What She Broke

I broke up with Andrew as fast as I could.

I returned every gift he had ever given me, packed my things, and moved out of the apartment we had shared. In the shortest time possible, I cut every tie between us.

However, to him, I was just being dramatic. He kept coming after me, complaining again and again.

"Over one experiment? You're really breaking up with me over that? I already bought the diamond ring. I was going to propose to you, and this is how you treat me?"

Listening to him, I almost laughed.

If Andrew ever found out that the antigen he dismissed so casually could have cured his illness, would he still think I was overreacting?

I stopped responding to him. My paper deadline was coming up fast. Without my experimental data, there was no way I could submit it in time. Without that, my chance to study abroad was gone too.

Just when I felt completely stuck, a top research lab in the country suddenly reached out to me. They said they were very interested in my work. If I joined them, they were willing to offer me three times what I was earning.

I was tempted.

After all, the main reason I had stayed in this lab in the first place was Andrew.

His family had invested in that place and brought in all those professors just to research his condition.

I wanted to help him, but it felt completely unnecessary.

I agreed to meet with them and went back to the lab to organize my previous data.

Before I even reached the door, I heard a familiar voice inside.

It was Sheila, soft and sugary as ever.

"Andrew, even though I accidentally ruined Rose's experiment, I guess I did a good thing in the end. I overheard her talking to a lab overseas. She said her experiment was successful and that she'd be going abroad soon.

"She's about to get married, yet she's still planning to leave. Andrew, it sounds like she's already tired of you being sick and wants to dump you."

Andrew's face darkened. He had clearly taken her words to heart.

Sheila continued, her voice sweet and coaxing.

"Now that the experiment is gone, she can't leave anymore, so why don't you ask the institute to give that study abroad spot to me instead?

"That way, Rose will stay and marry you like she's supposed to, and I can come back to visit you often… You know, help with your loneliness."

As she spoke, her slender fingers slowly traced upward between his legs, the meaning obvious.

Andrew let out a low sound. While enjoying it, he seemed to make up his mind.

Suddenly, he stood up, pinned Sheila down on the lab table, and lifted her skirt, his hand sliding underneath. His voice turned sharp, almost like he was venting something.

"Rose wants to leave me? Not happening. Be good to me, sweetheart. The study abroad spot will be yours."

What followed was the disgusting sound of them entangled together.

In that moment, everything finally clicked.

Andrew had a hand in destroying my experiment too.

He could not stand the idea of me achieving something greater, of me stepping onto a bigger stage. So, he chose the cruelest way possible to keep me.

However, what he never expected was that what he destroyed was not just my experiment.

It was his only chance at being cured.

I was going to tell him everything.