I sat silently in the office, my fingers tracing the paper, the pen trembling as I signed the organ donation form. "Are you sure about this?" the staff asked, her voice filled with hesitation.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice cold. "Stage four gastric cancer. No hope."
I left the office with a hollow feeling in my chest. Scrolling through Facebook, a photo stopped me dead in my tracks. Oliva and Tobis, holding hands, a diamond ring flashing.
My heart twisted. "Tobis... do you really hate me this much?"
The food on the table went cold, but I was colder. By midnight, he came home.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Tobis sneered. "I told you, I'm with Oliva!"
I stared at the floor, barely speaking. "Happy birthday."
He scoffed. "You're nothing to me. We don't share blood. Get over it."
With a slam of the door, he left.
I dialed his number, my heart pounding. He picked up after five tries. "What now?" His voice dripped with annoyance.
"I just wanted to congratulate you," I whispered.
Tobis laughed, bitter and mocking. "Ha. Sincere? I doubt it."
I swallowed hard. "When's the Luna Gala?"
"January 1st," Oliva's voice cut in, sharp as ice.
My birthday.
I remembered the beach, the silver moonlight, the seashell he had given me. "Do you see this sea?" he had whispered. "It's yours."
Tears blurred my vision. "Will the sea breeze still embrace me when you're gone?"
The phone rang-organ donation center. "We need to confirm your organ health before the transplant."
But what was the point? My cancer wouldn't vanish.
I returned home, clutching the papers. The living room light was on.
Tobis wasn't there. Oliva stood in his place, dressed in a bathrobe, her chest exposed. "What do you want to eat?" she asked, a sickly sweetness in her voice.
Before I could answer, Tobis appeared.
"We're engaged now," he said flatly. "Oliva's the lady of the house."
I stared at him, my heart breaking. "I understand."
He seemed surprised, but quickly shrugged it off. "Don't be so serious, you're scaring Oliva."
I stayed silent as he dragged me to the dining room, but then Oliva grabbed my arm, and the documents slipped from my hands, scattering.
Tobis frowned, bent down, and picked them up. "What's this?"
I kept my voice steady. "A check-up."
He barely glanced at the papers, shoving them into my hands. "Don't leave your trash lying around."
Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back.
Trash. That's all I was to him.