Wiping Away Traces of You

"How could you rummage through my things without my permission?" Edgar panicked and dodged Jessica's question. "I'm already 18! You can't just barge into my room and go through my stuff!"

Furious, Jessica grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it to the floor. "That's not the point right now!"

The sound of the glass shattering echoed through the room, making Edgar flinch.

"Edgar, you've misunderstood Jess," Cooper interjected with feigned innocence. "She didn't go into your room. It was me. I didn't have any clothes to change into, and my clothes yesterday were…"

He paused deliberately before continuing, "I had no choice but to check your room for clothes to borrow. That's when I accidentally found the cancer diagnosis on your desk."

He was lying.

Edgar had locked the document away the very day he received it. In Cooper's version, it sounded as if Edgar had intentionally left it out in the open, waiting for someone to stumble upon it.

"Edgar, you're so young. How could you possibly have cancer?" Cooper's expression filled with sorrow and concern. "Be honest with me. Is the diagnosis real or just some prank?"

Edgar turned to look at Jessica and noticed her gaze was filled more with anger than worry. Before he returned home, Cooper must have said enough to convince her that Edgar was faking an illness just to gain her attention.

Edgar thought that perhaps this was for the best. At least his secret wouldn't come to light.

"It was a prank," he said softly. "I was just messing around with my friends. I didn't expect you to find—"

Before he could finish, Jessica suddenly stood up. "We're going to the hospital for a checkup. Now."

Whether it was a prank or not, they would find out at the hospital.

"Jess…" Edgar tried to resist, but her sharp glare silenced him instantly.

He knew Jessica too well. There was no way to avoid this.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was already midnight. Normally, only the emergency department would be operational at this hour, but Jessica had called the hospital director in advance.

Not daring to cross her, the director hastily arranged for doctors to conduct a full examination of Edgar.

Cancer screenings took at least two hours to process, and for Edgar, every second was torment.

He couldn't help but wonder, "If Jess finds out I'm dying, will she feel sad for me? Or maybe I'm just a burden to her. Jealous, twisted, and difficult. Maybe she's been wanting to get rid of me all along."

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally emerged with the report in hand. "Ms. Yale, the tests are complete. Mr. Lawrie's health is excellent; there's no sign of cancer at all."

Edgar was taken aback by the announcement. He couldn't believe that after enduring such agony, this was the outcome.

He turned sharply to look at Cooper. There was no doubt in his mind who had tampered with the results.

Cooper exhaled a long breath of relief and said, "Thank goodness. It's just a prank. Edgar is fine… Jessica and I can finally stop worrying."

Meanwhile, Jessica said nothing. Her gaze lingered on Edgar, and for the first time, she seemed to notice how frighteningly pale he was.

The once vibrant boy she cherished looked as if he were slowly withering away.