He Asked Me to Die, So I Did. Chapter 2

He said it so seriously, I didn't react right away.

The driver muttered a few more warnings.

Half an hour later, I saw Julian's custom luxury car parked by the roadside.

His white suit was a mess, and one of his socks was even on inside out.

The driver stood with his hands on his hips, his grating voice like a skipping record from an old-timey musical.

It was kind of scary.

"What kind of guardian are you? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a dummy in a wheelchair, who can't even tell north from south, to be wandering around in the street?"

"Good thing no one died, just a minor scrape. If she tried to pull a fake accident on my watch, I'd make sure you both ended up in jail!"

The driver spit on the ground near Julian's feet.

"Damn unlucky, running into a dummy like this…"

Julian bent down, expertly offering a card as an apology.

Five minutes later, the driver grumbled and drove off.

I knew. I had messed up again.

Julian turned to look at me, his eyes, usually so gentle and calm, now seething with rage.

"Skylar, how many times has it been this month? You're either lost or on your way to getting lost."

"Didn't I tell you to stay home? Why don't you listen? Do I need to chain you up to make you obey? Do you have any idea how much trouble you cause me?!"

His hand tightened on my shoulder, little by little.

It landed right on the fresh scrape from the accident, sending excruciating pain through me.

I had never seen Julian so angry. Confused, I held out the crooked cake I had made, stammering my explanation.

"I'm sorry, Julian. I just wanted to bring you a birthday cake."

"I waited for you all day at home, but you didn't come, and my calls went unanswered."

His face grew even darker.

He swatted the cake out of my hand.

"Eat, eat, eat! What else do you do all day besides eating and drinking?"

"Skylar, I'm human too. I have my own life. I don't have time to play house with you!"

I watched the cake splattered on the ground like mud, my eyes welling up with tears without me even realizing it.

I had spent so long learning how to make it, pestering our neighbor Martha.

Martha hadn't wanted to teach me at first.

She'd joked, saying a little dummy like me shouldn't even bother.

It was only after I'd begged her for three days and three nights that she finally caved.

Julian's voice was hoarse with anger, and his grip on my shoulder tightened even more.

"Enough, Skylar!"

"How much more trouble are you going to cause me?!"

My whole body trembled, tears streaming down my face, unbidden.

"Julian, it hurts…"

Julian suddenly let go. A vein throbbed on his forehead.

The next second, he'd pulled me from my wheelchair and dragged me into the passenger seat.

He took me to the hospital for more thorough checks.

In the office next door.

Julian, holding my medical report, repeated the same question for the third time.

"Doctor, is her condition really incurable?"

"I can pay. Any amount. The hospital needs funding, right? I can provide it, as long as you can cure her."

The doctor just shook his head, helpless.

"Mr. Julian, you've asked this many times. The world's leading experts have all been unable to do anything. I also…"

The light in Julian's eyes died.