Chapter 4

"Don't bother, I'll go myself."

Going to the hospital was just an excuse.

I'm short on cash right now, so I wouldn't actually go.

After getting home, I casually downed a couple packets of cold medicine.

From the bedroom, I could faintly hear Vivienne chatting with the AI.

"Dashiell, Tom's been in a bad mood lately and won't talk to me."

"You're so much better. If I didn't have you as a soulmate, I'd be so lonely in this world."

I couldn't help but sneer. She really was quite sick in the head.

I don't know if the AI had cast some spell on her, but she was glued to her phone chatting day and night.

Soon, she came out of the room.

Seeing me drenched from the rain, she frowned in disgust.

"Are you really that busy all day? You look like a mess."

"You should learn from Dashiell. No matter how busy he is, he always takes care of his appearance."

Looking at her, I was too angry to respond.

I only left her with a cold remark: "Vivienne, suit yourself."

Sensing my harsh tone, she seemed a bit taken aback.

Her expression softened slightly.

"Honey, I know your work is tough."

She came closer, standing on her tiptoes to give me a quick kiss on the lips. "That's why I specially asked Dashiell to teach me how to cook."Tonight when you come home, I'll make you your favorite red wine steak!"

I felt somewhat conflicted inside, but didn't say anything.

I'm allergic to beef - I break out in a rash whenever I eat it.

The one who really liked fancy dishes like red wine steak wasn't me, it was Dashiell Anderson.

I lowered my head.

Her bright eyes were full of coquettishness.

It was like we were back to that year when we were eighteen, her standing in the sunlight, smiling like a flower.

I glanced up unintentionally, but then couldn't look away.

"I'm going to the hospital to take care of Sunshine."

With that, I walked out the door without looking back.

No matter how she called after me, I didn't respond.

But I had barely made it downstairs, my feet not even steady yet, when everything went black.

I lost consciousness completely.

When I came to, I was in the hospital, lying in a bed with a nurse looking at me worriedly.

"You're awake?"

"The doctor couldn't reach your darling, and you don't have any other family contacts listed."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. "What happened to me?"

She looked at me sympathetically. "You have lung cancer. It's late stage."

Lung cancer? Late stage.

These two unfamiliar phrases falling on me felt like a bolt from the blue.

My eyes reddened in disbelief as I asked shakily.

"Is it possible the doctor made a mistake? I'm still young, I've always been healthy. How could this be..."...."

The nurse said nothing, just handed me the diagnosis sheet.

That was enough to explain everything.

I hadn't yet recovered from this grief.

In the next second, something even more devastating happened.

The doctor called to notify me.

"Mr. Stratton, your daughter's heart rate has dropped dramatically. We're trying to resuscitate her now."

"It doesn't look good. You should come say your final goodbye..."

My eyes instantly turned red.

I immediately pulled out the IV, not even taking time to put on shoes, and sprinted to the emergency room.

Sunshine lay on the bed in the ER, her face pale, like a broken porcelain doll.

When she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Daddy, where's Mommy?"

I held her hand, my whole body trembling: "Mommy's on her way, she'll be here to see Sunshine very soon."

"I'll try to hurry her up."

I took out my phone, dialing while tears streamed down my face.

But no matter how many times I called, there was no answer.