Chapter 3

• Vilma took note of the date, politely excused herself, and left.
• On her way home, Frederic's phone suddenly rang. His voice, sharp and urgent, filled her ear. "You're not home?"
• She was about to respond when he cut in again, his tone frantic. "Wherever you are, come to City Hospital right now."
• This was the first time she'd ever heard him sound so desperate.
• She hesitated for a moment, then told the driver to turn around.
• When she arrived at the emergency room, she was relieved to find Frederic standing there—perfectly fine.
• The person in need wasn't him. It was...
• Before she could ask what had happened, a nurse led her to another room. "You're type O, right?"
• Vilma nodded, still not sure what was going on. The nurse asked a few more questions about her health before inserting a thick needle into her arm.
• The sharp pain made her flinch, and that's when it hit her—she was donating blood.
• As the nurse monitored the flow, she chatted casually.
• "Hey, what's your relationship with the handsome guy outside? His girlfriend had an accident outside the airport and was brought here. He was frantic—calling in favors, even got the hospital director involved.
• "When the blood bank ran low, he kept calling everyone. Finally, he called you. He really loves his girlfriend like crazy."
• It felt like a vice was gripping her chest, and even when the pressure lifted, she couldn't breathe. The pain lingered.
• So, Frederic had called her... to donate blood for Barbra.
• Forget the fact that he was asking his "substitute" to help save the true love—did he seriously not remember her severe anemia?
• Had he forgotten, or did it simply not matter because it was for Barbra?
• After the blood was drawn, Vilma sat quietly for what felt like forever, trying to regain her strength. During that time, Frederic never once looked her way, never once asked how she was.
• It didn't take much to figure out. He was probably still with Barbra. He was likely by her side, helping her, comforting her.
• Why wouldn't he be? After all, Vilma was just the replacement. How could she ever compare to his real love, Barbra?
• Vilma's self-deprecating smile faded as she steadied herself against the wall.
• She stepped out and saw the lights above the operating room where Barbra had been. The doctors emerged, pushing the gurney, and Frederic followed closely behind, his face an anxious mask as he trailed them into the recovery room.
• From the other side of the window, Vilma watched him sit by Barbra's bed, holding her pale hand tightly. His expression was a mix of silent pleading and lingering fear—a look she had never seen in all the years she'd known him.
• So, this was what he looked like when he truly loved someone.
• *****
• For the next several days, Frederic didn't come home.
• Vilma knew he was at the hospital, but she never tried to contact him. Instead, she focused on three tasks,
• The first was submitting her resignation at work.
• The second was packing up her things.
• The third was marking the date on her calendar.
• With each passing day, the confusion in her heart slowly began to ease, and she found some measure of peace.
• Then, after the rainy season ended, Frederic finally returned. He walked in and immediately noticed something was off. His brow furrowed as he saw the boxes of her belongings packed up.
• "Why did you bring everything home from the office?" His gaze shifted to the suitcase. "Why are you packing your bags?"
• Finally, his eyes landed on the circle she had drawn around the date on the calendar. His expression grew puzzled. "What's the circle around the 30th?"
• Three questions, one after another, made Vilma hesitate for a moment.
• She didn't hide the truth. "I found a job I prefer, so I resigned. I'm leaving for a place far away. The 30th—that's the day I'm leaving."
• She took a deep breath, steeling herself to tell him the rest—that she planned to leave and end things between them.
• But before she could continue, Frederic's phone rang.
• When he saw Barbra's name on the screen, he answered quickly.
• Vilma could hear Barbra's sweet, almost playful voice on the other end. "Frederic, thank you for taking care of me these past few days. My friends are throwing me a welcome home party. Want to come join us?"
• Frederic was about to agree, but then he glanced at Vilma, his voice tense as he asked, "Were you going to say something important? Is it urgent?"
• Vilma caught the implication in his tone, and a cold wave washed over her.
• She shook her head. "It's nothing. If you're busy, just go ahead."
• On the other end, Barbra's voice sounded surprised. "Your girlfriend's with you? Well, bring her along too. She's the one who donated blood for me, right? I still haven't properly thanked her."
• Frederic froze when Barbra mentioned the blood donation. He quickly covered the phone's receiver and stepped aside, but Vilma could sense the awkwardness of the moment. Frederic didn't seem to notice, though.
• He ended the call, then hurriedly ushered her out of the house. She didn't even have time to decline before he was practically dragging her to the car.
• On the way there, he tried to explain the thing that happened a few days ago. "The person who called earlier was a friend of mine. She got into an accident when she came back to the country. The hospital was running low on blood, and since you two share the same blood type, I called you to help. I didn't explain before, but I'm sorry if you were upset because I didn't contact you sooner."
• Vilma stayed calm, her tone flat. "No, I wasn't upset. I have anemia, so I've been resting these past few days."
• Her voice was so neutral that it almost seemed as though she didn't care.
• Seeing her pale face, Frederic felt a stab of guilt. How could he have forgotten that she had anemia?
• He opened his mouth to apologize, to ask what kind of gift would make up for it, but when he saw her close her eyes, as if indifferent to everything, he stopped himself.
• It was too late to apologize. It seemed she had already made up her mind.