"First, you fake taking sleeping pills, and now this? You went as far as getting blood from somewhere to stage this scene?" His voice dripped with disbelief. "It looks pretty convincing, I’ll give you that." He scoffed, his tone cutting. "Is all of this just to get my attention? What is it you want from me?"
His next words hit like a blow. "You’ve disappointed me beyond words."
My heart sank. I stood frozen as his expression shifted into a deep frustration, thinking I had staged the entire scene to manipulate him. He didn’t know the truth—that the blood was from the operation.
I could barely process it. I remembered a time when the tiniest cut on my finger would have him frantic with worry, holding my hand like it was the most precious thing in the world. His eyes would fill with panic, and he’d act as though my smallest wound was a catastrophe. But now, there was nothing—just cold suspicion.
My chest tightened with a grief I could barely contain, and I struggled to hold back the tremor that threatened to take over my body.
I forced a smile, the effort feeling foreign on my face, and pushed him gently.
"I'm sorry for being so willful. You should go back to your sister-in-law."
I had never spoken to him so politely before.
Asher's expression shifted, uncertainty clouding his features.
"Don’t be like this. You’re just trying to get a rise out of me, right? We’ve learned to retreat in order to advance."
He paused, his demeanor softening as he added, "Forget it. Just come back with me. Dorothy has been asking about you. She’s always wanted a sister."
"I need to keep an eye on you, so you don’t get mixed up with the wrong crowd and learn things you shouldn’t."
But I had made my decision, and there was no way I could go back.
When he saw my indifference, his frustration flared.
"What else do you want from me? I’ve treated you like a sister and taken care of you all these years. Don’t push your luck."
Push my luck? To make him and Dorothy happy, I had chosen to have an abortion and leave quietly. Was that being pushy?
"I think we should separate for a while. I plan to move out."
Asher stared at me, disbelief etched across his face, as if he were trying to confirm that I wasn’t serious.
"Are you kidding? Just because I didn’t pay enough attention to you? Can you stop with the games?"
I met his gaze with calm resolve.
"I'm not playing games."