Leon knew that saying anything further would be totally futile, and if he dared to argue, it would only escalate the matter further.
Because the fact of the matter was that Mr. Cooper, his manager, was a tyrant and a bully. So, any plea that Leon made was only going to fall on deaf ears.
However, he could not force himself to walk towards his desk, his legs refused to cooperate with him. This is when the doctor’s words echoed in his mind, urging him to get to the clinic as soon as possible…
"The results indicate that you have lung cancer… in the advanced stages… you may not have much time left… at most, three months…"
He couldn't accept this, and so, gathering every ounce of courage left in his body, Leon stepped forward just as Mr. Cooper was about to enter his office.
"Mr. Cooper! Please don't take this the wrong way, but I really need to be somewhere urgently."
Leon began to speak, and despite the fear in his heart, he didn't stop until he had completed what he wanted to say.
"I promise, I'll be back as soon as possible and show you all the proofs—"
Before he could finish, Leon felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He staggered, eyes wide with shock.
Mr. Cooper had slapped him.
"Shameless!" Mr. Cooper shouted, his eyes wide with fury as his anger reached its peak.
"You know what, let me grant you a favor— from today, you are free to leave your desk as often as you want, talk to whomever and spend hours in the bathroom! In fact, you don't need to come to the office at all! Tell me, what do you think about this? Should I do it, huh?"
Leon stood quaking, his frustration and helplessness making him tremble, along with the extra effort of keeping his fist pinned to his sides… he didn't want to do anything rash.
In Leon's eyes, he wasn't doing anything wrong, either. It was his right as a worker to use the bathroom, or ask for a day off if necessary– especially in the case of a medical emergency.
And yet, his cheek was still warm at the place where Mr. Cooper had slapped him. Although it didn't hurt physically, his dignity had definitely taken a hit.
The humiliation and injustice of all this was making him want to storm out of there, matter how badly needed this job.
On the other hand, Mr. Cooper was very pleased to see him standing there quietly, with his eyes downcast. Feeling like he had finally made Leon speechless, Mr. Cooper laughed arrogantly.
The harsh sound grated on Leon’s nerves, and Cooper declared;
"Yes, that's what I thought! So you have finally realized the consequences of your actions! Now, get back to your desk without a single word."
Leon's nails were digging into his palms, his hands were practically itching to punch this man. With a final glare, Mr. Cooper turned and walked away, leaving Leon seething.
He slumped on his chair, having reached the end of his patience now. Leon slammed his fist on the table, wanting to vent his frustration. However, he only ended up shaking the poor wooden desk, making the employee sitting on the other side of his cubicle state at him with annoyance and curiosity.
Leon shook his head as he leaned back with his fist pressed against his chin, thinking of what to do next. Even though he couldn't see the way clearly, he knew one thing for sure: he couldn’t afford to listen to his boss' words.
Leon wasn't a newbie in the corporate world; and he knew well enough that nobody from his manager or superiors cared that he needed to visit the doctor, or he might die soon.
In fact, even if he died, they would simply hire another worker to replace him, and become another cog in the machine.
Hence, he couldn't wait for their permission, he had to get to the hospital anyhow. And right now, the only possible option was for him to sneak out.
"I'm just gonna get some water…"
He announced to no one in particular, before heading towards the break room. He glanced around to make sure that no one was watching, then quietly changed his direction towards the stairs.
The door to the emergency staircase opened into the parking lot, and as soon as he stepped outside, Leon noticed Mr Cooper driving out of the office compound in his red car.
A wave of relief washed over him; with his boss gone, no one would know he wasn’t working overtime. And tomorrow, he would hand in his work without his boss having any clue.
With the perfect plan in mind, Leon quickened his pace and made his way to the bus stop, checking his watch anxiously.
Leon finally managed to unlock the door to his home despite his shaking hands, feeling a sense of urgency. He was greeted by the sound of the television dramas blaring in the living room, although no one was there to watch it.
The noise of running water drifted out from the bathroom. His wife, Addie, must be showering.
This struck him as unusual, why would she be showering in the afternoon? But Leon brushed it aside, he didn't have time for this right now.
He just needed to get his bank card and leave, he would explain everything to her later. This is when he remembered– yes, he had put it with the other documents, inside his wardrobe!
Leon walked through the messy living room, heading straight for the bedroom. As he pushed open the door, the first thing that greeted him was his wife's perfume.
It was a floral and sweet scent that he was completely unfamiliar with… but then, he saw her.
There she was, Addie, his wife…
She was propped up on the bed on one elbow, wearing a white and pink babydoll lingerie that clung to her curves and barely left anything to the imagination. The sheer fabric showed off the outline of her body, and the hem of the babydoll barely brushed the tops of her thighs.
Thin spaghetti straps rested on her shoulders, with her tousled hair falling over her shoulder.
The bed… their marital bed was completely disheveled. The pillows were scattered and the silky sheets were bunched up, one corner hanging off the mattress, as if someone had been rolling around in them.
Leon's jaw dropped as his gaze flicked to the bedside table, where a bottle of champagne was kept with two glasses beside it, one of them half-full.
Leon felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he froze in his place, unable to digest this. Meanwhile, Addie had her back towards the door and started to speak as she heard the sound of a door opening.
“Oh, you’re so slow…"
She complained, but it was clear from her strained voice that she wasn't upset. Rather, she was saying this with a pout, trying to sound cute and charming.“Don't you know, I have been waiting for you for so long? Looks like you don't wanna–”
The rest of Addie's words got stuck in her throat as soon as she turned around and found Leon standing there. Her sultry gaze suddenly became shocked, and she screamed out loud.
Leon's face was pale, his body trembling. At that moment, the sound of water running in the bathroom stopped abruptly.
A man, naked except for a bath towel tied loosely around his waist, sauntered out with a smug look on his face, as if he was walking on the red carpet.
He didn’t notice Leon standing there, instead, he was busy admiring himself in the mirror on the wall opposite the bed.
“Sweetie, why are you shouting? Don’t be in such a hurry,” the man said with a dirty tone, smirking as he ran a hand through his wet hair.
“Tonight, you are all mine! And as a surprise gift, I just made sure your husband will be working overtime at the office. Nobody is gonna disturb us until midnight, we still have a long night ahead of us…"
The man chuckled to himself, clearly pleased with his cleverness. But as he raised his head, his eyes locked with Leon’s. The smirk faded, replaced by a look of shock as he saw Leon’s eyes glaring at him with pure, unadulterated rage.
______
On seeing her husband standing at the door, Addie's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of guilt, or perhaps realization flickering in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by intense irritation. She didn't get up from her place or make any move to explain herself, but she simply glanced at him with a mixture of impatience and exasperation, as if his presence was the real problem. But Addie was not the one to break the silence in the room."You freeloading jerk!" The man who had come out of the bathroom, wearing only a bath towel, was none other than Leon’s boss, Mr. Cooper. For a second, Cooper seemed shocked to see Leon standing in the doorway. But then his expression quickly transformed into one of anger and arrogance, as he shouted;"You just can't stop slacking, can you, Jenkins? What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the day?" Mr. Cooper barked, without even an ounce of self awareness. "You’re supposed to be at work, completing your reports and not sneaking
Leon stumbled out of the house without even registering his surroundings properly. He didn't want to think about anything right now, because if he started to think about how shitty this day was, he might never stop spiraling.He flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the address of the hospital. By now, the bleeding from his wound had stopped, but there was definitely a dull ache at the back of his head. He rushed inside the hospital, greeted by the sterile smell of disinfectant as rushed towards the doctor’s office. Dr. Walter greeted him with a concerned look as Leon walked in.“Oh, Mr. Jenkins, please have a seat. It’s good that you were able to come today.” Dr. Walter began to speak again as Leon sat down on the chair, his voice steady but serious. “Here are your test reports.” He handed Leon a thick envelope and continued, “Look, Mr. Jenkins, I'll be completely honest with you. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend that you get the surgery. Otherwise, you might no
Leon was wandering the streets like a zombie, barely dodging the incoming traffic and catching himself from stumbling over at the last moment. The betrayal, shock and disappointment from the day’s events was driving him to the edge of a nervous breakdown. He didn't know where he was, or where his other belongings were… his phone, his bank card, the reports– he wasn't aware of anything at this point.All he knew was that some time during the phone call with Addie, he had walked out of the hospital without saying a word to anyone. What was the point of staying anyway? It's not like anyone could help him get back control of his life, or his savings; nobody could offer him anything other than pity. He didn't want to talk to anyone, nor did he want to sit and wallow in self- pity; and so, he was out on the streets, while memories flashed before his eyes. And in hindsight, his whole life starting from childhood to adulthood, just seemed like a collection of missed opportunities and shatt
The leader's face was twisted in horror as the reality of the situation sank in… he was in deep trouble, more than he had ever bargained for. "Oh shit… shit, shit shit…" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over his pounding heart. "He… he is– we killed him. No, one of you bloody bastards killed him! And now the cops… the cops could be here any moment!"The other gangsters looked around frantically, their own fear reflecting in their wide eyes. There was an outbreak of panic in the group, and without waiting for orders, a few of them turned around and bolted, running away as fast as they could."What are you looking at, you fools? Help me up!" The leader shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. He struggled to his feet, his legs shaking under his weight. Some of his most loyal followers rushed forward, supporting him by the arms. The remaining men were stunned, glancing nervously around for the one who had struck Leon. But of course, he wasn't waiting around to be
Leon could hear a beeping sound near his head, and the faint sound of medical equipment was only becoming louder and more persistent in his ears. He tried to move, but he felt some heaviness in his limbs. It was a struggle to open his eyes, and when he finally managed to, his vision was blurry and unfocused. Suddenly, a cheerful voice pierced through the fog. "He woke up! Mom, he's up! His eyes are open!"Leon’s eyes shifted towards the sound. A little girl stood at the foot of his bed, her face lit up with genuine amazement and happiness. As his vision cleared, he saw a beautiful woman walking towards him.Their gaze met, and the woman's eyes widened with surprise before she said,“You're right, sweetie! Let me inform them." "Doctor, nurse! The patient is awake!" She called out, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. She was dressed in a set of crisp formal clothes, and Leon couldn't place her at all. Who was she, and had they met before?Leon’s mind was still in a fog of confusi
Leon sat up straighter, his mind racing with confusion and curiosity. How could it be impossible for him to have cancer? It wasn't anything less than a miracle to go from having advanced stage terminal cancer to being completely cancer free and in perfect health within less than twenty four hours!Unless… could it be a mistake? There was only one way to confirm it; if he managed to get his examination results from the other hospital, to prove to the woman that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Maybe there was some kind of misunderstanding, and he was getting too hopeful on the basis of just one comment. Leon was thinking about how he might be able to retrieve the documents he had left behind at the other hospital, but before he could discuss anything with the woman, a sudden chaos erupted outside the room. The woman's face turned serious as she heard the commotion in the hallway. "Just stay put for a few minutes, I need to see what is happening outside. I own this hospital, a
Emily was in despair knowing that the hound could brutally attack her innocent little daughter. Sarah’s eyes remained closed as her hands and knees trembled out of this terrifying moment.Meanwhile, Watt's outburst of laughter does not show any pity for the poor little girl. “Don’t feel sorry for this pathetic little girl. She was just an adopted daughter anyway—merely a bastard. After we get married, she will be kicked out of our lives,” he declared arrogantly.However, when the hound was a few inches away from Sarah, its fangs were ready to bite the poor kid, Leon got through its way rapidly, punched the hound heavily, and flew 3 meters away. The hound was chased away and burst out a horrible shriek.“Get off her!” Leon yelled furiously. He suddenly became a completely different person, not showing any weakness as a patient even though he was admitted to the hospital.Watt’s jaw dropped. He didn’t expect Leon to knock down his precious hound in a single attack. He was so confused ab
Leon was shocked but apparently, this old man and his men saved his life. If it weren’t for them, he might be tortured by Watt’s guardians already. With a confused face, he asked, “Who are you?” He was so clueless about what this old man was talking about. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere, talking words Leon failed to understand.The old man bowed to Leon. “Finally, I found you, young master,” he said respectfully.It made Leon more confused. Why did he call him young master and why is he looking for him? “Can you tell me what is happening here?” he asked desperately. He thinks that maybe this old man just mistook him with someone else. There is no way he can be a young master in an instant.The old man smiled genuinely. “You are my young master. By the way, who are those guards and where did they get the guts to offend my young master?” he asked with a gritted tooth. The smile on his face suddenly faded and turned darker knowing that people tried to hurt his young master.Howe