We got the girl to the hospital, but because she and her mother were so dirty, no doctor or nurse was willing to treat them.


    "I''m a doctor. I will take full responsibility. Here''s money. Please, save her."


    When I took out a wad of cash, they looked at my well-made clothes and the amount of money I was carrying, and finally arranged for a surgical suite with a doctor and nurses.


    I leaned against the wall outside the operating room. It struck me then how easily I trusted people. I had thought Lily was a good person, but she was worse than Harriet.


    Harriet''s evil was out in the open, while Lily''s was a secret poison that no one could


    see.


    The hospital''srge screens were broadcasting one of Lily''s impassioned speeches. "We will bridge the gap between rich and poor. The prosperous will lead the way for others to follow, ensuring that the people across the Saltmere River can all enjoy a good meal."


    A good meal of candy?


    The footage showed her distributing supplies, but it was carefully filmed to avoid showing what the supplies actually were.


    It was all for show.


    After what felt like an eternity, the light above the operating room door went out, and the doctor emerged, smiling. "I didn''t realize you had doctors with such advanced techniques over there. The sutures are excellent and were done just in time. She should be fine after a few days of observation in the hospital."


    The girl''s mother looked at me and said something to the doctor that I didn''t understand.


    The doctor approached me, extending a hand to shake, but then retracted it when he saw the bloodstains on my hands.


    "Impressive. Which medical school did you graduate from?"


    "I haven''t graduated yet."


    It was true. My schooling was still iplete. So much had happened in the past


    year that I was no longer the person who could sit peacefully in a ssroom.


    The doctor seemed to look me up and down with a hint of disdain before turning and walking away.


    I was running low on cash and needed to withdraw more. Most ces in this country only took cash. Just as I was about to head out, the girl''s mother grabbed my arm. "Thank you. If it weren''t for you, my child would have died.


    I nodded, my eyes falling on her dark, bare feet, the tops covered in thick calluses.


    I''ll buy her some shoester.


    A nurse told me there was an ATM in an alley nearby. As I turned into the alley, a familiar sandalwood scent drifted from behind me.


    He pulled me back into his arms and whispered "shh" in my ear.


    I knew it was Max.


    But why was he meeting me so secretively? Because of Lily?


    "Is Lily more powerful than you now? Do you really have to hide like this?"


    I knew he must have been threatened to say he wanted to break up with me that


    day. Given his status and personality, he would never have said something so harsh otherwise.


    "Yes. Your sister is using your life to threaten me, so I had no choice but topromise."


    Max sounded weary, but his tone was gentle.


    “Using my life? What right does she have to use my life?"


    "None. But she can. She was the one who encouraged ude to do what he did that day. First, she used Garrett''s life to control me. Then, when got here, I found out she was using your life as leverage, too. So I pretended to agree to the


    engagement to buy time and have someone get you out of there. As soon as I found out, I had Helen coordinate with me, but they moved so fast I didn''t have time to tell you."


    I stood there, stunned. Max was still my Max-the Max who would always exin.


    But I was so tired.


    "Max, once this is all over, can we


    just... not deal with any of this


    anymore? I want to be a normal person. A home simple meals the changing seasons. Just you and our children would be enough.