Chapter 3
After leaving the office, I headed to the orphanage on the west side of town.
"What did the doctor say about Gwen's eyes?" I asked.
The director shook her head regretfully. "We still haven't found a donor, and the doctors are at a loss."
For some reason, I suddenly thought of that moment a couple of days ago when I ran into Cecil.
I took the director's hand and gave it a gentle pat. "Don't worry, Director. Gwen is such a sweet and lovable kid. She'll get her chance to see the world again someday."
Before I left, I sent some money to the director once more.
"Cleo, you're not getting any younger. You should start saving for yourself. If you meet someone you like, don't wait. Get married and have kids. You've already done so much for the orphanage. Your kindness means everything," the director said.
I grew up in this orphanage, and the director was like a mother to all of us.
"I'm making good money now, so you really don't have to worry about me," I said.
I hadn't told anyone about my illness, not even the director.
She had enough to worry about with the orphanage. I was grown up now, and I didn't want to make her worry about me anymore.
When I got home, I went online and registered for organ donation.
Cecil might not sugarcoat things, but he made sense. My organs won't be any use to me once I was dead, so why not let someone else have a shot at life with them?
The next day, I arrived at Duncan Group right on time, and Finn came to meet me.
"Miss Kendrick, you'll be working here. Mr. Duncan's office is just next door," Finn said.
I looked at the glass wall, which was so clean, it looked like it wasn't even there, and hesitated before speaking.
"Is there any way I could get a different spot? Sitting here makes me feel so pressured. I can't get any writing done," I said.
"Sorry, Miss Kendrick, but Mr. Duncan specifically requested this spot for you," Finn replied.
Alright, so that was that. No room for negotiation.
Luckily, Cecil was swamped with work and hadn't shown up by lunchtime.
But then, Anna Fields showed up.
Heavily pregnant, Anna walked over to me, carrying a lunchbox.
She looked shocked, so I quickly explained, "I'm working on the script for Mr. Duncan's new project. I'll be here for a few days until the script gets the green light."
"What a coincidence for you and Cecil," Anna said, her smile warm.
Her eyes curved with genuine friendliness, but for some reason, I suddenly felt guilty.
I heard footsteps behind me. Cecil had come back.
He walked over to Anna and took the lunchbox from her.
"Why'd you bring it yourself? The driver could've done it," he said.
"It's no big deal. I was sitting at home anyway," Anna replied.
With that, the two of them headed into the office, leaving me feeling like I was invisible.
I didn't have the right to be upset, but I couldn't stop my heart from hurting anyway.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, a week had passed.
I submitted three different endings, but every single one got shot down.
My stomach was twisting in pain again. I hadn't eaten properly all week.
Every day, I watched Anna bring Cecil homemade food that looked amazing, while my takeout was miserable.
I wanted to finish the script revisions as fast as possible, but Cecil kept dragging his feet, never approving anything.
The more stressed I got, the worse my mood, the less I ate, and the more my stomach twisted in pain.
In just a week, I'd lost five pounds.
It felt like a burning hot poker was churning around in my stomach, the pain so fierce I was drenched in cold sweat.
My fingers shook so badly I couldn't even hit the keys, and I was curled up in my chair, trembling uncontrollably.
As I was about to grab my painkillers, someone spun my chair around with a jerk.
Cecil crouched down in front of me, his brows furrowed, and roughly lifted my head with both hands.
"Cleo, what's wrong?" he asked.
I wanted to snap, "None of your damn business," and smack his hands off me.
But when I tried to speak, my teeth hurt so badly I couldn't get the words out, and I couldn't lift my hands either.
The next second, my world spun.
When I reacted to what was happening, Cecil was already carrying me out of the office.
At the hospital, the doctor gave me a quick once-over.
He looked worried and suggested I get a full workup to make sure he was right.
I shook my head. "Doctor, no need. I already know it's late-stage stomach cancer."
The kind doctor seemed at a loss for words, struggling to find something comforting to say.
"Doctor, this is personal. Please keep it to yourself, and especially don't tell the guy outside," I said.
He agreed and told Cecil I had a common stomach problem, just like I asked.
"Does a common stomach problem really hurt that much?" Cecil shot back, clearly not buying it.
The doctor hesitated, and I quickly gave him a light smack, putting on my best shameless act.
"What, are you feeling sorry for me now?" I said.
Sure enough, when those words left my mouth, Cecil's expression turned icy and he walked out without looking back.
I strolled out of the hospital, and a low-key luxury car pulled up quietly beside me.
"It's been a while, Mrs. Duncan," I greeted her.
Sitting inside was Dorothy Duncan, Cecil's mother, and once, my employer.
"Have you forgotten what you promised me when you took the money and walked away?" she asked.
"No, I remember. I said I'd never appear before Cecil again in this lifetime," I replied.
She shot me a look, her gaze practically dripping with sarcasm and disdain.