"Doctor! How's my sister?" Charmaine Song shouted as she entered the room. She immediately approached the woman lying on the bed. The woman was pale and seemed to be very weak. She kneeled down and held her hand as tears came running down her face. "Sister! I'm here now!"
The sickly woman slowly turned her head to her. Her tear stained face made Charmaine's heart ache as she watched her lips blossom to a smile. "Xiaomin... Please remember.... your promise to me..." she mumbled.
Charmaine nodded. "Yes. I will take care of Luke for you. You don't need to worry about anything else. You just need to focus on getting better." she reassured her. The doctor called her earlier saying that her sister's condition worsen and that she might not make it til the next day, but Charmaine didn't believe it. Her sister was still so young! She's only twenty four years old! How can she leave the world at such a tender age?
"Min... Thank you... Remember... everything you promised.... Take him to see Leo!... Marry him... and be happy..." the woman said slowly. She seemed to be having difficulty breathing, but she forced herself to say more. "I'm sorry.... I ruined your future.... with him. I was... to blame. Luke, he..... ba... son..... you... a...." Jienna opened and closed her mouth but only managed to say gibberish. "So... rry.... I..."
"No. You don't have to say any more. You already told me everything about those a dozen of times! I already memorized all of them!" she jested. She was joking and crying at the same time, trying to make her sister feel better. It made the scene more heartbreaking for everyone else in the room.
The woman stared at Charmaine and didn't say anything else. She stared at her for a long time, until her eyes lost its focus. Next thing she knew, those empty eyes slowly closed as if she started drifting into a peaceful sleep. Her face showed no sign of being in pain. Charmaine thought her sister grew tired and fell into a slumber, but the loud noise coming from the vital signs monitor spread terror in her heart. The sound of the flat line showing on the screen was deafening. She couldn't even hear her own voice anymore as she beg her sister to open her eyes.
"No! Jienna Song! You can't do this to me! Luke is still very small! You can't leave us like this!" she yelled. A nurse pulled her up. Doctors came to resuscitate her, but it was of no use.
"Jienna!!! Jienna!!!", Charmaine yelled as she woke up from the terrifying dream. She wiped away the bits of cold sweat that formed on her forehead with the back of her hands. That dream again... That painful dream. She really wished it was all a dream.
After Charmaine found out about Jienna's condition, her sister battled cancer for five months more before finally running out of strength. Jienna succumbed to the disease February of the following year, a day after Charmaine's twenty-second birthday. It was the worst birthday of her life.
Charmaine turned to her right and watched as the almost five year old Luke sleep peacefully beside her. She reached out to caress his smooth and silky hair. It's been a year since Jienna passed away but she still missed her. Luke doesn't ask much about her mother anymore, but for Charmaine, she thinks of her sister everyday and every night. Sometimes, she wished she had foreseen her death by disease... but maybe the reason why she didn't was because that was just Jienna's fate.
***
"Auntie, Charmaine has been away for more than five years. Don't you think it's about time for Charmaine to come home? It's almost her twenty-third birthday." Leo Ji argued. Beside him, his grandpa sat silently, just listening to their conversation.
Aya turned to her husband who was sitting beside her. She didn't know what to say anymore. Last year, Leo also came to them, asking the same thing: he was requesting that they talk to Charmaine about coming home. She called her but she refused, so they have to plead and ask Leo to give Charmaine another year. But what about now? They can't asked for another extension. Especially not in the presence of Chairman Ji.
"Leo, I understand. I'll call her later and tell her about it." James replied.
Aya glared at James but he ignored her. He too, agreed that it's about time for Charmaine to return home and face the life she ought to lead. She can't just run away from Leo Ji forever. It's time to talk about their problems. Coming home does not necessarily mean they support the Ji's proposal. James dotes on his only daughter so much. If she decides against this marriage after all these years, then he will support her decision!
Leo Ji noticed Aya Song's displeasure. He understand why Charmaine's mother was against him. It was his fault that they lost both their daughters. But he can't do anything about it anymore.
Ji Chen looked at Leo, and then to the Song couple. Unlike before, James and his wife seemed to dislike Leo more. If not for honoring the marriage agreement made by the earlier generation, perhaps they won't open their door to them anymore.
"James, can we discuss something in private?" Ji Chen asked.
The man answered him with a nod and led him to his study room. Both of them sat on the sofa and made small talk. A little while later, a maid served them tea and they only get on the important topic after each finishing a cup.
"James, do you know what happened to your daughters?" Ji Chen asked. "Your girls have kept a lot of secrets from you."
James furrowed his brows. What kind of secret? Whenever Charamaine calls, she always says they're alright! "What do you mean Chairman Ji?" he asked.
Holding his second cup of tea, Ji Chen took a sip before looking in James way. "I don't want to tell you this because it's not my secret but.... I don't want you to continue believing that your girls are alright.... When in fact... Jienna Song is dead."
James Song widened his eyes in shock. Who did he say is dead?