The Lucky WinnerChapter 3

A profound silence filled the hospital room. After a long moment, Rocky slowly propped himself up and sat up in bed.

"Take that back now, and I can pretend I never heard it."

I shook my head. "Rocky, let’s break up."

"…"

Another long silence. I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes. Thinking he must be thirsty after just waking, I poured him a glass of water. After placing the glass on his bedside table, I turned to leave, but he caught my hand.

From behind me, Rocky quietly asked, "Has being with me… made you so miserable?"

I remained silent. When Rocky finally looked up again, his eyes were red-rimmed. His voice was almost a plea. "Can't you… hold on a little longer?"

Can't you hold on a little longer? Just for him, can't you hold on a little longer?

"Rocky…"

I sighed. His grip on my hand was tight, yet I pushed him away with surprising ease.

"Just let me go."

Let me go, and let yourself go too.

I’ve always been an unlucky person. After losing my adoptive parents, I lost Rocky. In the period immediately after our breakup, Rocky was constantly worried about me. When he saw things I liked, he would still buy them and have them sent to me. When I asked him about it, he'd say, "Can't ordinary friends send gifts to each other?"

Yes.

Of course.

I turned around and sold everything.

I realized this couldn’t go on. So I signed up for a rural teaching program, hoping a change of scenery would help me clear my head. A few months after arriving, there was an earthquake, and I nearly lost my life. Many people died in that earthquake. In the rubble, I found Anna, whose parents and relatives had all perished. She was eight years younger than me and needed a guardian. So, I, the survivor, took on the identity of Anna’s older sister. I was no longer Sarah Vance; I was just Anna.

But even with a new name, bad luck clung to me like a shadow. At twenty-seven, I was diagnosed with cancer, my time running out.

Yet now, someone was telling me I was the luckiest person she had ever met.