The Fracture in the Will

Eight years with Leo, and we still had nothing.
One hand held my cancer diagnosis; the other, a $300 bank balance.
I cant live like this anymore, I said. One last concert, then were done.
Leo quietly moved the only egg from his soup into my bowl. Okay.
That night, as I packed, he sat chain-smoking, the scent of his sadness seeping through our thin walls.
At the concert, the spotlight found us in the crowd. Everyone cheered for a kiss, but Leo hid his face and wouldnt get up.
I thought it was overhe didnt even want to be seen with me.
Days later, craving to see him, I went to his office.
The receptionist stopped me: Youll need an appointment to see our CEO.
I stood frozen, clutching my painkillers.
Since when did I need permission to see him?
01
Leo and I were dirt poor. We barely had two cents to rub together.
How could he possibly be a CEO?
I didn't believe it. Not until I looked through the glass wall of a conference room and saw him. He was dressed in a tailored suit, and beside him, a young woman in a yellow sundress was playfully shaking his arm.
"I don't care! You promised you'd take me to the movies," she pouted. "If you're backing out now, you have to make it up to me!"
Leo just smiled, a look of helpless indulgence on his face. "Alright, alright. What was that bag you were looking at the other day? The forty-thousand-dollar one?"
The girl instantly beamed, jumping up to hug him and planting a light kiss by his ear. Leo pulled out a credit card and patted her head affectionately.
"You're such a handful," he laughed.
I watched them, feeling like I was trapped in a dream.
Forty thousand dollars. That would have paid for a whole year of the cheap takeout noodles we survived on in that tiny apartment.
All these years, I never talked to him about money, afraid of putting more pressure on him.
The only time I did was the night I got my diagnosis. I clutched the paper and tried to sound lighthearted.
"The cheapest prescription is forty-three hundred a bottle. It's insane. But there's a guy selling generics downstairs from the hospital for eighteen hundred. I could save more than half!" I forced a laugh. "What do you think? I could deliver food during the day and drive for Uber at night. Maybe I'd even last long enough for you to marry me, ha ha."
We were face to face, but the silence was absolute. I couldn't even hear him breathe.
My nails dug into my palm, the diagnostic report growing damp with my sweat. I wanted to say it with a smile, but a sob was caught in my throat.
Just before the tears could fall, his phone rang. I quickly pushed him away, my eyes red. Just let it go. I was dying. The last thing I should do is drag him down with me.
Today, Id worked up the courage to see him just to say a proper goodbye. That would have been enough.
But now, watching him drop a fortune on another girl without a second thought, a red-hot wire twisted in my stomach, the pain so sharp it made me gag.
Forty thousand dollars. That was enough for so many bottles of medicine. Enough for so many more years with him.
The glass reflected my own face back at mepale, my lips chapped and colorless. Inside, the girl was vibrant and glowing, her eyes sparkling.
People are drawn to beautiful things. So, in that moment of silence a few nights ago, was he thinking about how I was about to die? Or was he thinking about how he was going to charm this girl when he got back to the office?
I didn't know. And I didn't want to know anymore.
The conference room door slid open, and the girl walked out, her eyes crinkling with a smile. She paused when she saw me, her expression curious but still friendly.
"Hi," she said. "I'm Mia, Mr. Sterling's assistant. Can I help you with something?"
My eyes were fixed on the red cord bracelet on her wrist.
It was identical to the one Leo wore.
02
My stomach problems had started three months ago. One night, the pain was particularly bad. As I fumbled in the dark for some water, my hand brushed against two red cord bracelets on the nightstand.
A small wooden charm was attached to each, carved with intricate symbols.
A coworker had told me about these. You had to hike thousands of steps up a mountain to a remote shrine to get them. They were meant to protect the wearer's health and bring peace.
One was five hundred dollars. Two of them were a thousand.
That was enough to cover our instant noodle budget for three months.
I was both angry and touched. Angry that he'd spent money we didn't have, but as my fingers traced the wooden charm, a sweet warmth spread through my chest, and even the pain in my stomach seemed to fade.
I slipped one of the bracelets onto my wrist, already planning how I'd playfully scold him in the morning. "You can't just throw money away like that," I'd say. But the next morning, I woke up to find him standing over the bed, his face a thunderous mask.
"That's not for you," he said, his voice cold. "Give it back."
"Hannah, don't be so greedy. You can't have everything."
So, that's who it was for. The girl standing in front of me now.
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and forced a smile. "Your boss Mr. Sterling he seems to take good care of his employees, doesn't he?"
Mia nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes. Even though he comes from a wealthy family, he's very down-to-earth. He's been incredibly kind to me."
Her voice was soft and sweet as she pulled out her phone and started swiping through photos.
There they were at a fancy restaurant, at Disneyland, at all the places I could never afford to go, their smiles wide and genuine.
"He gives me a huge bonus every Christmas, and when he found out I'd studied abroad, he started giving me one for the Lunar New Year too. He gave me this bracelet," she said, touching the red cord. "I was getting sick all the time."
"Once, another company tried to poach me. Can you believe it? He showed me the company's financials, and even his personal bank statements, just to convince me to stay!"
Mia covered her mouth, giggling. "I told him, 'You're only supposed to show your bank account to your girlfriend! Why are you showing me?' He just stared at me for the longest time and said, 'I just want you to know'"
She blushed, then looked up at me. "You seem to know him well. Has he ever been this thoughtful with any other girl? What do you think he means by all this?"
The pain in my stomach sharpened, like a knife twisting. I pressed a hand against my abdomen, struggling to swallow the metallic taste rising in my throat.
I didn't know about his bank account. I didn't know about his wealthy family. In his mind, I wasn't even his girlfriend. What right did I have to be jealous?
I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly, seeing Leo didn't seem so important anymore.
I straightened up, my voice barely a whisper.
"Could you please tell Mr. Sterling for me... that I need the watch back."
"And tell him that we're done."
Before the words had fully left my mouth, a familiar voice, sharp with anger, cut through the air from behind me.
"What do you mean, 'we're done'? Hannah, are you playing games with me?"
03
I turned to see Leo standing a few feet away, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with impatience.
I didn't understand.
I was the one who had been deceived. How had he twisted it to make it sound like I was the one playing games?
I ignored him. Mia was still here, and I didn't want to fight in front of her.
Mias face suddenly went pale. She grabbed my arm. "Wait... what is your relationship with Mr. Sterling?"
"The receptionist said you didn't have an appointment. I thought you were a business partner, but now..."
I was speechless. I didn't know what to say.
Mia didn't know that the receptionist had blocked me, that Leo hadn't answered my calls.
The only "proof" I had was a screenshot of a text message from three years ago: Wait until I'm rich, Hannah. I'll marry you. I promise.
I'd saved that screenshot for three years, protecting it like a precious jewel. But the look the receptionist gave me was the kind you give a fool.
And she was right. Who holds on to a casual promise for so long?
But it was all I had.
He and Mia had so many photos togetherat Disneyland, at restaurantslooking so happy, so close.
He and I didn't have a single decent picture together.
Seeing our silence, Mia's eyes filled with tears. She turned and started lightly pounding her fists against Leo's chest. "Leo, if you have a girlfriend, why would you treat me like this? I just need a straight answer! What am I to you?"
She was so brave, so earnest. Even asking such a naive question, she seemed adorable.
Leo just stood there, letting her hit him, his face a mask of pain.
Watching the drama unfold, I suddenly thought of my old self. I used to always want to ask him, "When are we getting married?" But every time the words reached my lips, I'd swallow them, afraid of pressuring him. Instead, I'd just ask, "Do you want fried rice for dinner?"
After a long silence, Leo turned to look at me, his eyes holding a familiar, pleading expression.
I laughed at myself, a bitter, hollow sound, and finished his unspoken sentence for him.
"I'm not his girlfriend."
So this is what it looked like when Leo loved someone.
Money, time, a titlewhatever Mia wanted, he gave it to her, right then and there. No hiding, no empty promises of "someday."
Unlike me. I waited eight years, only to be told, "Don't be so greedy."
Even when I was sick, all I could do was joke about "not having long to live," and then be left helpless by his silence.
My stomach churned again, and tears started to fall, hot and unstoppable.
So that was it. They had an understanding all along.
Of course. When you love someone, you can't help it. You can't help but want to give them the best of everything, to possess them completely. You can't stand to be apart for a single second longer than you have to.
He had never given any of that to me.
I suddenly felt like laughing. Laughing because my mother, who had been telling me to leave him for eight years, had been right all along. Laughing at my own stupidity.
I used to naively believe that Leo was just focused on his career.
Now I knew the truth. It wasn't that he didn't know how to love. It was just that the person he loved wasn't me.
04
Swallowing a sob, I held out my hand to him.
"Let's just end it here. I don't even want to ask why you lied to me."
"Just give me back the watch. And after this, let's not see each other again."
A crowd of onlookers had gathered by the door.
Someone scoffed loudly. "I've never seen someone ask for a gift back. How trashy."
"She's probably just a gold-digger trying to shake him down!"
Leo's jaw clenched. He'd obviously heard them too. "Don't you all have work to do?" he roared at the doorway.
The crowd scattered. He then turned to Mia, gently stroking her hair. "Go on ahead. I'll explain everything in a minute."
Now it was just the two of us, the silence so profound I could hear my own heart hammering against my ribs.
I never wanted it to be like this, so humiliating, so pathetic.
But that watch was the only thing I had left of my father. It was the gift my mother gave him when they first fell in love.
On his deathbed, he had pressed it into my hand. "Hannah, take good care of this watch. Don't let anything happen to it."
I had to get it back. I was afraid that when I saw him again on the other side, he would blame me.
I held my hand out stubbornly. "Give it to me."
Leo let out a bitter laugh. "You're really something else, Hannah. You've been after my money from the start, haven't you? First you pretend you didn't know, now you're trying to break up with me. Playing hard to get? Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"
My nails dug into my palms. I looked him straight in the eye and said, each word precise and cold, "Leo, make yourself clear. You were the one pretending to be poor. When have I ever asked you for money?"
He shot me a dismissive glance and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He didn't light it, just rolled it between his fingers, agitated.
His voice was laced with contempt, each word a shard of ice in my heart. "Three years ago. You told me you wanted a penthouse in Midtown. That's when you started planning all this, wasn't it?"
I stared at him, my mind reeling before the memory surfaced.
Three years ago, when we had just moved to New York. The summers were humid, and moisture would seep into our tiny apartment, leaving dark patches of mold on the walls. He'd painstakingly cover them with fresh paint, then turn to me in the cramped space, barely wide enough for one person to pass, and kiss me.
"Just a little longer," he'd murmured. "Once I finish this project, we'll move to a bigger place in Queens, somewhere with more light."
I'd dodged his kiss, laughing. "No way. I want to live in Midtown. I want a huge penthouse with a view of the river!"
The paintbrush had slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor. He'd straightened up and just stared at me for a long time.
And like a fool, I thought he was seriously considering our future.
But he wasn't. He was planning his revenge.
I let out a long, shuddering breath as tears streamed down my face.
So that was it. Our eight years together, in his eyes, were nothing more than a long con, a scheme for my financial gain. And for him, it was just ammunition. A weapon to hurt me with.
05
"You have no idea how stupid you sounded that day," Leo said suddenly, his voice laced with a strange, venomous anger. But his eyes were red.
"Who smiles when they're telling someone they're dying? I hate you for it. Why couldn't you even be a better liar?"
"But I hate myself more," he choked out. "Your acting was terrible, and I still couldn't bring myself to tell you to get lost. I was already going to give you the money, but you couldn't even wait, could you? You had to come here and force my hand!"
Every word he spoke chipped away another piece of my heart.
For eight years, I paid the rent. I paid the utilities. When he said his business was struggling, I not only gave him my savings but also went to networking events and drank with strangers to build connections for him.
And today, I find out he comes from a wealthy family, that he's been successful for years. He was hiding a secret relationship with a younger woman while accusing me of being a gold-digger.
Looking at his handsome face, he seemed like a complete stranger. I didn't want to be in the same room with him for another second.
I lunged forward and tried to undo the clasp on his watch.
My fingers were trembling too much. I fumbled with it, unable to get it open.
Tears fell onto the sleeve of his expensive suit, spreading into a dark, wet stain.
Leo lost his temper. He grabbed my hands, his voice booming. "Is this stupid thing all you care about?"
He ripped the watch off his wrist and slammed it onto the floor.
"Who the hell wants it anyway!"
The watch face hit the marble and shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. Shards of glass scattered around my feet like a thousand tiny tears.
A roar filled my head.
My father's face flashed before my eyes, the memory of him coughing up blood in his final moments. He was trembling in pain, but he was still smiling as he pressed the watch into my hand.
"Daddy's not going to make it, but this can stay with my little Hannah, okay? This way, our time will always overlap."
Now, the hands were frozen amidst a field of broken glass. Time had truly stopped.
Ignoring the sharp edges, I dropped to my knees and frantically tried to gather the pieces.
Droplets of blood beaded on my fingertips, stark red against my pale skin.
Leo suddenly knocked my hands away. "Are you crazy?" he yelled. "Look at your hands!"
The watch fell from my grasp again, splintering even further.
I looked at the wreckage and let out a laugh filled with despair. Why couldn't I just die right here, in this moment?
His one promise of marriage had been a carrot on a stick, and I was the stupid donkey chasing it for years. I kept telling my mother I was happy, that Leo was good to me, but he had been lying to me all along. Now I had cancer, and the one precious thing my father had left me was destroyed.
Staring at the ruined watch, all the strength drained out of my body. I think I really am going to die, I thought.
Glass embedded itself in my palms. My hands were covered in blood, and tears streamed down my face.
I looked up at Leo, my voice shaking uncontrollably.
"Leo, I've let my mother down, but I have never done you wrong. When you had an interview, I rented you the most expensive suit I could find. When you needed to impress a client, I gave you the only thing my father ever left me. When you wanted to start your business, I sold the jewelry my mother gave me and poured every penny I had into your dream."
"You said you would marry me, and I waited eight years. The only mistake I ever made was trusting you with my whole heart for eight years! Now I'm dying. I'm begging you, can you please just let me have one single day of peace?"
Leo grabbed my hands, his skin burning against mine. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "What's this 'dying' nonsense? You're still acting, aren't you? What is this, the pity card? It's not going to work, I'm telling you..."
I didn't hear the rest of his words.
A violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach. The pain was so intense I couldn't stand. A mouthful of blood surged up my throat.
I didn't have an ounce of strength left. I collapsed.

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