Chapter 2

Alex slowly woke up to darkness.

His mind was hazy, and when he finally came around, he realized he'd been left all alone in a shared hospital room. There was no one at his side, not even a glass of warm water.

As he was terribly parched, Alex dragged his post-surgery, aching body step by step toward the nurses' station, hoping someone could get him a cup of water.

He hadn't gone far when a familiar burst of laughter and chatter drifted to his ears.

Alex stiffened, and he instinctively looked toward the sound. Through the glass door, he caught a clear view of the scene inside.

Inside the well-lit private room were Susan and Sophia, who gathered around Jason, talking and laughing.

It was as if the three of them were the real family, and Alex was just an outsider.

In that instant, it felt like someone had stabbed right into Alex's heart, and the bitterness spread through him. His eyes stung, and a wry smile tugged at his lips.

At that moment, Susan happened to glance up and spotted Alex standing by the door. Awkwardness flickered in her eyes, but she quickly forced a smile and called out, "Alex, you're awake."

Sophia quickly added, almost defensively, "You were sound asleep, so I came to keep Jason company."

Alex stayed silent, his gaze drifting to the table. A full nutritious meal sat there, obviously prepared for Jason.

Susan, thinking that he wanted some, slid the lunchbox toward him.

"It's a bit cold now. Jason just had surgery, so he can't eat anything cold. You can go ahead and have it," she said.

Alex felt like a huge weight was pressing down on his chest, making every breath a struggle.

Jason had just had surgery, and so had he. Yet if cold food was bad for Jason, somehow it was fine for him.

In the end, Alex felt like he never really mattered in their eyes.

He just couldn't wrap his head around it. Even if he was nothing but a "bone marrow donor," he was still his mother's own flesh and blood, but she'd never shown him even a little bit of care.

People said a mother's love was supposed to be instinctive, but no matter how much Alex thought about it, he just couldn't figure out why Susan was always so distant toward him.

The spot where Alex was punctured for the bone marrow donation burned, and he winced. Clutching his lower back, he turned to leave.

"I'm not eating. I'm heading back to my room," Alex said.

Jason's pitiful voice rang out from behind. "Sophia, Mom, is Alex mad because he saw that you only made food for me?"

The guilt in Susan's eyes was gone in an instant, and fury took its place.

"Your body is weak, so it's only right that we take better care of you. As your younger brother, how can he be so selfish as to mind such a minor matter?" she snarled.

Sophia chimed in, "Jason, you're too kind and considerate of others. If we want to treat you well, that's our business. No one can intervene."

As the door swung shut, Alex staggered like he'd just been hit right in the heart.

He didn't look back, forcing himself to trudge step by step back to his own room.

The moment he lay in bed, a wave of pain crashed over him again, so intense that it had him sweating buckets.

Since there were other patients in the same room, Alex could only grit his teeth, trying his best not to let the tiniest sound slip out.

After a while, Sophia rushed in. The moment she saw him soaked in sweat, her expression shifted to pure concern.

"Alex, why are you sweating so much? Does it hurt badly? Here, let me rub your back," she said gently.

Hearing her words, Alex felt tears welling up in his eyes.

People became emotionally fragile when they were frail. Maybe it was because he had known Sophia for twenty years, he just couldn't make himself let go of her, no matter what.

Gazing at the gentle Sophia, Alex couldn't hold back anymore. As if he wanted to air out his grievances, he begged shakily, "Sophia, you're all I've got now. Please... Promise you'll never leave me, okay?"

The pleading look in his eyes made Sophia's heart soften. She reached out and ruffled his hair, cooing, "Silly, why would I ever leave you? I'll always be by your side. Once we get married next week, nothing will ever tear us apart."

Right after Sophia finished speaking, Susan's anxious voice sounded from the hallway. "Sophia, hurry! Jason is throwing up badly!"

Alex felt Sophia's hand slip from his, and he looked up to see her rushing out of the room.

Soon, the doctor's scolding rang out from the hallway. "How many times do I have to tell you? He needs to eat something light post-surgery. You can't just stuff him with all that heavy food. His stomach can't handle it!

"He has indigestion, so it's better that he gets the food out of his system. I'll prescribe something to help with his digestion."

Meanwhile, Alex's stomach let out a loud growl. He hadn't eaten a single thing all day, and now his belly was twisting itself into painful knots.

But nobody noticed or cared.

As the hallway fell silent and the lights outside went out, Alex stared into the darkness, knowing for sure that Sophia wasn't coming back tonight.