were with Rhonda.”
8
<
Zach’s arm tensed, a hint of regret in his eyes.
“Chloe, listen, Rhonda and I grew up together, I
treat her like a sister, so taking care of her is a
habit. That day, Rhonda was really unwell…”
“When wasn’t she unwell?”
I stared into Zach’s eyes, asking each word
slowly.
“On my birthday, Rhonda said she was sick, you
left a room full of friends, leaving me to face
their ridicule alone.”
“When I was sick, Rhonda said the dust at her
house was too much, so you went to her place,
leaving me alone in the hospital, struggling to
even go to the bathroom.”
“There were so many instances like this, Zach. Can you give me just one example when
Rhonda was healthy enough that it didn’t
disrupt our lives?”
Under my relentless questioning, Zach lowered
his head in silence.
I felt a surge of vindictive satisfaction.
But it was fleeting, quickly replaced by
overwhelming despair.
All those grievances,
How did I endure them? How did I repeatedly
convince myself that everything was alright?
“Oh, I remember, Rhonda was healthiest when
we were fighting.”
“She was busy meddling in our relationship… Zach, are you deliberately blind to all this?”
Zach’s lips trembled.
Before he could speak, his phone rang.
I recognized it instantly.
It was Zach’s special ringtone for Rhonda.
Zach hung up, but the call came again soon
after.
Zach looked at me, seeking help.
“Chloe, I’m afraid something’s wrong with
her…”
