Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 98

"Oh my god, what kind of illness do you have?"

Melody's voice trembled. She didn't want to pry, but she had to ask the question on everyone's mind.

"It's terminal. There's no cure. I'm just living on borrowed time now. I want to use what little I have left to save some money for my parents. It might make me feel a little better."

Perhaps feeling she had said too much, she didn't want to angle for their pity.

She forced herself to smile.

"Everyone dies eventually. I'm just checking in a little early. Thank you for today. You should all get going. I can take care of myself."

Janina and her friends exchanged a look. They all understood the stubborn pride behind Summer's smile.

No one wants others to see them at their most vulnerable and broken.

After what she'd just been through, she needed time and space to process it all.

"You get some rest. I'll come see you tomorrow."

Janina gently patted Summer's shoulder, feeling the sharp bones of her back beneath her hand.

She was frighteningly thin.

After Janina and the others left, the strength Summer had been feigning instantly crumbled.

She buried her face in her blanket and began to sob silently.

Just then, her phone started vibrating wildly.

She composed herself and picked it up, only to see that the caller had hung up.

The screen showed 20 missed calls and countless messages, all from Vincent.

Summer's expression turned to ice. She set the phone aside.

That question struck a raw nerve.

She remembered their wedding day, when Vincent had promised in front of all their guests to love and protect her forever.

The sun had been so bright that day, his smile so sincere.

And she had been so happy.

But...

It was all a lie. The man who swore to love her for a lifetime had used another woman to tear her to shreds.

"I've explained it to you so many times. There's nothing going on between Iris and me. I see her as a sister, and she sees me as a brother. We grew up together. Her parents died in a car accident, and now I'm the only family she has left. Can't you just leave her alone? Stop targeting her!"

Listening to Vincent so desperately defend Iris and deny their relationship only made Summer feel sick.