Chapter 3

3

When I woke up, I was in a private wing of the hospital I owned.

"Dad, you're finally awake!" Maya's voice sounded worried.

A team of oncologists walked in right behind her. They looked grave.

Maya snatched the report from them and skimmed through it. Her eyes filled with tears.

"The cancer is spreading faster," she sobbed. "Why did you have to go to the cemetery and stress yourself out?"

She tucked the blanket around me, her voice turning sharp with blame.

"If you don't take care of yourself, what am I supposed to do?"

Just hours ago, we were screaming at each other. Now, she was playing the devoted daughter.

She looked at me with red, puffy eyes. She seemed terrified of losing me.

I felt a flicker of confusion. Despite everything Rosaline did, Maya was still my flesh and blood.

Maybe she was just trying to fulfill her mother's final wish, no matter how messed up it was.

She was the only person I was worried about leaving behind. Seeing her cry made me soften.

"I'm okay," I whispered, reaching out to touch her hand. I saw the faint bruise from where I had slapped her.

"I won't fight you anymore. Do whatever you want with your mother's remains."

"I won't be buried with her. I'll buy a separate plot for myself."

I waved them away, feeling exhausted. As soon as they left, I drifted into a light sleep.

In my half-dreaming state, I heard voices near the door. It was Maya and Morgan.

"Maya, a month is too long," Morgan whispered. "Can't we speed this up?"

"Anyway, his life is in your hands," he added.

Maya's response was muffled. I couldn't hear what she said before the door clicked shut.

I snapped my eyes open, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. My mind was racing with questions.

I didn't confront them. I needed to know the truth first.

That night, after taking my new round of medication, I acted casual.

"Maya, I want to get a second opinion at a different hospital," I said.

Her reaction was immediate. She stood up, her face turning pale.

"Dad, why are you being so difficult?!" she snapped.

"The specialists said you aren't stable enough for more tests. It's too dangerous."

She took a deep breath and lowered her voice, trying to sound soothing.

"I know you're hoping the diagnosis is wrong. But the top doctors in the country confirmed it."

"You only have a month left. Let me take care of you."

I didn't argue. But the conversation I overheard was like a thorn in my heart.

The next day, I told her I was going on a fishing trip with an old friend. Instead, I went straight to the airport.

My butler had booked me a flight to a top clinic in Switzerland. I underwent a full-body scan the moment I landed.

While waiting for the results, Maya called me several times to check in. I had my friend handle the calls.

The results came back a few hours later. I stared at the thick stack of papers, my hands trembling.

I asked the doctor to explain it three times. I couldn't believe it. I didn't have cancer at all.

Before I could even process the shock, the doctor's assistant frowned at another report.

"Mr. Sterling, the lab found traces of a toxic herbal compound in your system," he said.

"It looks like you've been consuming a specific tea that causes organ failure over time."

Tea? Ever since Rosaline died, I had suffered from chronic insomnia.

Maya had found an old herbalist who made a special "Sleep Tea" for me.

It worked wonders. I had been drinking it every night for years.

If the tea was toxic, then the cancer was a lie. They were slowly ending my life.

I didn't know if Maya was a victim or the one holding the teapot. I left the clinic with a heavy heart.