Tragic Bond

17

Luna lay in her bedroom, the oppressive silence of the night only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves outside her window. She felt the familiar, searing pain coursing through her body, a relentless reminder of her ongoing battle with the illness that had taken so much from her. She clenched her teeth, trying to suppress a groan, and turned to her bedside table. The faint glow of her phone illuminated the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"It should be around five in the afternoon in France now. It'll probably not be a bother to call him now." She thought.

With trembling hands, Luna picked up her phone and dialed her husband's number. Sebastian was away on yet another business trip, his absences growing longer and more frequent with each passing month. The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"You finally remembered to call me, huh?" Sebastian's voice was distant, almost indifferent. "I miss you." She said in trembling voice. "I miss you too." He replies back staring blankly more like without some feelings as he said that.

"I've been busy the past two days and when things got calmer, I was afraid that I would bother your rest so I hold back on giving you a call. I'll do my best to finish my work here as soon as possible and get early back to you to keep you company." He continues. "Okay." she managed to say, her voice strained with pain.

Before Sebastian could respond, Luna heard a woman's voice in the background. "Sebastian, you've been on that call for quite a long time. The food is getting cold..."

A cold wave of realization washed over Luna. She felt a stabbing pain, not just physical, but emotional. "Give me a call when you've returned, Seb. I'll go to the airport and pick you up. I'll make some Daikon and pork rib soup for you." She said washing off the voice she just heard from the other line. "Alright, you should go back to sleep. Bye." And with that, he hungs up.

Her suspicions, the late-night calls, the frequent trips—they all made sense now. She could barely breathe as she hung up the phone, not wanting to hear any more.

Luna sank to the floor, retreating to a dark corner of the room. The pain in her body was now overshadowed by the agony in her heart. She wrapped her arms around her knees and cried, her sobs echoing in the emptiness of the room. Her phone rang again, but she didn't look at the screen. She answered, her voice barely a whisper, "Sebastian, I'm about to die from the pain.. Don't abandon me.. I'll be well-behaved... How could you lie to me?" She cried.

"Luna?! It's me! Are you okay?" came the startled voice on the other end. It wasn't Sebastian; it was Dr. Aiden, who had been caring for her throughout her illness. His concern was palpable.

"Ah, Doctor Aiden.." Luna croaked, realizing her mistake. But hearing his voice brought a small measure of comfort. "Where do you live? I'll come over right now!"Aiden said urgently.

Minutes later, Aiden arrived at her home. "Luna! Luna, what's wrong?" He found her curled up in the corner, her face wet with tears, her body trembling from the pain and fever. Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms, feeling the alarming heat radiating from her skin. "She's burning..." He carried her to the bed and gently laid her down.

"Luna, you need to rest. I'm here now," Aiden said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

Through her haze of pain and sorrow, Luna felt a flicker of warmth from his touch. Aiden's presence was a balm to her wounded soul. She could see the worry etched on his face, but there was something more—an intensity in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before.

"At that moment, I suddenly realized.. that feeling heartache.. it must be love." Aiden thought in himself.