When Love Becomes a Cage by Nora

Chapter 26

Chapter 26



The next day, I texted Clyde's secretary, Gemma, to call in sick. I kept it vague, mentioning I had personal matters to attend to without diving into any details.

Gemma's response was brief, a simple "Okay," without further inquiry.

Being Merritt Patterson's right hand, Gemma was Clyde's most trusted assistant. So, getting her approval was as good as getting Clyde's.

After the unpleasantness of the previous day, Clyde probably thought I was being petulant and throwing a tantrum. He didn't mince his words when he texted me, stating I was absent for not taking a leave and that I'd lose my perfect attendance bonus for the month.

After doing the math, the loss wasn't as painful as I thought, so I didn't fret much about it.

Jade was already waiting for me downstairs early in the morning, holding some sandwiches. "I know you're not feeling up to eating much, but you've got to try a bit. They say chemotherapy can take a toll on you."

With a look of concern, she watched as I took big bites of the sandwich, finally breathing a sigh of relief before driving me to the hospital.

a bald head nearby. I

mom seemed to catch our gaze and gave a resigned smile. "People lose their hair during chemo. We decided to

girl nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, miss. You can wear a wig. You can find many

unaware of the gravity of her situation, excitedly talking about the beautiful pigtails at the wig shop. Jade snorted, "Talk about a business

let's check it

mouth as if to say something

wig!" Seeing

her long hair and shook her head. "Spare my

and burst out laughing, the sadness

feel sick from the

Jade to stop.

reassured her that it was only a haircut, she agreed to accompany me inside. My hair had grown since high school, only trimmed once a

the third time, but I was determined. "Keep my hair, please. I want to make it into a

the hospital, the barber understood my situation and nodded

smiled. It was just a haircut, not the end

and preserved my hair, offering encouragement and sharing stories