Hamish was not a fatalistic person, but after Elisa’s death, he went to the temple in Bankshire, where he offered incense and money before finding a place to kneel in front of a Buddha statue. He himself did not know why he had come here. It seemed like he was seeking comfort or just finding a place to torment himself.
Seeing Hamish kneel there without moving, one of the senior monks in the temple came over and reminded him that kneeling for too long could hurt his knees. When Hamish did not respond, the monk said, “Sir, would you like me to read your fortune?”
Hamish glanced at him and eventually nodded. After stating his name and date of birth, the monk asked, “What do you want me to calculate?”
Hamish thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with what he wanted to calculate or seek. After Elisa’s death, he seemed to have no desires or requests left, as if nothing had any meaning anymore.
The monk silently looked at him and then asked him to extend his left hand for palm reading. As he looked at the scar in the palm, the monk furrowed his brows and murmured something, calculating based on Hamish’s date of birth. He quickly arrived at a conclusion.
The monk wrote down the word “none.” It meant that Hamish would have no wealth, no blessings, no parents, no wife, and no children. This kind of misfortune was the first the monk had ever seen. He shook his head as he watched Hamish sigh several times.
Orphaned in childhood, losing his son and wife in his youth, and leading a lonely and difficult life, there were even signs of a short life ahead. The only fortunate thing about Hamish’s life was probably that he would never lack money.
In fact, many things in life had already been determined. Hamish used to not believe in fate, but after hearing the monk’s words, he could no longer deny it. His life was truly a ridiculous one, as if he had made a bet with the heavens and his only chip, Elisa, was all he had. He pushed it all in, but in the end, he lost everything to fate.
Christmas Eve was the beginning for him and Elisa. Some things… were just obsessions. Hamish had everything figured out. He wanted to spend his last Christmas Eve with Elisa, starting and ending at certain places.
But what he didn’t expect was that his condition worsened and he collapsed.
Ultimately, it was still because of Elisa’s spicy pig kidneys. Hamish had eaten the whole plate, without even leaving a single chili.
While others had their wishes fulfilled, he was only torturing himself.
Instead of going to the hospital, he made a phone call. Hamish had a dedicated medical team responsible for his health. Upon hearing about his situation, they quickly drove over and brought medical equipment with them. They did not say a word on the way, but their busy footsteps and the sound of wheels indicated how concerned they were.
This was not the first time Elisa saw doctors attending to Hamish when he collapsed, but it was the first time she felt a sense of fear. It was only now that she truly realized that Hamish was a terminally ill person and that his condition was indeed severe.
Hamish had a weak lung. Eating too much spicy food had damaged his throat. In recent days, he had been staying up late, and the winter in Bankshire was extremely cold with no trace of sunlight. All of this worsened his illness.
He had caught a cold and had a fever. Breathing became more difficult as each day passed. He didn’t want to collapse yet; he still had things he wanted to do.
His lungs felt like they were being pricked by needles. After coughing twice, he unexpectedly coughed up a mouthful of blood. The bright red blood flowed down his pale face, resembling a white sheet of paper, creating a striking contrast.
Hamish didn’t want to undergo surgery, so he couldn’t be taken to the hospital. All they could do was provide first aid on site.
Elisa didn’t go inside; she stood outside, watching the busy figures of the medical team. One of the medical staff approached and asked about the situation and who Elisa was to him.
Elisa paused, who was she to him? His ex-wife? An enemy? Someone unrelated?
Seeing her silent, the doctor couldn’t help but think of other possibilities, like a rich man’s mistress. He maintained a composed expression, as if he had long been accustomed to such situations.
“How is his condition?” Elisa asked in a calm tone, without any fluctuations or worries, as if she were asking an insignificant stranger.
“A patient’s mood greatly affects their illness, and maintaining a positive attitude is crucial. Diet habits are also important, Mr. Burns. He must have eaten something he shouldn’t have these past few days, coupled with the cold weather and lack of rest, which aggravated his condition.”
“Does he really have cancer?”
This time, the doctor was surprised, “You didn’t know?”
“I knew. I want to know how much time he has left.”
Elisa knew that Hamish had cancer. It was the night before she and Louis went to the amusement park. An anonymous phone call sent Hamish the test report that he had cancer. Because he was on the brink of death, he has been ruthlessly dragging the White family into bankruptcy, without any scruples. He didn’t care even if it meant killing someone. The next day, Louis almost had an accident on the roller coaster.
Afterward, Hamish sent her a short message through email, asking her to go to North Bankshire to find him. Otherwise, Louis would face more than just accidents.
Elisa was scared. Amidst all the calculations she made, she never expected that Hamish was already dying of cancer.
One should never provoke a madman, let alone a dying madman.
People like Hamish were likely to hold grudges.
“Oh…,” the doctor hesitated. This was the patient’s private matter, and if the woman in front of him had no significant relationship with Hamish, he couldn’t divulge this information.
Moreover, they still couldn’t accurately determine how much time Hamish had left. Resting well might give him some more time, but if things continued as they had been these past few days, he could be gone tomorrow.
Hamish had lived for quite a while. When it was first discovered, he had advanced-stage lung cancer. With proper treatment, he could have lived for five more years. If he gave up, it would have been at most two years.
This was Hamish’s third year.
Elisa stared at the doctor, and it seemed like she understood.
If there was hope for a cure or more time, the doctor would have mentioned it. This hesitant attitude could only mean bad news.
Elisa was familiar with this kind of situation. When she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, the doctor had the same expression, a mix of regret and helplessness.
“I need to know more about Mr. Burns’ recent condition. Can you tell me?” It wouldn’t become this severe in such a short time; the blood wouldn’t keep flowing from his coughs, causing his whole lung to swell. Hamish used to have muscles; he had a great physique. But now, he had become frail, and his bones were visible when his clothes were off.
Elisa nodded.
The doctor asked about Hamish’s recent diet, such as what he had eaten.
Elisa said, “He ate a plate of spicy millet.”
Finally, they found the cause. Although they had suspected it before, hearing Elisa say it out loud made the doctor still unable to believe it. Was there really someone who would cruelly toy with their own life like this?
“Why would he eat such a spicy and stimulating food? I remember him not touching chili for a long time. The diet here is strictly regulated, and he never coughed up this much blood before.”
The doctor tried to remain calm, but his words still carried a hint of blame.
“Don’t you know he has cancer? Why didn’t you stop him? With this kind of illness, he doesn’t have much time left, and Hamish right now can’t endure any turmoil.”
Elisa only wanted to ask how many more days Hamish could live. If the doctor didn’t say it, she would let it be. There was no need for him to say so much useless talk.
She knew about cancer and its restrictions, as well as the fact that any turmoil could be unbearable. And she knew how excruciatingly painful it would be when it flared up. She had experienced it herself, so she understood what Hamish was going through.
But what could she do?
It was better than what Hamish had done to her in the past, right?
She had been through so much, yet she hadn’t died. And now, just because Hamish ate a plate of chili, he had to die?
Elisa lowered her gaze and remained silent. No one could see her emotions on her face.
The doctor thought she was blaming herself and worrying about Hamish. Seeing that she was a woman, he tried to console her.
“Don’t worry too much. Although there is currently no possibility of treating advanced-stage lung cancer with our medical technology, medical advancements are happening daily. There might suddenly be a breakthrough…”
Someone inside the room called out.
“Dr. Lee, please come in.”
The door opened. Hamish hadn’t even stopped coughing. Each cough tore at his heart, causing his eardrums to ache.
Elisa disliked herself a little now because she was becoming more and more like the person she hated the most.
Who knew about Hamish’s cancer and impending death?
A person like him made enemies everywhere, not even sparing his own aunt’s family. Had he ever thought about the fact that after he died, he wouldn’t even have someone to clean his grave during Christmas?