Chapter 4
"Cecil and I only met because of work. Trust me, he can't stand me right now. He probably even hates me. Whatever you're worried about, it's not going to happen," I said.
Even though I hated being treated like garbage, I couldn't forget that Dorothy was the one who gave me the money that saved my life.
"Good. Just finish your work quickly and stay away from my son as soon as possible," she said.
The next day when I got back to work, I heard Cecil was out on a business trip for two whole weeks.
With the boss gone, the staff in the secretary's office all loosened up.
"Why is Mr. Duncan's trip to Harbor City taking so long?"
"You don't know? He's not just there for business. He's also checking out hospitals for Ms. Fields to have her baby."
"No wonder. Harbor City has the top OB-GYNs in the country. Mr. Duncan must really care about Ms. Fields."
I tuned out the rest of the gossip and walked out of work, not even bothering to hide it.
When I got home, I fired up my laptop and opened a new blank document.
I wasn't clueless about the ending Cecil wanted.
I was just being greedy, clinging to a sliver of hope that he'd go easy on me, just this once.
But now, it was time for me to give up for real.
I typed: [When winter ends, you and I will be nothing but strangers. We'll never cross paths again, not in this life or the next.]
Cecil gave his approval for this ending.
Staring at the word [Okay] on my phone, I felt blood burst from my throat.
As darkness swallowed me, I forced a bitter smile.
It felt like my story was about to stop right here.
*****
A cold, mechanical beeping filled my ears, steady and unfeeling.
My eyelids felt so heavy, I couldn't lift them at all.
Was I dead, or still alive?
Luckily, I soon heard voices nearby.
"With all due respect, this young lady's body is on the verge of burning out," the doctor said.
Was he talking about me?
A voice demanded, "How is that even possible? Did you examine her properly?
"The last time I took her to the hospital, the doctor said it was just a common stomach problem. How did it turn into late-stage stomach cancer in just a week?"
Wait, was that really Cecil yelling?
"Mr. Duncan, we've run the tests three times, and every time, the results are the same. I'm really sorry," the doctor said.
"I don't care what it takes. I want her alive. Name your price. I'll pay anything. Just save her," Cecil demanded.
Yep, he was playing the overbearing CEO.
He hated me to his core, so why did he care if I live or die?
Too bad I couldn't bring myself to ask, and it was not like he'd ever tell me anyway.
These days, even though my eyes stayed shut, I was still fully aware of everything going on.
I knew Cecil would come by to see me every single day.
His familiar hand would brush against my face, and that cool cedar scent would fill my senses.
In that moment, I was honestly thankful God hadn't taken my life yet.
Late at night, when everything was still, Cecil would rest his face against the back of my hand, his steady breath warming my skin.
Even though I couldn't see Cecil or hear his voice, this kind of companionship was something I'd longed for in my dreams, over and over, for the past eight years.
Suddenly, a quiet sob broke the silence.
If the hospital room hadn't been so quiet, I might not have heard it at all.
"Cleo, don't leave me. Please, don't go." It was Cecil Duncan's voice, soft and desperate.
A tear fell onto the back of my hand, and it felt like an invisible fist was wrenching my heart.
The blizzard from eight years ago came rushing back to me, playing out all over again.
"Cleo, you must be joking, right? I hate it when you tease me about breaking up. Promise me you won't ever say that again," Cecil said.
Back in high school, Cecil had dyed his hair all sorts of colors, but his eyes were always so clear and pure.
He wrapped his arms around mine, nuzzling against my shoulder like a big golden retriever, all sweet and clingy.
Normally, I'd just laugh and hug him back, saying, "Okay," all soft and doting.
But this time, my expression was icy, colder than the falling snow outside.
I yanked my arm away and stepped back.
"Cecil, I'm not joking. I mean it. We're breaking up," I said, my voice cold and final.
My words came out firm and clear, no hesitation, no room for doubt.
Just last night, we had sex in the hotel room, so close it felt like we could melt into each other forever.
And now, I was acting like a cold, ruthless bitch, cutting him off, not caring at all.
Cecil was the school bully, untouchable to everyone else, but in front of me, he'd toss his pride aside without a second thought.
The snow was already covering his shoes, but Cecil didn't care. He dropped to the ground in the freezing white.
His cold forehead pressed against the back of my hand, his voice trembling, barely holding back tears as he pleaded.
He said, desperate, "Cleo, what did I do wrong? Did I make you angry? If you tell me, I'll fix it, I promise.
"Please, give me one more chance. Don't break up with me. You're the only one I've got, Cleo!"
His warm tears fell onto my hand, scorching my heart with every drop.