The Poison of Regret

I stared at Nathan coldly. I said, "Just apologizing isn't enough. You'd better call Dylan and ask him to get here."

Nathan finally realized the gravity of the situation. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Dylan.

The call rang for a long time before it was finally answered. However, the voice that came through from the other end of the line was sweet and delicate.

"What's wrong? Dylan is driving and can't answer the call now," Lauren said.

Nathan hurriedly explained, "Tell Dylan to come back immediately. His parents have been poisoned and need surgery. A next-of-kin has to sign the consent form."

There was a brief pause before Dylan spoke into the phone. "Since when are you on Fiona's side? My parents need surgery? Why don't you just say that they're already dead?"

Nathan snapped in frustration, "If you don't come, they really might die! Don't you trust me?"

After a brief pause, Dylan replied, "Okay. I—"

Before he could finish, Lauren interrupted, "You're not actually believing this, are you? Have you forgotten how they faked being sick to trick you before?"

Dylan's voice became cold. "Tell Fiona if she dares to curse my parents by spreading lies about them being poisoned again, I'll call off our engagement."

Then the line went dead. When Nathan tried calling again, Dylan's phone was already turned off. He cursed under his breath and looked up at me with a pitiful expression.

I had expected Dylan to react this way. After all, he hadn't even spared his parents a single glance when they were in a coma in front of him. Why would a mere phone call change his mind?

Now, all my hopes rested on Bernice. Time dragged on, and despite the doctor urging us three times, Bernice was nowhere to be seen.

I estimated the time before calling her, "Bernice, where are you?"

She snapped at me the moment she picked up. "Can you stop making a scene? Do you know how important my meeting is today? I don't have time to play along with you."

My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. I was certain that Dylan had already called her.

Only Bernice could save her parents right now. Forcing myself to remain patient, I said, "Bernice, I'm not lying. Andrew and Sally were really poisoned. They need surgery. No one else can sign the consent form if you don't come. Every minute of delay puts them at greater risk."

Bernice scoffed. "Surgery? You really have all the tricks, don't you? Let me give you some advice. Drop the act. The more you do this, the less Dylan will want anything to do with you. I'm busy. Stop calling me."

Then she hung up. I had no choice but to ask Nathan to call her instead. He had known Bernice since they were young, so I figured that he could convince her.

Bernice was convinced we were conspiring together. She gave him the same response.

"I'm not coming. Even if this is real, I'm not a doctor. What difference would it make?"

Nathan lost it and started cursing at her. "Bernice, do you have a heart? Your parents are on the brink of death, and this is how you talk?"

Unfortunately, Bernice wasn't convinced. She simply blocked both of our numbers.

Just then, a doctor rushed out. "They're not going to make it much longer. Have you reached the family?"

I stepped forward. "Doctor, please, can't you just do the surgery first? We'll sign the forms afterward. Please, just save them!"

Seeing my desperation, the doctor sighed and agreed to at least try talking to the higher-ups.

Nathan immediately ran off to contact other surgeons, trying to find someone willing to take responsibility for the surgery.

However, given how strained doctor-patient relations were at that time, the surgeons all refused to take on the case when they heard that the family hadn't yet consented.

Nathan's eyes reddened. "Stay here. I'm going to find those two myself."

I hurried inside, and the sight of Andrew and Sally made me burst into tears instantly.

"Andrew, Sally, I'm so sorry."

How did this happen? I had called the ambulance the moment I realized something was wrong. How had it come to this?

Perhaps sensing that their time was running out, Andrew and Sally had tears in their eyes. They called out for Dylan and Bernice.

My throat tightened as I asked a nearby nurse to lend me a phone to call Dylan.

Dylan picked up first.

"Dylan, you need to come now. Your parents are really in critical condition."

The moment he heard my voice, he hung up on me. I called again, this time from someone else's phone. Nevertheless, he cut the call off without any hesitation. Eventually, his phone was turned off.

I was about to try calling from another phone when the machine behind me suddenly started beeping an alarm, and I was quickly pushed out of the emergency room.

After half an hour, the doctor emerged from the room and said to me, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but they didn't make it."

I hadn't even said anything when a scream came from behind me.

"What did you say?"