Being seventeen had its own beauty,and so did being twenty-seven,with its wisdom and experiences.I couldn't grasp why he needed another girl to remember who I used to be.Really,Alexander was being too hasty.He should have waited another month or so.Let me take my last breath,let my vibrant body turn to ashes,and then he could seek a replacement,a true love,whatever.
But not while I was still here,with him using someone else to reminisce about the past,leaving me with nothing but the remnants of what we had.His actions made my years of love for him feel like a joke.
“Alexander,you should wait a little longer.”I didn’t like playing games,so after a moment of silence,I spoke with a mix of self-mockery and sorrow.
“I’m not lying to you;I’m sick.I might have a month left.You should wait until I’m gone before moving on with Chelsea.”
“Are you really cursing yourself just to push Chelsea away?”Alexander’s arms around me loosened.
Displeasure and disappointment filled his eyes as he looked at me.“That night,if Chelsea hadn’t warned me about the drink,I could’ve been in real trouble with another woman!She helped me too.Now that she’s sick,what’s wrong with taking care of her?Why do you have to target her?”
I felt like Chelsea had approached him on purpose that night.Even if she did inadvertently help him,he could support her in other ways,like hiring a caregiver or finding a good rehab center.There was no need to bring her home.
The pain in my stomach intensified,and seeing the coldness in Alexander’s eyes made me feel like arguing with him was pointless.
I forced myself to stand up,enduring the sharp pain.“If you can’t let Chelsea go,then I’ll leave.If I walk out today,I won’t come back!”
Just as I was about to turn and walk away, Alexander’s voice cut through the air.
“Madeline, how long are you going to throw this tantrum?”
He stepped closer, gripping my wrist tightly, catching me off guard. His once captivating dark eyes now burned with anger and hostility. “Stop threatening to leave! If you do, the company will cut off funding for the Sunrise Orphanage!”
I froze, disbelief coursing through me. I never expected Alexander would wield the orphanage’s funding as a weapon against me.