His Tattoo's Final Lie

He kept saying he was going to have her transferred, but she remained by his side.

Then, I watched as he changed her contact name from 'Troublemaker' to 'Poor Thing.'

And now, with this altered tattoo staring me in the face, how could I possibly turn a blind eye?

I listened calmly, with no desire to even argue with him, and just let out a soft laugh. "Mm-hmm, I understand."

Clearly, he hadn't expected me to be so calm. Thinking I was playing some kind of mind game, his tone softened. "I'll bring you back your favorite almond croissants from Le Panier when I get back, okay? So please…"

Before he could finish, Cassie’s whimpering voice cut through the line. "Julian, it's thundering… I'm so scared…"

Just like that, his attention was instantly pulled away. On the other end of the line, I heard his panicked voice. "Don't be scared, I'm right here. It's just thunder."

Cassie sniffled softly and said she was still scared.

His tone softened instantly, a gentle chiding. "Don't be silly. What's there to be afraid of when I'm here?"

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble again, Julian…" Cassie's voice trailed off sadly.

After that, I heard Julian sigh and murmur something else to Cassie, but he’d moved the phone away from his mouth, so I couldn't hear him clearly.

Not that I wanted to listen anyway.

Though my stomach had been growling with hunger moments before, a wave of nausea rose in my throat like bile at his cloying display, completely killing my appetite.

I hung up the phone.

Just then, a nurse pushed open the door and began to remove the IV needle from my hand.

"You're cleared for discharge, but since you've just been through a severe complication, you need to get plenty of rest and focus on your recovery, okay?"

The only response I could muster was a faint hum.