Chapter 5

After calming Emily down, it didn’t take long for Nathan to grow impatient and show up at my door himself.

“Lincoln, I noticed Emily hasn’t come by the hospital to handle the payments. Is everything okay? You know your condition can’t wait—it’s critical.”

Feigning gratitude, I poured him a glass of water. “Thanks for checking in, Nathan. You know how tight things have been for us. It’s hard to scrape together such a large sum of money right now.”

“No matter how hard it is, you’ve got to prioritize your life. And besides…” Nathan paused, his tone becoming calculated. “Even if you don’t have savings, your house would fetch a good price on the market, wouldn’t it?”

Blunt. No attempt to hide his intentions.

I nodded, pretending to take the bait. “Emily and I already talked about it. I’ve decided to leave the house to her. Next month, we’ll transfer the ownership. That way, if… well, if I don’t make it, at least she’ll have something to fall back on.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Nathan’s expression froze for a moment. His eyes flicked to Emily, who immediately avoided his gaze. The tension in the room thickened as the silence hung between us.

It was clear that Nathan hadn’t expected this turn of events.

After an awkward pause, Nathan forced a smile and stood up. “Well, it’s getting late. I should get going. Lincoln, you really need to start your treatment as soon as possible. Delaying it could be life-threatening. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

His words were polite, but I wasn’t about to let him leave without taking advantage of the situation.

“Actually, there is something.”

Nathan froze mid-step, turning back to face me. His surprise was evident. “Oh? What is it?”

I hesitated, clasping my hands nervously and biting my lip as if unsure whether to speak.

“Nathan, you know… with my condition, I can’t work anymore. Things have been really tight at home. Could you… could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. But if it’s too much trouble, I understand.”

Nathan’s face twisted through a series of emotions—shock, annoyance, and something akin to panic.

Before he could respond, I wiped at my eyes as if fighting back tears. “I hate to ask, but I’m desperate. If it weren’t for Emily and how tough things are, I’d never put you in this position.”

Emily, standing beside me, tugged hard at my sleeve, clearly signaling for me to stop.

Taking the cue, I quickly added, “I’m sorry, Nathan. That was inappropriate of me. Forget I said anything.”

But to Nathan, it probably looked like we were playing a coordinated act. His jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone.

“Come on, Lincoln. We’re friends. Don’t say it like that. I should’ve thought of this sooner.”

The notification of the deposit came through on my phone moments later. I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise.

Though it wasn’t a significant amount, it was satisfying to bleed him a little.

I kept my tone genuine. “Nathan, thank you so much. It means the world to me that you’d do this. Emily, why don’t you walk Nathan out? It’s the least we can do.”

Emily didn’t protest, and the two of them headed downstairs together.

Quietly, I followed behind.

I’d set the stage for them. Now it was time to enjoy the show.