to pay off his debts and cover the medical bills for himself and Ella. I would be left with nothing.

My mind was spinning out of control, all sorts of scary scenarios flashing before my eyes.

If the house were sold, where would I live? Would I become homeless?

I pictured myself curled up under a bridge, rain soaking me, feverish and shivering. Then a truck lost control and jumped the curb, and I had no time to get out of the way.

No way. I couldn't survive out there.

What about renting a small apartment?

I pictured some rundown apartment, with a violent drunk next door and a woman downstairs who was always screaming.

Roaches and rats would slip in through the cracks under the door, and flakes of ceiling plaster would be ready to fall on my head at any moment.

Exposed wiring tangled like spiderwebs in the hallway, ready to spark at any moment, and the fire exit was blocked by junk.

My breathing sped up, and cold sweat soaked through my back.

The house was the only barrier keeping the dangers of the outside world away from me. Selling it would mean tearing me out of the only shelter I had and throwing me into a world full of things waiting to tear me apart.

I would die out there. I knew it.

"No, I can't sign it." I sprang to my feet, clutching the agreement tightly against my chest. "We can't sell the house. Without it, we'll all end up dead. I don't want to die."

Joel was so furious that he trembled. "Don't try to piss me off."

His lawyer stepped forward, his tone icy cold. "Mrs. Owens, I don't think you understand the situation. This is not a negotiation. This is a notice."

Ella, lounging nearby, let out a mocking laugh. "Did you hear that? Joel is being nice by asking you. Otherwise, there are plenty of ways to make you put your mark on it."

The lawyer pushed up his glasses and pointed at the two burly creditors standing by the door.

He said, "These two gentlemen can help. They can hold your hand, press your fingerprint onto the document, and it will carry the same legal weight. It's just not very graceful."

The creditors immediately caught on, stepping forward with menacing smirks plastered across their faces.

It was a straight-up threat of force.

I stared at the two men's fists, then at the cold, cruel looks on Joel and Ella's faces, my body shaking uncontrollably.

I was completely cornered.

If I signed, I would be thrown into unknown dangers, but if I refused, I would be forced to the floor and hurt.

My mind went blank. The only thought left was that I could not let them win. I couldn't let that paper ruin my life.

"I won't sign this," I shrieked, hell-bent on ripping this damn contract to shreds before it could destroy me.

What I did the next second stunned everyone in the room.

While they stared at me in shock, I shoved the paper into my mouth and started chewing.

Joel and Ella screamed at me, thrashing against their injuries as they tried to get up and hit me, their emotions completely out of control.

The doctors and nurses rushed in, and when they saw me with a wad of paper stuffed in my mouth and tears streaking down my face, they immediately realized things had gone off the rails.

They quickly sedated Joel and Ella, then firmly ushered the raging lawyer and the stunned creditors out of the ward.

The crisis was over for now, and the room finally fell silent.

I collapsed to the ground and spat out the soggy wad of paper, staring at the two of them as they drifted into sedation, guilt flooding my chest.

I upset them again.

I had to do something to make it up to them.

Taking care of them every day clearly wasn't enough. Joel was still furious at me. That was why he had brought in a lawyer to sell our house.

I needed to find another way to make up for it.

They were in such bad shape. They probably needed something good.

I decided to go with something natural and simple to help them recover.

I wiped away my tears as an idea popped into my head.

I went up to the hospital rooftop, planning to make them a homemade broth, the most restorative one I could manage.

The wind was strong up there, cutting through me until I shook, but I could only think about giving Joel the freshest and healthiest food I could find.