Chapter 3 A Family in Misfortune

"Lena, don't waste any more money on my incurable illness. I promise you that when I get home, I'll rest and take care of myself. I'll do my best to live for a few more years, until you're married and have children," Gregory said. "Dad, your illness can be treated. It's just chronic, so the treatment will take time. And the costs aren't high. We're using affordable medication, and insurance will cover most of it. We can afford it, so please don't discharge yourself just yet. I'll be there soon," Selena said, her eyes reddened. "Lena, you don't need to come to the hospital. Lucas and I are already on our way home. We'll be arriving very soon," Gregory said. "Then I'll head home now!" Selena choked on her words. She could sense the suppressed despair and reluctance in Gregory's voice. It made her heart sink, as he seemed to know the truth about his condition. "Okay. Just take your time and be careful," Gregory said with a laugh before hanging up. Hearing his laugh, Selena's heart tightened. She looked up and tried to hold back the tears, but they just kept streaming down her face. As soon as Selena hung up the phone, Samuel immediately handed her a tissue. Selena took the tissue and quickly wiped her tears away. She didn't want Samuel to see her in such a mess. She said, "Thank you! I'm sorry, I should go now." Samuel reassured her, "Life's long, and we all go through tough times. Let me give you a ride home." "No, it's okay. I can manage on my own. Thanks though!" Selena grabbed her bag and headed to the counter to pay. But Samuel was already one step ahead. "It's on me." Selena was used to not owing anyone anything. So, she insisted on scanning her own payment. "No, you already treated me to coffee just now." Samuel grabbed her wrist to pull her away from the counter. As he scanned the payment, he said, "As long as I'm around, you'll never have to pay for anything." Looking down at her wrist in his hand, she couldn't help but long for a respectful and caring marriage. Had the years of exhaustion made her this fragile? Once the payment was done, Samuel let go of her wrist. Selena shook herself out of her thoughts and said, "Let's keep in touch." With that, she hurried out of the café and began to hail a cab by the roadside. Before long, a Chevrolet pulled up in front of her. Samuel rolled down the window and called out, "Hop in, I'll give you a ride." "It's okay, I can take a cab!" Selena didn't want to inconvenience him. "I'm free anyway, and I can take you. Otherwise, you'll be waiting forever for a cab," Samuel insisted. "If that's the case, thank you!" Selena was in a hurry to get home, so she got in. Samuel leaned over and fastened her seatbelt. The sudden closeness made her instantly tense up. Once he finished and focused on driving, she let out a sigh of relief. Turning to look at Samuel, Selena couldn't help but notice how nice his fingers looked on the steering wheel. They were long and had well-defined knuckles. "Where do you live?" Samuel asked. "Willow Grove." Selena immediately gave Samuel her address. It was the location of the house they were renting. In fact, they used to have a home of their own. But after they found out that Lucas was born deaf, Gregory sold the house to raise money for his treatment. But her mother, Bianca Smith, took the money from the sale and disappeared with it. At that time, she was only 11, and Lucas was just 2. With no money left, Lucas' treatment was delayed. They lived in Melland until two years ago, when she graduated from university and moved to Zoravia. Since they were renting, it didn't really matter where they lived. However, misfortune had never spared the unfortunate. Just as Selena and Gregory were about to use the 170 thousand dollars they had saved up so hard for Lucas' cochlear implant, Gregory was diagnosed with liver cancer. According to the doctor, the cancer had already spread, and surgery wouldn't do much. So, he recommended a more conservative approach—anticancer medication along with chemotherapy and radiation. Selena kept it all from Gregory. She told him it was just an illness from overwork and that he would be fine after some time in the hospital. As for Lucas' cochlear implant, she told him she needed to buy the imported one. Since it was more expensive, she would need another year to save up. Before long, Samuel pulled up in front of Willow Grove. He asked, "Do you want me to go up with you?" "No, it's fine. Thanks for driving me home. Goodbye!" Selena said gratefully. Samuel nodded. "No problem. Can I have your phone for a second?" Selena was about to open the car door, but she handed him her phone. Samuel dialed his number on her phone. "This is my number. Call me when you're done with everything." Then, he transferred 200 thousand dollars to her. Seeing the large amount, Selena quickly asked, "Why are you sending me money?" After returning her phone, Samuel said, "If you think we're right for each other, this is a wedding gift. If not, just treat it like a loan. Either way, take care of your family first. There's no rush to pay me back."