Part 2Karma Has A Cruel Harvest

Mrs. O'Malley was a regular in the oncology wing, and as soon as she opened her mouth, the crowd leaned in. People started whispering, asking for the story.

Mrs. O'Malley glanced at me. I didn't stop her. I didn't have the energy to protect their reputations anymore.

"This girl?" Mrs. O'Malley pointed her chin at Leila. "She was Doris's cousin. Doris’s parents treated her like their own daughter. They gave her everything. And how did she thank them? By climbing into her own cousin's husband's bed."

Damian and Leila tried to move toward her to shut her up, but the crowd—mostly patients in thin gowns—formed a human wall. If Damian pushed too hard, the families would have torn him apart.

The ward, usually so quiet, was now alive with the sound of hissing whispers and sharp insults. Mrs. O'Malley didn't miss a beat.

"And him?" She gestured toward Damian. "A real prince. Doris’s parents paid for his med school. His own mother passed away, he had nobody, and the Rossis took him in. They fed him, they loved him, they treated him like a son. They just wanted their daughter to be happy. Instead, he destroyed her career, forced their restaurant to close, and left them with nothing. Doris’s father died of a broken heart, and her mother followed shortly after because she couldn't afford the care. They lost everything because of these two leeches!"

Someone pulled out a phone and started filming. Damian, sweating under the collective glare of the hallway, looked at me with desperation.

"Doris! Leila is fragile. Whatever happened in the past, she’s carrying a child. That baby is innocent. If Leila doesn't make it, this child is the only blood relative you have left. You can’t just stand there and let this happen!"

Leila began to sob, the sound wet and jagged. "Doris, I know you’re bitter. We shouldn't have done what we did, okay? But my aunt and uncle’s deaths weren't our fault. You can’t pin that on us!"

In that moment, I realized how perfectly matched they truly were. One who always managed to exempt himself from blame, and another who simply refused to believe she could do any wrong. They were black holes of selfishness, consuming everything in their path without a second thought for the lives they ruined.

The hallway went silent, everyone waiting for my move.

I didn't give them the satisfaction of an argument. I looked Leila straight in the eyes and asked a question that had nothing to do with her drama.

"Have you ever wondered why you got so sick, so young?"

Leila’s face shifted. She looked monstrous in her terror. "What are you trying to say?"

I gave her a small, haunting smile. "It’s called the bill coming due, Leila. It’s karma."