Lisa stared at her so long with that guilt-ridden look, Roseanne wanted to shake the words out of her. "Lisa, what?"
"Tabofren showed promise in shrinking certain inoperable tumors. But the KFDA put a stop to the clinical trials when major side effects started popping up, questioning its safety."
"That's what you said in the car," she reminded her.
"I know. I just couldn't remember what those side effects were."
"Why do I have a feeling I don't want to hear about those side effects?"
Lisa swallowed and glanced at her abdomen. "The drug targeted a signaling pathway that stimulates tumor growth in patients with advance-stage cancers. We were really excited about it after initial animal testing, and so was the KFDA. They fast-tracked it into clinical trials."
"And?"
"Minor side effects included skin irritation, rashes, and dry mucous membranes... which explains your nosebleeds. But the ones that caused the KFDA to pull it were more serious. They were generally seen in patients with brain and spinal-cord tumors—severe headaches, changes in mood and personality, and...and memory loss."
Oh, God.
Lisa's fingers tightened around her waist, preventing her from easing away. "When patients in the clinical trials started reporting the symptoms, especially the black-out style memory lapses, they were backed off the drug. Most of them didn't suffer any long-lasting effects."
"Lisa, why would I have been given that? I don't understand. You said I didn't have cancer."
"You didn't. I don't...I don't quite know what's going on here, but..."
"But what?" She couldn't seem to keep the panic out of her voice. When Lisa didn't look up, Roseanne cupped her hand around her chin and lifted so she would look at her. "What, Lisa?"
Lisa sat back and scrubbed her hands over her face. "Take a look at the screen and tell me if you recognize that man."
Roseanne ran her fingers over the keypad of her computer. The screensaver blinked off. Jaehyun's face popped up. "Oh, my God."
"I'll take that as a yes," she said quietly.
"Why do you have Jaehyun's picture?"
"That's Dr. Choi Jaehyun. He developed Tabofren. He was heading the clinical studies."
No. Roseanne turned to the screen then backed away. No. Not possible. Words choked in her throat. This wasn't happening.
Lisa pushed out of the chair, grasped her by the shoulders. "Don't. Don't close in on me right now. Stay with me."
"No. You're wrong. There's a different explanation. There has to be."
"Babe—"
"Why? He did this to me on purpose?" How could the man she thought she'd loved, had lived with for nearly a year, had trusted with her son...how could he intentionally have done something to hurt her?
"We don't know that. This doesn't make sense to me, either, but we'll figure it out." Lisa pulled her into the warmth of her arms before she could back away.
Roseanne let her hold her, but she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. Off Jaehyun's face looking back at her. Memories of their life together flashed in front of her eyes—Jaehyun holding Miles at a backyard barbecue, dancing at a hospital fundraiser together, the way he used to kiss her and... a shudder ran through her. She tried to wiggle away, but Lisa held her tight.
