Time slowed down as the two got into an intimate position.
One man and one woman are hugging each other. Their faces were closer now, too. And if they just turned to the side a bit, their lips would clash and seal their fate.
No, I can't let that happen.
Lucy strode forward, pulling Landon away from hugging Yvonne. Her blood was now boiling inside her. Her stomach churned at the thought of the man she loved being touched by another woman. The woman who was the first to own his heart.
"What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded as she could not take her eyes off Yvonne's hand, which stayed on Landon's chest.
Landon's eyes widened in surprise. Lucy was sure he didn't expect her arrival. He might not even expect his wife to catch him cheating on her.
But that was it.
He didn't offer an answer to her question. Even a bit of explanation or an effort to dispel her doubts and worries would make a flower of hope in her heart bloom.
Landon stood still, with only a tiny distance between him and Yvonne.
And in Lucy's eyes, he looked protective of her. Was he afraid she'd attack Yvonne? Did he believe the rumors that she pushed Yvonne instead of trusting her?
"Since when did you arrive?"
"Answer my question, Landon."
Landon frowned. "You should have called me when you arrived."
"Why? So you can avoid getting caught by your wife?" she scathingly said.
Landon's eyes narrowed darkly. "Did you just come here to start a fight? If you didn't want to come, you should've told me instead of picking a fight with me!"
"Landon, please don't fight in front of me. You're scaring me." The sweet voice of Yvonne took her attention away. Yvonne was now looking at her. But Lucy couldn't meet her gaze. Not when her hands stayed on Landon's chest.
Landon sighed. "I know."
In just a few words, Yvonne persuaded him to stop.
Lucy stared at him as if she were looking at a stranger. For the last two years, they'd been together in peace, and even though their marriage was only real on paper, they got along well. Lucy even believed that there was a chance she would have a place in his heart. She gave up everything to him, her body, soul, and heart.
How foolish of her.
Just because of his promises as they spent each night in each other's arms, how dare she think she could have his heart?
In the first place, his heart belonged to another.
When she was trying so hard to earn his love, Yvonne received it as soon as she returned.
When she was dying to get his attention, Landon chased after the trails Yvonne left behind.
Her body started to move back. Step by step.
"You're right. I shouldn't have come here," she said softly.
Lucy could no longer look at him. Her eyes were glazed over as if they had become a doll's wooden ones.
She turned around and started running.
"Lucy!"
Lucy thought she heard her name being called, but she was uncertain. It could be an illusion brought on by her desire for Landon to realize he had made a big mistake.
No. Landon wouldn't even care anymore. He now has Yvonne by his side. I no longer matter to him.
Lucy ran as fast as she could. But without a destination, she could only run where her feet would take her.
It didn't take long for her feet to stop moving forward as an excruciating pain shot through her lower abdomen, stealing her breath and coming out short and rapid.
Seeking support from a nearby tree trunk, Lucy curled into a crouching position as she endured the pain. Her hands began to tremble as she blinked the tears away. There was no way this was happening to her right now. Why did her period cramps have to come now when they had been silent for a couple of weeks? And it had to appear like a vengeful bitch.
Lucy thought she could endure the pain.
Oh, how wrong she was.
Because the moment she stood up, her vision was quickly painted black.
The last thing she heard before she went to unconsciousness was the panicked voices of passersby.
It must have taken a while before she woke up, as the sky outside the window was now a hue of purples and reds. The strong, sharp smell of disinfectant and white painted walls were the only indications that told Lucy where she was now.
Turning her head, a blonde nurse stood next to the IV stand.
"You're awake," the nurse noticed quickly. "I'll let the doctor know."
"Wait," Lucy stopped her. "What time is it?"
The nurse glanced briefly at her wristwatch. "6:40."
Four hours. She was unconscious for four hours.
She searched for her phone. Thankfully, they placed it beside her pillow.
Casually unlocking her phone, Lucy couldn't stop getting her hopes high as she wondered if Landon thought of her and was concerned about her disappearance.
Seeing no unread messages or missed calls, Lucy pressed her phone down, her heart heavy with disappointment.
"Good evening, Miss..."
Lucy looked up at the door as an elderly man entered, followed by the blonde nurse from earlier. He must be her attending doctor.
"West—" Lucy caught herself.
Does she even have the right to use his surname?
"Grey. It's Miss Grey." Lucy used her real surname before she married Landon.
Sitting up straight, Lucy had her attention to the doctor.
"Then, Miss Grey, can you please answer some of my questions?"
"Yes."
"Is there any history of cancer in your family?"
Lucy immediately thought of her mother, who died last year from stomach cancer. Then she slowly nodded to the doctor. "Yes."
"This will be easier for me to explain then." The doctor nodded. "Miss Grey, you have stage two ovarian cancer."
Her eyes shot up to the doctor.
Shaking her head, Lucy laughed humorlessly. "Doctor, isn't it a bit too late for April Fool's Day? Is there a camera around here? There's no way... I am..."
"Am I going to die?"
"It's too early to judge, but with surgery and chemotherapy, there might be a chance for you to survive."
Lucy didn't think so. Why would her mother, who received the best surgery and chemotherapy in the country, die from cancer then?
"With your permission, we can proceed with the treatment as soon as possible and admit you to the hospital. It's also best to inform your family, especially your husband if you're married."
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, there's a high possibility you won't ever get pregnant."