"You could buy insurance for your friend, or if you do not want to buy insurance, you can sign a consent form for organ donation. If he does not make it, you could sell his organs and make some money," the woman said.
Chloe thought that she had heard it wrong, and she exclaimed, "What?"
The woman leaned in closer. "I am serious. Here in Mamaica, the regulations on organs are not as strict as in our country. When someone dies, it is over, but their organs can still benefit the living. It is a lot of money."
Chloe's previous warm feelings were replaced by disbelief.
Seeing the woman so eagerly promoting her "business", Chloe realized that outright rejecting her would not be effective.
So, Chloe decided to play along. "My friend has HIV and needs a kidney removed. Can those still be sold?"
The woman froze upon hearing HIV.
Her demeanor changed abruptly as she muttered, "HIV is a no-go... That is not allowed..."
Chloe handed the bag of bread back to her. "Thanks for this. I would not need it, so you can have it back."
The woman quickly backed away. "No, you keep it. You can keep the pan too. I will come by to collect it later."
The thought of HIV made her panic, and she regretted offering help. She rushed off, eager to get antiretroviral medication.
Seeing her hurried departure, Chloe continued making the sandwiches calmly.
She thought, "Trying to take advantage of me?
In your dreams."
When Chloe returned to the ward with the sandwiches, she heard shouting from inside. She paused, pushed the door open, and saw James lying on the bed, stretching his head and shouting.
"What are you doing?"
James looked at her and said, "The book said that when you are feeling negative emotions, you should shout or make a scene."
"What? Who said that?" Chloe asked with confusion.
She thought, "Had the book really said such a thing?"
She snatched the book from his hand and saw the following line: [He roared and yelled, and cussed, and stormed, and took on.]
She tossed the book back onto the bed. "That simply captures Pap Finn's abusive behavior toward Huckleberry Finn, not a literal instruction!"
James sat up, leaning against the headboard, and cleared his dry throat from shouting. "Is it not? I thought it was quite odd."
Chloe wondered if he was a fool.
"But come to think of it, it does seem to help," James said.
Chloe placed the sandwiches on the board next to his bed. "Eat up and stop thinking about nonsense."
After eating, James started reading again. He had never been much of a reader, but today he was glued to that book. Chloe watched him for ten minutes, and he had not turned a single page.
"James, if you do not want to read, do not force yourself."
Chloe thought, "It was just tormenting himself. There was no exam either."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: After Divorcing my Captain Husband (Chloe and Michael)
Update pls~...
Why no update ?...