When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie) novel Chapter 26

The next day, I texted Clyde's secretary, Gemma, to call in sick. I kept it vague, mentioning I had personal matters to attend to without diving into any details.

Gemma's response was brief, a simple "Okay," without further inquiry.

Being Merritt Patterson's right hand, Gemma was Clyde's most trusted assistant. So, getting her approval was as good as getting Clyde's.

After the unpleasantness of the previous day, Clyde probably thought I was being petulant and throwing a tantrum. He didn't mince his words when he texted me, stating I was absent for not taking a leave and that I'd lose my perfect attendance bonus for the month.

After doing the math, the loss wasn't as painful as I thought, so I didn't fret much about it.

Jade was already waiting for me downstairs early in the morning, holding some sandwiches. "I know you're not feeling up to eating much, but you've got to try a bit. They say chemotherapy can take a toll on you."

With a look of concern, she watched as I took big bites of the sandwich, finally breathing a sigh of relief before driving me to the hospital.

I felt nervous during the chemotherapy, especially when I noticed a young girl with a bald head nearby. I instinctively grabbed Jade's hand tightly.

Jade saw the girl, too, her eyes filled with limitless sympathy.

The girl's mom seemed to catch our gaze and gave a resigned smile. "People lose their hair during chemo. We decided to shave it off first rather than wait for it to all be gone."

The girl nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, miss. You can wear a wig. You can find many pretty ones at the wig shop behind the hospital."

She looked to be around seven or eight, blissfully unaware of the gravity of her situation, excitedly talking about the beautiful pigtails at the wig shop.

Jade snorted, "Talk about a business opportunity. That shop must be making a fortune."

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, let's check it out later."

Jade opened her mouth as if to say something but just nodded silently.

It wasn't until after my treatment that she spoke up. "Melanie, you're always the brightest star in my sky! I'll buy you the fanciest wig!"