Wanted 5

Chapter 5 

I figured Brandon, being so proud, would not show up again after I’d humiliated him. 

But nope, he appeared the next day, with Keegan in tow. 

As soon as Keegan saw me, he dashed over and clung tightly to my leg. “Mummy, will you come home?” 

Seeing Keegan bawling his eyes out, I just couldn’t stand it. I gently wiped away his tears. 

No matter what, Keegan was my flesh and blood. Of course I loved him and cared for him. 

But when one’s heart was deeply broken, one just went numb inside. 

I gently pushed Keegan away and said flatly, “I don’t have a home anymore.” 

Keegan looked up at me, his face all red and puffy from crying. “No, Mommy, my home is your home.” 

I shot Brandon a puzzled look. 

There was no way Keegan came up with this himself. It was the same as before, when Brandon had taught and influenced how Keegan acted toward Tanya. 

“What are you doing here again?” I asked Brandon. 

Brandon’s face was pale. He gave me a weak smile, hoping to get into my good books. 

He looked even more worn out than before, like he hadn’t slept a wink. 

“It’s Keegan’s idea,” Brandon said. “You don’t look so good. How about I take you back to Rhett City to get you checked out?” 

I shot Brandon a puzzled look and shook my head. “No, I’m fine here.” 

I started to walk away but Brandon grabbed my arm firmly. 

“This place is full of people just waiting to die. It’s so gloomy here. Come home with me, okay?” he said. 

I sighed. “Brandon, since you’re so resourceful and have figured everything out, you should know I’m no different from everyone here. We’re all just waiting to die.” 

And then I saw a side to Brandon I’d never seen before. 

In the past, whenever he was with me, he was always resentful, cold, and heartless, 

I never imagined I’d ever see him cry. 

But here he was, tears streaming down his face. 

Brandon choked out, “You’re not going to die. 

“Viola, please, come back with me. You can be cured; I’m sure of it. I’ll take you overseas, find the best medical team in the world-whatever it takes.” 

Hearing him call me my name made my skin crawl, especially in that affectionate tone. 

It had been a long time since he did that. 

Back when I was living at the Sawyers’ residence, he’d call me that way every now and then. 

Like when he asked me to help him with his homework. Or when he wanted me to cover for him, sneaking him back into the house after curfew. 

Since we married, he stopped calling me that way. 

Most of the time, he’d just stare at me like I was nothing but a stranger to him. 

But he had been the one who messed up first. 

I shook off Brandon’s hand. “Save your concern. I’m fine. Just take Keegan and leave. I don’t want to see either of you.” 

With that, I turned and walked back to my room without looking back. 

Zoe was still waiting for me so we could watch Peppa Pig together. 

Behind me, I could hear Brandon sobbing. “Viola, I’m not okay, really not. My heart hurts so bad.” 

His heart hurt? What a joke. It was nothing compared to what I had felt. 

He had looked down on me for seven whole years, giving me the cold treatment. He had no idea the agony I had gone through then. 

** 

I refused to see Brandon or Keegan ever again. 

Their showing up really messed with Zoe. 

Zoe never really felt safe to begin with. 

Now she was even more on edge, always scared of losing me. 

Her health started going downhill fast. The medication wasn’t helping anymore, and she got weaker with every passing day. 

When her dad found out, he only bothered to show up once. 

After listening to the doctor’s diagnosis, her dad just said flatly, “Yeah, okay. I guess that’s just how things are 

for her.” 

He barely spared Zoe a glance before hurrying back home, unable to stay away from his new baby. 

See? Sometimes, love-or the lack of it-was just that obvious. 

Take me and Brandon, for example. We were together for seven years and he never spared me a second glance or a moment of his time. 

But when Tanya came back, he suddenly found plenty of time, wanting to spend every waking moment with 

her. 

He even brought Keegan along. 

Now that I was dying, he was finally willing to spend some time and effort on me. 

I didn’t want to see him or Keegan, but they would camp out in the hallway, day after day, right outside my door. 

Whenever I left my room, I’d run right into them. 

I tried to get him to leave a few times, but each time he’d just look at me with red, teary eyes and say, “I don’t want you to be scared, so I’m staying here with you. If you’re not feeling well, just call for us, okay?” 

I was powerless to stop him, so I just let him be. 

On New Year’s, Zoe and I finally got the doctor to let us out for a real feast. 

When we got back to the hospice, Brandon and Keegan were waiting for us again, right outside my room. 

They were holding a cake and some gifts. 

As soon as Keegan saw me, he hurried over with the presents, trying his best to please me. “Mommy, I made this handmade card just for you. Happy birthday!” 

That was when it hit me-today was my birthday. 

But it had been ages since I’d actually celebrated it. 

Brandon was standing there, cake in his hands, smiling at me. “Viola, just this once, can we spend your birthday with you?” 

I just looked at them for a long time, then shook my head. “Brandon, it’s been a long time since I even bothered with birthdays. 

“Do you even remember what happened two years ago? I’d spent the whole day in the kitchen, cooking up a feast, excitedly waiting for you and Keegan to come home and celebrate my birthday with me. 

“You’d told me you had to swing by your parents’ first, that you might be late. 

“I said it was fine, that I’d wait for you. 

“So I waited… and waited… but you never came back. 

“It was only later that I found out you did go to your parents’-just not alone. You were there with Tanya. 

“Your parents always looked down on me because I was an orphan, and neither you nor Keegan ever really cared about me. So you all secretly spent New Year’s together, with Tanya. 

“That night, the house felt so cold and empty. I just sat there, staring at a whole table of food that had cold. It all just felt meaningless. 

“Ever since that night, I started hating New Year’s. And birthdays? I stopped caring about them too.” 

Thank god I didn’t celebrate birthdays anymore. Besides, there won’t be another one for me too. 

Brandon staggered, like the pain was just too much for him to handle. 

He tried to say something, but nothing came out. 

I couldn’t even be bothered to look at him, heading into my room with Zoe. 

Let this be it. I wished Brandon would stop bothering me. 

gone