She's My Sleeping Pill

The next day, John visited again but Marian was asleep. He found that the ring was taken off so, he looked for it inside the drawer and once found, he put it on her ring finger once again.

"Her illness is getting worse. You have to prepare yourself because any moment, she'd be gone." Veronica told John while looking outside the window. "I'll go outside to give you space." She just couldn't bare to watch the two of them being slowly separated by time and death.

Two hours later, Marian woke up and found John sleeping with his head leaning on the side of her bed. She saw the diamond ring on her finger again. "Why do you keep putting this ring on me when I'm asleep?" She asked but John was too tired to wake up from her mumbles.

Not long after, Veronica came inside and woke John from his sleep because Marian's parents came. "Stop dozing off. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt are here." She whispered and poked his shoulders several times.

Marian looked at the door and found her parents standing there before shifting her gaze to the man who was still yawning and dazed from sleep.

"We didn't sleep together." She said while shaking her head from left to right. "He just visited me to give me some food."

"Okay. We understand."

"You do? Really?" Marian smiled but her sweet smile turned creepy when blood oozed out from her mouth. "I think something's wrong with my body. I kept vomiting blood lately and sometimes they'd come out of my nose." Her innocent remark made Veronica cry once again. She's been forgetting that she's actually ill and that made it so difficult for them to explain to her.

"Sweetheart, I'm really sorry. I'm sorry. Mom is very sorry." Mrs. Wyatt walked towards Marian and hugged her daughter. "I truly regretted everything I have done but I cannot turn back the time and change it. I wish I could."

Veronica rolled her eyes and left the room. "Hypocrite." She mumbled as she went out of the room. Even though the couple was the one who paid her salary, she never hides her dislike against them. She hated how fake they were towards other people and to their one and only child. She really wanted to tear off their masks and let people see how hypocrite this couple was.

John didn't stay inside the room either. He didn't like being in the same space as them.

"They have never change." He commented when he came out of the room. "I thought they'd change with Marian's current situation."

"Leopards don't change their spots." Veronica answered with obvious distaste. "Once she left, I'll also move out of their house."

"Do you have a place to stay? If you want, you can work in my shop."

"No, but thanks. Actually, my family's living condition has improved and my brother has asked me to come home and stop working. But if there's a need, will you still allow me to work in your café in the future?"

"Sure. The café will always have a space for you."

"Thank you, sir John."

"It's the least I can do for you for all your hard work in taking care of her."

Another four days have passed and finally, the exam was done. Cayenne didn't bother thinking if she passed or fail in any subjects. Her mind was fully occupied with visiting Marian in her residence. She was all ready to go and visit her but Stefan told her that Marian was actually in the hospital.

"Since when?"

"Since we came back from Turkey."

"And why didn't you tell me?!"

"Marian didn't want me to tell you. She didn't want to be your burden and make you fail the exam."

"Is…is her health…is she getting better?"

"It's getting worse."

Cayenne bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying. It's not long ago that she reunited with her best friend but it seems to her that fate was trying to pull them apart again.

"Let's go and see her in the hospital, then." Cayenne muttered and left. She was still a bit disoriented with the news that she hailed a taxi instead of getting to their own car.

Stefan pulled her close and hugged her, rubbing her back to calm her down a little. "We'll see her. You will be able to spend time with her."

It would have been better if that was the case but when Cayenne and Stefan arrived, Marian only looked at them with confused expression.

"Veronica, are they your friends?"

Cayenne gasped sharply when she heard this question and the tears that she had been stopping since earlier had burst out like a dam. "I'm Cayenne. You call me En-en. Have you forgotten me?"

"Oh? You're one of my friends? Lately, I've been very forgetful and the doctor said it's because of my illness. I'm sorry if it offended you."

"No, it's okay." Cayenne wiped her tears away and approached Marian. "I'm glad to see you. Have you been eating properly these days?"

"Hn. John would bring lots of soup every day and fruit shakes, too. I cannot eat solid food because my throat hurts and I have lots of mouth sores."

"That's good to know. I can see that he's treating you better."

"Of course. He even gave me this ring." Marian showed Cayenne the diamond ring and bragged it in front of her. "I can't believe that my parents didn't get angry when they saw the ring. It felt so weird." Cayenne couldn't stop herself from crying again. Marian waited for so long to receive this ring but she only got it when she has little time left. "It's very beautiful. Also, you must come on Saturday morning. John told me that we should get married even if I'm ill."

"Okay. I'll come and witness your wedding."

"Why are you crying? I'm not going to die yet. I still want to get married."

"These are tears of joy." Cayenne lied. Veronica on the other hand was crying once again.. Every single day, she's been crying when she sees how Marian tried to live her life that death was trying to take away from her.