"Do we even need to ask?"
The guests who'd rushed over could barely contain themselves.
"Cedric's had admirers lining up his whole life—how many has he ever said yes to?"
"A guy like him doesn't need to chase anyone. Only someone as pathetic as you would sleep around just to prove you've still got some shred of appeal."
"Tch! Honestly, I have no idea what Kate ever saw in you."
Kate wouldn't even look at me now.
"If we hadn't worked well together at the company, I never would've considered him."
My fists trembled at my sides.
A nurse's voice came from behind me.
"The report—you wanted a reprint, right?"
Cedric snatched it before anyone else could move.
I grabbed his wrist.
Locked eyes with him.
"You sure you want to look?"
Cedric recoiled like I'd burned him, yanking his hand free.
"Irvin, you're in a special category now. Watch what you do. You've got cuts on your hands—don't go touching people. What if your blood gets on someone?"
The moment those words left his mouth, every person in the room instinctively stepped back, putting distance between themselves and me.
I lowered my gaze. Said nothing.
Just watched him.
Kate had stopped pretending there was any distance between her and Cedric. They stood close—too close—heads bent together as they flipped open the report, tension carved into both their faces.
"Positive!!"
A shriek.
Cedric flipped frantically through the remaining pages.
His face drained of color.
He looked at me. Took two steps back.
"Irvin... over thirty markers, and seventeen came back abnormal?"
Kate held the report in shaking hands.
Her teeth clenched so hard I could see the muscle jump in her jaw.
"Syphilis. HIV. Gonorrhea. And hepatitis B. Irvin Dickerson!!"
She pointed at me, finger trembling with rage.
"What the hell have you been doing behind my back? Something this serious—and you had the nerve to hide it and trick me into marriage?!"
The guests erupted.
"He has that many diseases? Quick—someone take me to get tested!"
My mother's eyes rolled back. She swayed, about to collapse.
Cedric and the others rushed to catch her.
They eased her into a chair. Her hand shook as she pointed at me.
"This child... I don't—I don't want him anymore!"
"Of course you don't. A wonderful woman like you shouldn't be ruined by her own son."
My mother broke into sobs.
Someone charged forward and grabbed my collar.
"You'd better pray our tests come back clean. If they don't, I'll kill you right here. If we're going down, you're coming with us!"
Another guest lunged to grab his arm.
"Are you insane?! You're touching him! What if you get infected?!"
The man's breath caught.
He shoved me away hard.
Pulled out a wet wipe and scrubbed frantically at every spot where he'd touched me.
I stumbled back a few steps. Steadied myself.
Looked at the circle of hostile eyes surrounding me.
And said, quietly:
"I'm not sick."
The report hit my chest and fell to the floor.
"You're still lying?! All those abnormal markers—are you blind?!"
"There should be a law to execute people like you! You filthy disease carriers! You get your fun, and then you expect the rest of us—people who actually keep ourselves clean—to share the risk?!"
I just looked at them. Calm.
"I said. I'm not sick."
"Irvin."
Cedric stepped forward.
"I know you didn't want us to find out. But this is your own fault."
"Your lifestyle was dirty. That's why you have all these diseases."
"You got your pleasure—now you deal with the consequences. You don't get to lie and deceive and drag innocent people down with you."
"The rest of us kept ourselves clean. We deserve a clean future."
I smiled and said nothing.
The guests, however, immediately piled on:
"Mr. Simmons is right! If you want to die, do it yourself!"
"Ugly inside and out—thank God Mr. Simmons exposed you today, or who knows what tricks you would've pulled!"
"The results are in!"
One of the guests had gotten their report.
One glance, and they collapsed to the floor:
"Abnormal markers... It's over. I've been infected?"
"What the hell! Mine's flagged red too!"
"No... this can't be happening. No!"
Cedric frowned and turned to me:
"Irvin! Look what you've done!!"
I picked up one of the reports. "I told you. I'm not the one who's sick."
"Still lying through your teeth!"
A guest charged at me, fist already swinging toward my face.
I shoved the report right into his face:
"You people only look at numbers—never at the name?"
He froze.
"Wait... the name on this report is..."
"Cedric Simmons?!"
