Unrequited Love

After that, Zoey didn't come home for several days.

She didn't go to work, either.

Neither did I.

My stomachache became increasingly unbearable.

I took leave and remained at home.

Not even a single call came.

On one particular day, Zoey's secretary called me.

She asked for help in retrieving a document.

She said it was in Zoey's study.

That was the first time I entered Zoey's study.

She didn't like other people touching her personal belongings.

She even did the cleaning by herself.

I found the document the secretary needed.

I was about to leave.

But I caught a glimpse of a photo in the corner of my eye.

My rational brain told me not to touch it.

But I couldn't resist.

I walked over and picked up the photo.

In the photo, Zoey and Samuel stood side by side under a tree.

The shadows of the trees cast a heavy veil over the two of them.

They were such a perfect match.

But my heart ached with every beat.

Beneath the photo was an iron box.

It must be an old box.

Its surface was already rusted.

I picked it up and slowly opened it.

My curiosity grew, but I was afraid to find the answer I least desired to know.

Inside the box, I saw plenty of photos capturing Zoey and Samuel together throughout the years. There were also some small objects.

Only then did I believe the rumors that had circulated among those who knew us.

It was true all the time.

I was the only one kept in the dark.

Now I finally figured it out.

I finally understood the look in Zoey's eyes when she looked at me.

Why was it always so melancholic?

Why, with just one glance, did she help me cover my grandmother's medical expenses?

Why did it have to be me...?

I carefully returned the photos to their original place.

It was the last shred of dignity I left for myself.

Zoey never returned home.

There was no need for speculation.

She was undoubtedly staying at the hospital.

In this way, she could take better care of Samuel.

I learned this information from her secretary.

She hadn't been to the company, and she was handling her work in the hospital these days.

I listened to the secretary's report.

Then I couldn't help but mock myself.

I was supposed to be her closest partner.

Now I found myself learning about Zoey's life through someone else.

I believed it was time for this charade to end.

Early in the morning, my mother, Rose Grayson, called me.

She asked me to come home by myself.

But I didn't expect what happened next.

Upon my arrival, my parents received a call from the hospital.

We rushed to the hospital in a frenzy.

The doctor engaged in emergency treatment for Samuel.

Zoey was there too.

She avoided my gaze when she saw me.

I pursed my lips and chose to remain silent.

Rose wept inconsolably.

"Why does my son have to endure such suffering?

"What did I do wrong?"

Then, she turned her gaze towards me, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.

"Why isn't it you who's dying, Emmett?"

I weakly managed a smile, tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Yes.

I too wondered why I hadn't perished sooner.

I tentatively glanced at Zoey.

She was looking worriedly at Samuel in the ward.

She didn't spare a single glance for me.

I laughed at myself.

But my eyes were a bit moist.

I thought she was my redemption in my limited lifetime.

However, I was nothing more than a replacement.

By looking at me, she was seeing someone else.