Chapter 2
My mom spoke with deep concern.
Her words made my heart ache.
Parents would always end up compromising for their children.
Those who were favored always got away with everything.
Suddenly, the steak on my plate just tasted bland.
After a moment of silence, I finally came clean.
"I've already broken up with Danny," I admitted.
Eight years wasted. I really needed to wake up.
Surprisingly, my parents didn't press me for details about why Danny and I broke up.
I started working on my resume and looking for jobs.
Because of Danny's illness, I'd earned several medical certificates over the past five years, even though I'd left my original field.
After five years of hands-on caregiving, I quickly found a well-paying job in caregiving.
My client was an elderly lady named Amy Larson.
She was elegant, her gray hair neatly pulled back into a bun. She didn't talk much, but she was warm and approachable.
As time went on, we got to know each other better.
"You used to work in Alexinburg? What a small world! My grandson works there, too. He's in his thirties and still single. It's really starting to worry me," Amy said.
When she brought up her grandson, she looked a bit exasperated.
"He's always saying he's busy, and I hardly ever see him. Camila, you're single, right?" she asked, suddenly turning to me as I was massaging her shoulders.
Amy switched topics in a flash and glanced over at me while I worked on her shoulders.
I was tongue-tied, meeting her hopeful gaze.
I wasn't some clueless college girl anymore. I could sense she was trying to play matchmaker.
For a moment, I didn't know how to respond.
Luckily, my phone rang right then. I laughed it off, grabbed my phone, and headed outside. As soon as I picked up, a voice on the other end caught me off guard.
"Camila, when are you coming back? Danny's check-up didn't go well this time. The doctor says he should be hospitalized for observation. I'll get you on the next available flight," Linda Gibson, Danny's mom, said.
When Danny and I first got together, Linda made a special trip to my campus to see me.
At our first meeting, she looked me up and down, her brows furrowing a little. Her tone was barely polite, with a hint of disappointment.
She said, "You're a bit ordinary, but you do look like someone who'd be good at taking care of people."
Back then, I had no clue what she meant by "good at taking care of people."
It wasn't until Danny was hospitalized and I became his 24/7 caretaker, while Linda only showed up every few days, that I finally understood what she was getting at.
Linda never really liked me.
She only tolerated me because Danny was sick. For those five years, she bossed me around like she owned the place.
Just like this moment, she didn't even ask what I thought. She was already arranging for me to rush back and look after Danny.
"Mrs. Gibson, didn't Danny mention that we broke up?" I said softly.
I tried to put it as gently as possible.
When I brought up breaking up, Danny didn't say a word for a long while.
But in the end, he just replied, "Okay."
I could almost hear the relief in his voice, even through the phone.
When adults break up, they at least try to give each other some dignity.
Linda clearly knew that, but after a brief silence, she suddenly snapped, "Camila, you can't be so irresponsible! You've been the only one Danny has relied on all these years.
"If you just walk away now, aren't you basically letting him die?
"I never thought you could be so cruel. If I'd known, I never would have let you two be together!"
Linda kept ranting at me, her accusations nonstop.
The more she talked, the more annoyed I got. I lost my patience, and my voice went cold. "Mrs. Gibson, Danny isn't my responsibility."
She went silent for a moment.
After a while, she finally managed to choke out, "But you've been taking care of him all this time!"
That really made me want to laugh.
Too tired to argue, I said, "I'm not going back to Alexinburg," then hung up without another word.
Honestly, this family was just crazy.
By the second month back home, my parents couldn't hold back anymore and started setting me up on blind dates.
I was dragged to a few of them.
Honestly, my feelings were all over the place.
They'd ask about my job or if I'd quit and be a stay-at-home mom after marriage, but today's guy was even worse. He straight-up asked if I was a virgin.
I dumped my drink on him and slapped him right then and there. By the time I got to the hospital, I was still fuming.
Amy asked me a few questions, her voice full of concern.
I answered her honestly.