Chapter 3

Lily was diagnosed with leukemia exactly seven days after I caught Ethan and Natalie in bed.

The doctor said it was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

"The cure rate isn't low, but we need to start chemotherapy immediately. Ideally, a bone marrow transplant."

"An HLA typing match from an immediate family member has the highest success rate. Where is the father?"

The doctor's voice was muffled through his surgical mask.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Ethan's number for the hundredth time.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is temporarily unavailable."

I drove to Natalie's apartment to find him.

When Natalie saw me, she immediately shrank behind Ethan.

Ethan glared at me, his brow furrowed.

"What are you doing here now?"

"Lily is sick."

My voice sounded like dry sandpaper.

"Leukemia."

Ethan froze.

Natalie spoke first, her voice so sickeningly sweet it made my stomach turn.

"Oh, Claire, don't worry too much. Medicine is so advanced these days..."

"She needs you to do an HLA test. The doctor says immediate family members have the best chance of matching."

I kept my eyes locked on Ethan.

He was silent for a few seconds before looking away.

"I'm really busy right now."

"We're taking the company public. I can't just leave. Find another donor. I'll write a check."

"Ethan, she is your daughter."

"I know!"

He suddenly snapped, irritated.

"But what do you want me to do? Tank a multi-million dollar IPO?"

Natalie gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Ethan, don't be mad. Claire is just anxious."

She turned to me, her tone so genuinely sympathetic it was repulsive.

"Claire, why don't we contact the bone marrow registry first? Ethan is under so much pressure right now, he has back-to-back board meetings..."

I watched her perfectly painted lips moving, and a wave of nausea hit my stomach.

"One week."

I looked at Ethan.

"Clear your schedule. You have to be at the hospital next week for the HLA typing."

He pressed his lips together. He didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either.

He just wrapped his arm around Natalie and walked away.

Right before the elevator doors closed, I heard Natalie whisper:

"Ethan, kids get sick all the time. I bet she'll be fine in a few days."

The night Lily finished her first round of chemo, she threw up seven times.

"Mommy... where's Daddy?"

Her voice was tiny and hoarse.

"Why won't Daddy come see me?"

"Daddy is working."

I gently rubbed her back.

"When he's done, he'll come sit with you."

"But... I miss Daddy..."

I turned my face away as tears hit the bedsheets.

That night, I got a text from Natalie.

"Claire, Ethan is working so hard. Please stop pressuring him."

I didn't reply.

I just sat looking at Lily asleep in her hospital bed, gently holding her little hand.

Her fingernails were a sickly, anemic white.

Before the third round of chemo, the doctor called me into his office.

"Ms. Bennett, her platelet count is dropping dangerously low, but the blood bank is facing a severe shortage right now."

He pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Also, the financial department is asking for you. The out-of-pocket costs and deductibles have reached about twelve thousand dollars."

I nodded. "I'll go pay it now."

My bank account had about five thousand dollars left in it.

I called Ethan.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is currently busy."

I called Natalie.

It rang five times before she picked up.

"Claire, what is it?"

There was loud background noise, like she was at a mall.

"Put Ethan on the phone."

"Ethan is in a meeting, it's not a good time. If you need something, I can pass it along."

"Lily needs a blood transfusion, and the hospital bills are piling up."

I spoke slowly, emphasizing every word.

"Tell him to wire thirty thousand dollars to the hospital account right now, or have him call the billing department directly."

"That much?"

Natalie dragged out the syllables.

"But Claire, Ethan's cash flow is a little tight right now. Why don't you try to figure something out on your end first?"

I gripped my phone tight.

"Natalie, that is his biological daughter."

"I know! And my heart just breaks for Lily."

She sounded the picture of innocence.

"But you don't understand business. Ethan is having a really hard time."

"Tell you what, I have five hundred dollars of pocket money on me. I can Venmo it to you for emergencies?"

I hung up.

In the end, it was my parents who drained their retirement savings.

My father sold off the last of the equipment from his small factory.

My mother emptied her entire CD account.

Chapter 3

Lily was diagnosed with leukemia exactly seven days after I caught Ethan and Natalie in bed.

The doctor said it was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

"The cure rate isn't low, but we need to start chemotherapy immediately. Ideally, a bone marrow transplant."

"An HLA typing match from an immediate family member has the highest success rate. Where is the father?"

The doctor's voice was muffled through his surgical mask.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Ethan's number for the hundredth time.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is temporarily unavailable."

I drove to Natalie's apartment to find him.

When Natalie saw me, she immediately shrank behind Ethan.

Ethan glared at me, his brow furrowed.

"What are you doing here now?"

"Lily is sick."

My voice sounded like dry sandpaper.

"Leukemia."

Ethan froze.

Natalie spoke first, her voice so sickeningly sweet it made my stomach turn.

"Oh, Claire, don't worry too much. Medicine is so advanced these days..."

"She needs you to do an HLA test. The doctor says immediate family members have the best chance of matching."

I kept my eyes locked on Ethan.

He was silent for a few seconds before looking away.

"I'm really busy right now."

"We're taking the company public. I can't just leave. Find another donor. I'll write a check."

"Ethan, she is your daughter."

"I know!"

He suddenly snapped, irritated.

"But what do you want me to do? Tank a multi-million dollar IPO?"

Natalie gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Ethan, don't be mad. Claire is just anxious."

She turned to me, her tone so genuinely sympathetic it was repulsive.

"Claire, why don't we contact the bone marrow registry first? Ethan is under so much pressure right now, he has back-to-back board meetings..."

I watched her perfectly painted lips moving, and a wave of nausea hit my stomach.

"One week."

I looked at Ethan.

"Clear your schedule. You have to be at the hospital next week for the HLA typing."

He pressed his lips together. He didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either.

He just wrapped his arm around Natalie and walked away.

Right before the elevator doors closed, I heard Natalie whisper:

"Ethan, kids get sick all the time. I bet she'll be fine in a few days."

The night Lily finished her first round of chemo, she threw up seven times.

"Mommy... where's Daddy?"

Her voice was tiny and hoarse.

"Why won't Daddy come see me?"

"Daddy is working."

I gently rubbed her back.

"When he's done, he'll come sit with you."

"But... I miss Daddy..."

I turned my face away as tears hit the bedsheets.

That night, I got a text from Natalie.

"Claire, Ethan is working so hard. Please stop pressuring him."

I didn't reply.

I just sat looking at Lily asleep in her hospital bed, gently holding her little hand.

Her fingernails were a sickly, anemic white.

Before the third round of chemo, the doctor called me into his office.

"Ms. Bennett, her platelet count is dropping dangerously low, but the blood bank is facing a severe shortage right now."

He pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Also, the financial department is asking for you. The out-of-pocket costs and deductibles have reached about twelve thousand dollars."

I nodded. "I'll go pay it now."

My bank account had about five thousand dollars left in it.

I called Ethan.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is currently busy."

I called Natalie.

It rang five times before she picked up.

"Claire, what is it?"

There was loud background noise, like she was at a mall.

"Put Ethan on the phone."

"Ethan is in a meeting, it's not a good time. If you need something, I can pass it along."

"Lily needs a blood transfusion, and the hospital bills are piling up."

I spoke slowly, emphasizing every word.

"Tell him to wire thirty thousand dollars to the hospital account right now, or have him call the billing department directly."

"That much?"

Natalie dragged out the syllables.

"But Claire, Ethan's cash flow is a little tight right now. Why don't you try to figure something out on your end first?"

I gripped my phone tight.

"Natalie, that is his biological daughter."

"I know! And my heart just breaks for Lily."

She sounded the picture of innocence.

"But you don't understand business. Ethan is having a really hard time."

"Tell you what, I have five hundred dollars of pocket money on me. I can Venmo it to you for emergencies?"

I hung up.

In the end, it was my parents who drained their retirement savings.

My father sold off the last of the equipment from his small factory.

My mother emptied her entire CD account.