Chapter 2

After they left, I finally noticed the dull ache in my palm.

I silently cleaned up the mess on the floor, my eyes burning.

I understood Derek. It was the cancer that had changed him.

I would stay with him until the very end.

When they returned that night, Derek was humming a tune. His mood was clearly much better.

I noticed a smear of grease at the corner of his mouth. I couldn't help but ask.

"Derek... did you go out? Did you eat something you weren't supposed to-?"

"Cassidy!" He exploded, cutting me off. "Mind your own business!"

"Is that what you want? For me to waste away until I'm nothing? I had one bite! One! And you're on me like a prison warden!"

I felt a little wronged.

When you're sick, you need to watch what you eat, especially with cancer.

Brenda impatiently pushed Derek into the bedroom.

"Alright, Derek only ate vegetables, nothing the doctor forbade."

"Hurry up and bring some water in for his foot bath!"

I tested the water temperature, and just as I put the basin down, he kicked it over.

Hot water splashed all over me.

"Cassidy, what are you doing?! My legs are weak, not numb?!"

"First you try to poison me with your cooking, now you want to scald me to death with a foot bath?!"

I changed the water five times.

Each time, he kicked it over.

My clothes were completely soaked.

He sneered, then flopped back onto the bed.

"Forget it, I'm not washing my feet. Just clean up the water in the room. It's too damp to sleep."

I stood rooted to the spot, clutching the cleaning rag, trying to calm my anger.

After cleaning everything up, Derek yelled again that he needed to use the restroom.

I went to help him up, but he pushed me to the floor with one hand.

"I'm a patient?! How much do you want me to walk?!"

"Didn't Brenda buy a bedpan? Bring it over for me to use!"

"My legs hurt, don't you understand?!"

Brenda rushed in, wiping away tears as she furiously berated me.

"Are you trying to break my son like this?"

"If you don't want to take care of him, then divorce him! So both of you don't suffer!"

As she spoke, she shoved a bedpan into my hands. A pungent, disgusting stench assaulted me.

I almost couldn't catch my breath.

That's when I noticed Brenda was wearing a mask.

Brenda glared at me.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and serve Derek!"

"Either that or divorce him. You choose."

I gritted my teeth and held my breath.

"Fine, I'll do it."