Still, dead silence filled the room.
I turned to leave, the pain in my stomach returning, more intense than ever.
I curled up on the sofa, trembling with pain.
Just then, my phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number.
I picked it up, trembling.
"Hello, is this Ms. Natalie? This is Pinewoods Cancer Hospital. Your chemotherapy appointment is tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Do you need a bed reserved for you?"
My grip slipped and the phone fell to the carpet.
The door suddenly opened.
Ethan stood in the doorway, frowning at me.
"Who are you talking to at this hour of the night?"
I was about to speak when he angrily shouted, "Go to the guest room and stop sulking."
He slammed the door shut.
The next day, I went to the hospital alone.
The cost of the pre-chemo checkup was far higher than I'd imagined.
I pulled out my phone to transfer money from our joint account. I entered my password, but a red notification on the screen said my account was frozen.
I was stunned. I tried again several times, but the result was the same.
I left the hospital, the cold wind piercing my face like a knife.
I called Ethan.
It rang for a long time before he picked up. Amber's clear laughter filled the background.
"What's wrong?"
"Why is our joint account frozen?"
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.
"I froze it."
"Natalie, you're spending more and more recklessly. I don't want you squandering the Cole family's money."
My heart sank.
"From now on, list all household expenses and send them to me. I'll review it," he said it so calmly, as if it were a gift to me.
"I need to pay the hospital bill."
He said impatiently, "What hospital bill? What are you up to?"
"Show me a picture of the bill to see if it's real."
Humiliation instantly overwhelmed me and my hands trembled uncontrollably. I hung up the phone, folded the medical certificate and headed for a pawnshop near the hospital.
That was my last bit of dignity.
I pawned the only thing my mother left me: a pair of jade bracelets.
The money I got was barely enough to cover the cost of this checkup.
Holding the payment receipt, I sat on the cold hospital bench.
My stomach churned and I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting profusely.
I braced myself against the wall to stand, staring at my pale, haggard face in the mirror.
That night, I dragged my exhausted body back to the cage I called "home."
Ethan was there.
He sat on the sofa, his face gloomy.
On the coffee table lay the receipt for the jade bracelets I'd pawned that day.
"Did you pawn the things Mom left you?" I asked calmly. "I need money."
His tone was icy. "Natalie, are you so desperate for money?"
"Or did you use the money to support someone you shouldn't have?"
I was trembling with anger. I wanted to protest, but I couldn't utter a single word.
He simply didn't believe me. Whatever I said, he would dismiss it as lies and excuses.
He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Tell me, where did you spend the money?"
I didn't answer. I pushed him away, rushed into the room and locked the door.
The next morning, Ethan's mother called. "You must attend the Cole Corporation's annual meeting tonight with Ethan."
"There have been so many rumors lately about you and Ethan not getting along. Dress presentably tonight and shut them up."
