Two Years Later…
Alden rushed to Sarah and Kenneth’s house and entered as soon as the maid opened the door. Faint sounds of crying and screaming could be heard from the hallway. Alden ran to Sarah’s room.
Inside, Sarah was curled up, clutching her stomach. Her sobs were unstoppable, despite Kenneth’s attempts to comfort his sister. The moment Kenneth saw Alden arrive, he looked relieved.
“She’s in pain again,” Kenneth said worriedly.
Alden approached Sarah and gently touched her forehead and cheek. Sarah looked up to see that Alden had arrived. She immediately reached out with both arms.
“Alden, it hurts,” Sarah sobbed.
Alden felt a wave of compassion. He hugged Sarah and allowed her to release her tears.
Over the past few months, Sarah’s health had deteriorated. Kenneth and Alden had brought Sarah to numerous hospitals in search of a solution, but no treatment had cured her.
Six months ago, Sarah suddenly collapsed at a Goldtime office event. After an examination, doctors diagnosed her with uterine cancer. Sarah became even more stressed and her mental state deteriorated again.
They had tried everything, but the treatments only slowed the spread of her cancer. Day by day, Sarah grew thinner, and Alden felt responsible for her.
“I’m here, Sarah,” Alden whispered. “I’ll stay with you. Don’t give up, you’ll be okay.”
Sarah tightened her embrace. “How much longer do I have to take this? I can’t take it anymore.”
After each chemo session, Sarah would experience excruciating pain. The doctors had planned ten rounds of chemotherapy for her, but halfway through she was too weak to continue.
“I don’t want any more chemo. I don’t want it,” Sarah wailed.
Kenneth and Alden exchanged looks. Chemotherapy was the most logical treatment to suppress the spread of the cancer.
“Be patient, Sarah. I’ll be with you,” Alden whispered.
After some time, Sarah continued to cry until she was exhausted and fell asleep. Alden carefully left the room and went to the kitchen where he found Kenneth sitting on a high stool. He could hear Kenneth sobbing quietly, obviously heartbroken.
“Kenneth?” Alden called.
Sarah’s brother looked up and sighed. “What is it?”
Alden sat down next to Kenneth. For a brief moment, they were both silent, considering what to do, as they couldn’t bear to see Sarah suffer any longer.
“Should we stop the chemo and look for another option?” Alden asked.
Kenneth looked at him briefly and shook his head. “Sarah has to make it to the end of the treatment. Only then will we know if it is working.”
“She’s in so much pain, Kenneth.”
Not to mention that Sarah’s skin was dry and burning, and her hair was falling out. When she looked in the mirror, it was as if she was no longer the beautiful Sarah Young she once was.
“Where else can we go? I don’t want Sarah to have to start over with a new treatment,” Kenneth said.
“I’ve heard of a hospital that has treatments for various cancers. It’s in Europe, but I heard they opened one in Summerhill now.”
Kenneth didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at Alden curiously.
“I’ve been researching hospitals that treat cancer. One of them is called The Miracle Hospital.”
“Even the name sounds impossible,” Kenneth commented.
“The hospital opens tomorrow and I’ve already secured an invitation.” Alden ignored Kenneth’s skepticism. “Maybe I can talk to the directors and ask for Sarah to be seen earlier.”
Sarah’s brother sighed. “I can’t make that decision, Alden.”
“We should at least try.”
“Do what you think is best,” Kenneth said, looking at Alden. “Because I don’t want to get my hopes up, Alden.”
*
The next day, Alden attended the opening of the hospital as an invited guest, arriving right on time.
As he observed the atmosphere of the hospital, the decor, the nurses, and the staff, Alden felt that The Miracle Hospital was two to three steps ahead of any other hospital in Summerhill.
It sparked hope in Alden’s heart that Sarah could be cured there.
The invited guests were ushered into the hall, and Alden heard whispers. It was rumored that the director of the hospital was a former executive of a large company in Summerhill.
This made Alden curious-who was the director of the hospital?
The event began with pleasantries from the host, which Alden found of little interest. Then the host invited the director of the hospital to make a welcome speech.
From the side of the podium, a woman with shoulder-length, wavy light brown hair stepped confidently forward. She wore a formal light blue blazer that matched her pants.
Alden blinked, feeling a sense of familiarity with the woman.
“Good morning, I’m Hannah Sears, the director of the Miracle Hospital.”
Upon seeing Hannah, Alden was immediately shocked.
…
Alden stood unsure of how to approach Hannah, who was chatting with several elite guests. Fear dominated his thoughts-he didn’t know how to greet her.
Greet her? Maybe Hannah would throw him out, Alden thought.
But he couldn’t just stand there like a lost soul. He had to find the courage to approach her, even though he had no idea how she would react. Alden took a deep breath and slowly approached Hannah.
Only a few steps away from Hannah, someone quickly intercepted him. A man, dressed in a shirt that matched Hannah’s, wrapped his arm around her waist.
“There you are, I was looking for you,” Ashton said.
Hannah looked at Ashton and smiled. “I didn’t go anywhere, I was talking to the guests.”
Ashton chuckled softly, then nodded to the guests surrounding Hannah. “Ashton Hemmingway, I’m Hannah’s fiance. Nice to meet you all.”
The guests seemed surprised to learn that Hannah was engaged.
One guest remarked, “So you’ve already started a new life, Hannah? I didn’t expect you to be a hospital director by now. It’s a good thing you left the Harrison family behind.”
Hannah looked uncomfortable and didn’t say anything.
“Well, the past is the past. Hannah has a past, but her future is with me,” Ashton said in a wise tone.
Without realizing it, Alden cleared his throat loudly, feeling hurt by the guest’s comment. This immediately drew the attention of those around him, including Hannah and Ashton.
Hannah and Alden locked eyes.
“Hi, Hannah,” Alden greeted, his voice shaking.