Chapter 5
That afternoon, I received a call from Luke Crawford. He said he would come to the apartment in the evening.
At that moment, I was curled up on the sofa, clutching my stomach and struggling to breathe.
The stomach pain had been getting worse- more frequent and more intense.
Still, I forced myself to get up and head to the neighborhood market to buy fresh vegetables and meat.
Luke Crawford was always picky about food, and after taking care of him for so many years, I knew his dietary preferences by heart.
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Chapter 5
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I haphazardly swallowed a handful of stomach pills and, enduring the pain, prepared a lavish dinner for him like I always did.
I thought, perhaps, this would be the last time I cooked for him.
Now that he had Bella White, love or hate no longer mattered. Six years–it was finally the end for us.
By the time Luke Crawford arrived, it was already late. The table full of dishes had long gone cold.
The heavy scent of alcohol clung to him, a clear sign that he’d had too much to drink.
As soon as he walked in, he pulled me into an embrace, his lips brushing softly
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Chapter 5
+5 Points
against my face lovingly and tenderly. His tenderness reminded me of the rare nights in the past when he had treated me like this.
Flustered, I pushed him away and got up to make some hangover soup, but he grabbed my hand, not letting me leave.
His bleary eyes stared at me, filled with something that looked like affection.
But I wasn’t sure if he was really looking at me–or seeing Bella White in my place.
Later, he fell asleep, mumbling words I couldn’t quite make out.
I tucked him in and spent the night on the sofa.
I knew my place.
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When I woke up the next day, I was startled because I found Luke Crawford watched me sitting on the opposite couch.
His gaze was deep, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a trace of tenderness in his eyes.
My heart felt like it was being torn apart.
How did we end up like this?
When he saw I was awake, he gave me a sarcastic smile.
“You sleep so soundly. You used to share a bed with me every day. Now, who are you trying to impress with this act?”
His words pierced through me, making my head spin. My stomach seemed to start cramping again.
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I pulled a stack of documents from the drawer and placed them on the coffee table.
“Luke Crawford, I’m moving out.”
He stared at the stack of Utility and Property Management Handover Form, momentarily stunned. It seemed he hadn’t expected me to be serious, especially after all these years, with Daniel and me always depending on him.
“Moving out? Aren’t you afraid I’ll stop Daniel’s treatment?” His voice was cold.
“Luke Crawford, it’s time for us to settle everything,” I said calmly.
The paperwork for Daniel’s transfer had already been completed, though Luke Crawford naturally didn’t know that.
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He’d never cared about Daniel or me these past years.
There was a brief moment of blankness in his expression.
After the car accident six years ago, Luke Crawford went blind, and Daniel fell into a
coma.
The condition Luke Crawford offered me was that I would drop out of school to take care of him, and he would cover Daniel’s medical
expenses.
For these six years, I lived as though I were his shadow, wherever he went, I followed. I was his eyes, his hands.
Yet, he seemed to have never thought that one day, his shadow might leave him.
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He sneered. “Do you know how much Daniel’s medical bills are every day? Do you think you, with only a high school diploma, can find a good job?”
I wasn’t bothered by the mockery in his tone. I just said calmly, “If one job isn’t enough, I’ll work two. If two isn’t enough, I’ll work three. I have hands and feet, I’ll find a way.”
Luke Crawford didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, his lips pressed tightly together, his jaw clenched, as though every word I spoke was another knife cutting into him.
But how could that be?
I lowered my gaze.
He should be happy that I, this shameless
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person who had clung to him for so many years, was finally leaving.
“Sylvia Green, if you want to even things out between us, I can tell you you’re dreaming!”
Suddenly, he lunged at me, viciously kissing my lips.
I pushed him, slapped him, bit him, the taste of blood in my mouth.
But he was like a wild beast, fierce and relentless.
Finally, when we were both exhausted, he let me go.
He stared at me, his expression dark and filled with malice, and through clenched teeth, he said,
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15 Points
“Sylvia Green, you’ll never be able to pay back what you owe me!”
