That night, Zayn and Cassidy seemed to be intent on paying back Cadence for earlier. Once again, they made love obnoxiously and made a ruckus.
"Cassidy, I love you so much…"
"Zayn, I love you too. Ah!"
Cadence was resting in the room right next door. She bit her lip hard and pulled the blanket over her head to drown out the sounds.
She, too, had once been like this with Zayn. They had once been entangled in each other's arms on the same bed, and his voice was just as tender back then.
They had once held each other tightly as they dreamed of a future where they grew old together, surrounded by their offspring.
However, times had changed. In the end, those dreams turned into illusions that popped easily like soap bubbles.
As Cadence thought of this, a wave of deep sorrow surged in her heart. Tears slid down her cheeks soundlessly.
Cadence barely slept that night. Early the next morning, she got out of bed with faint, dark shadows beneath her eyes.
At the breakfast table, she quietly ate her oatmeal while Zayn and Cassidy were busy being all lovey-dovey like they were putting on a show for her.
"This bread tastes amazing, Zayn. You have to try it." Cassidy spread jam on a piece of bread and brought it to Zayn's lips.
Zayn smiled and accepted the bread by biting down on it and holding it in his mouth for a moment. Then, he held it and took his time savoring it.
The sight of this caused Cadence to feel a pang in her heart.
Immediately after that, a sharp and very real pain started in her abdomen. It gradually intensified until cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
"What's wrong with you?" Zayn frowned from across the table.
"I…" Cadence opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
The next second, she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her entire body began to sway, and she looked like she was close to passing out.
"Cadence!"
Zayn's expression changed into one of horror as he shot up from his seat. "I'll take you to the hospital right now. Hang in there!"
At that moment, the anxious and worried look on his face made Cadence feel as if she had returned to all those years ago when they were a loving couple.
Back then, Zayn would panic whenever she had a slight cold or fever. He would rather he were the one who was sick instead of her.
Thinking of that, Cadence felt a tingle of warmth in her otherwise weary heart.
But that touching moment vanished just as quickly as it came.
Cassidy smiled faintly and stood up leisurely. "Don't panic. Look here. I happened to find an empty blood bag in the bathroom this morning."
She then pulled a blood bag with its contents emptied from her pocket.
Zayn's expression instantly turned grim.
"Cadence, I think the blood you just coughed up came from a bag like this. You wanted to make Zayn feel sorry for you. Am I right?"
Cassidy looked at Cadence with a disapproving expression.
"That was fake? Were you just putting on an act?" Zayn silently withdrew his hand and stood still. He glared at Cadence frostily.
"You're so dumb." Cadence forcefully swallowed the metallic taste in her throat and casually wiped her mouth. "Of course it's fake. I didn't think you'd fall for it, though."
"You… You're so vile!" Zayn exclaimed with contempt. "Even if you really are dying, it has absolutely nothing to do with me! If you're going to die, don't die in front of me! You're such an eyesore!"
Zayn clenched his jaw and spoke in a furious voice.
