Chapter 11 Old Acquaintance

I asked Katrina to help me look for short-term rental accommodation, and it confused her.She asked, "Why are you even staying? Are you doing this out of pity? Quincy, you don't need to feel bad for him. He cheated on you. So what if he's sick? His suffering can't compensate for all the hurt he has done to you.""I know." I lounged on the couch with my eyes shut. "I just need to figure something out.""And what's that?"She received no reply from me. I couldn't exactly give her an answer when I hadn't even figured that out myself.And so, I visited the hospital every afternoon for the next few days.…Still, I only stayed outside the ward to observe Leo through the window instead of entering.Sometimes, I would find him asleep. The few times he was awake, I would find him looking up at the ceiling and doing nothing.The caregiver was a woman in her 40s. After a few visits, she recognized me and started a conversation. "Young lady, are you Mr. Harvey's family?"I shook my head

Chapter 12 The Doctor Who Remembered Me

After that day, I started visiting the hospital twice a day instead of once. More specifically, I would visit for 10 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon. Leo's condition continued to worsen. He threw up more often, the pain became harder to manage, and he barely slept for most nights. Yet, he never once let me see how much he was suffering. Whenever I came by, he would force a smile and ask if I had eaten, if I was getting enough sleep, and whether I was falling behind in my classes in Sustrax. "You should go back," he said one afternoon. I was peeling an apple for him. My hand stilled at that. "You have classes, don't you?" he continued. "You've already missed so many of them. If you stay any longer, you'll never catch up to your peers." He looked at me with a strange sense of peace in his eyes. "Quincy, I thought I was going to die without ever seeing you again." His voice softened. "But I've seen you now, and that's… That's enough." I set the app

Chapter 13 The One Who Will Wait

The next evening, I arrived at the restaurant right on time. Katrina had booked a private dining room. When I stepped inside, she and Aiden were already deep in conversation. The second she saw me, she waved me over. "Quincy! You made it. Come sit." Aiden rose and pulled out the chair beside him. "Thanks." I slipped into my seat. Katrina's gaze darted between us, confusion briefly crossing her face. "Wait. Do you two already know each other?" "We've met a few times," Aiden said. "At the hospital." "Oh..." Katrina stretched out the word, her expression turning into one of genuine delight. "Well, that makes my job a lot easier. Let's order." Dinner went better than I expected. Katrina carried most of the conversation, bouncing effortlessly from one topic to the next. Aiden was quieter, but he always seemed to have exactly the right thing to say whenever he spoke. I mostly listened to them talk, chiming in every now and then. Just as we finished eating, Katrina's pho

Chapter 14 The Man I Could Finally Let Go

The next day, I went to the hospital as promised. Leo's door was closed. I had just reached for the handle when raised voices stopped me in my tracks. "I'm begging you, Mom. Please stop." Leo sounded weak, but there was a stubborn edge to his voice. "Why should I?" a middle-aged woman snapped from inside. "You're dying. Yet, she still has the nerve to come here! What does she want? To watch you suffer? "If it weren't for her, would our family ever have turned its back on you? Would you have ended up living in that basement? Would you be lying here now?" "Mom!" "Am I wrong? Everything was fine before she came along. Because of her, you—" "Enough!" Leo's voice rose before dissolving into a violent coughing fit. I pushed the door open. An expensively dressed woman stood beside his bed, glaring down at him. The moment she saw me, her expression grew grimmer than before. "You actually dared to show your face here?" She marched toward me. "After everything you did to my

Chapter 15 No More Waiting

A week later, I boarded a flight back to Sustrax. Leo died three days after I left. Katrina's message came while I was sitting in class, working on a new design. I stared at the screen for a long moment before setting my phone aside and returning to my sketch. My professor stopped beside my desk and leaned in for a closer look. His eyes lit up as he praised, "Quincy, this is beautiful! Would you be willing to turn it into a finished gown for next month's fashion week?" I looked down at the strapless wedding dress on the page. It was almost identical to the one I had drawn five years ago—the design my professor had spent 10 straight minutes singing praises to. "Yes," I said. "I'd love to." ... A month later, my gown was featured on the final day of Sustrax Fashion Week as part of the emerging designers' showcase. The model stepped onto the runway beneath a wash of bright lights. The pearls sewn into the flowing skirt caught the light and shimmered with every graceful s

All Chapters of One Call Changed Everything: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

Chapter 11 Old Acquaintance

Chapter 12 The Doctor Who Remembered Me

Chapter 13 The One Who Will Wait

Chapter 14 The Man I Could Finally Let Go

Chapter 15 No More Waiting