Lies

Cassandra, a beautiful woman with long brown hair and black eyes wearing a red dress stood in the front of the Olive mansion.

Her heart fluttering with anticipation to see her dear friend as she knocked on the door. It had been months since they last met, and the weight of their separation had only grown heavier with time. Elaine had always been a pillar of strength and unwavering optimism, but Cassandra couldn't shake off a nagging feeling that something was amiss.

Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Elaine's tired but still radiant face. A flicker of surprise crossed her features before giving way to an exuberant smile. "Cassandra! I've missed you so much," she exclaimed, pulling her friend into a warm embrace.

The familiar scent of Elaine's lavender perfume enveloped Cassandra, instantly transporting her back to cherished memories of their laughter-filled adventures. She held onto Elaine tightly, savoring the warmth of their reunion.

As they stepped back, Cassandra couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in Elaine's appearance. Her once happy face had grown pale, and there were dark bags under her eyes like she hadn't had enough sleep for a while now. Concern etched deep lines on Cassandra's forehead, and her voice trembled as she asked,

"Elaine, how have you been? You seem... different."

Elaine's smile wavered for a moment, and her gaze dropped to the floor.

“I knew you would pick up in an instant” Cassandra knew Elaine like the palm of her hand and could easily tell when something was bothering her.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

"Oh, Cassandra," Elaine sighed, her voice tinged with sadness. "I wish I could say everything was fine, but the truth is, I've been diagnosed with cancer."

Cassandra felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving her gasping for breath. Cancer—a word laden with fear, uncertainty, and pain. The weight of the revelation bore down on her, threatening to crush her spirit.

“What?

How?

When?

What the hell?

Tell me it is not that severe and we can do something about it?” she asked with pleading eyes. Cassandra knew exactly how serious Cancer was when it got to certain stage and she was already scared for her dear friend.

Tears streamed down Cassandra's face, and she reached out to hold Elaine's trembling hands.

"Oh dear," she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and love.

From Elaine’s silence, she could tell that it was severe.

"I can't imagine how you feel right now, it must be hard for you” She pulled her into a tight embrace, they two were so occupied in their discussion that Elaine had forgotten to invite her into the house.

“I want you to know that I am here for you, every step of the way. Your strength has always been an inspiration to me, and I will be with you through this difficult journey.

You are going to get treatment right?" She asked.

“Yes” Elaine nodded. Saying No meant she was going to be scolded by her and then forced to take her treatment seriously, Elaine didn't have the guts to tell her that she didn't believe in the treatment when she had already gotten to her worst stage.

Elaine's eyes shimmered with gratitude and vulnerability. She squeezed Cassandra's hands gently, finding solace in their unwavering bond.

"Thank you, Cassandra," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Having you by my side means more to me than words can express. There will be tough times ahead, but with your support, I know I can face them head-on."

Their friendship had weathered storms before, and with love and compassion, it would withstand this new challenge.

As they embraced once more, Cassandra felt a renewed sense of purpose. She would be the rock that Elaine could lean on, the shoulder to cry on, and the source of unwavering support. Together, they would navigate the path of uncertainty, finding strength in each other's presence.

After hours of discussing with each other, Cassandra returned home leaving Elaine behind.

The next morning,

Elaine and Richard were out on their different destination leaving behind Mary. Elaine had gone to buy some groceries so Mary had to make with whatever she saw in the kitchen.

The sun had disappeared from the sky as Mary sat down at her kitchen table, sipping her tea. Enjoying the quietness around her she close her eyes after a sip when the buzzing sound of her phone startled her. Mary's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the familiar tone of the family doctor's office calling. She instinctively knew that this call carried grave news.

With a trembling hand, she picked up the receiver and pressed it against her ear. "Hello?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Mrs. Lyon, this is Dr. Thompson from the Family Medical Center," came the somber voice on the other end.

"I'm afraid I have some distressing news to share with you."

Mary's heart sank, and her mind raced through a myriad of possibilities. She feared the worst, but she braced herself for what the doctor was about to reveal.

"It's about your daughter-in-law, Elaine," Dr. Thompson continued gently. "From her previous check up, I have informed her to invite the family over but I guess she had forgotten. I'm sorry to inform you that Elaine has been diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer."

Mary was so shocked that she couldn't utter a word.

“Mrs Lyon?”

“Uh..mm..m Yes” she structured.

“Did you hear me?” he asked.

"How... how long does she have?" Mary managed to ask.

There was a brief pause on the line, as if Dr. Thompson was carefully choosing his words. "I'm afraid it's not good news, Mrs. Lyon," he finally replied, his voice laden with sympathy. "Given the aggressive nature of the cancer and its advanced stage, the prognosis is approximately one year."

“Did you just say a year?” she asked.

“Yes, are you sure she hasn’t told you anything about this?” he asked expecting that such news should be shared among family members.

Taking a deep breath, Mary steadied herself and asked, "Dr. Thompson, what are the next steps? What can we do?"

The doctor explained the available treatment options, the importance of seeking specialized care, and the need for Elaine to make decisions about her treatment and quality of life. Mary listened attentively, her mind racing with questions and concerns.

After bidding farewell to the doctor, Mary remained seated at the table, her mind went haywire just thinking about it.

“Elaine has cancer” she uttered in shock once again.

Elaine returned from buying groceries to see Mary seated in the living room,

“Mother, you must be hungry, I will make a meal for you immediately” she said.

“We need to talk Elaine”

Not once has Elaine seen her look so serious so she wondered what could be the problem.

“I didn't mean to stay long at the market” she tried to explain herself knowing Mary had been waiting long for her to get back and make her meal.

“Drop the groceries in the kitchen and come out lets talk” Mary ordered.

She quickly heeded to her words and came out of the kitchen in a minute.

As Elaine entered the room, her face pale and tired. Mary’s eyes locked onto Elaine, who seemed oblivious to the tension that filled the air.

"I just got a call from Dr Thompson and he told me a disturbing news.I can't believe you never told us about your illness. How could you keep something like this from us?" she asked.

Elaine's eyes widened in surprise, and she stammered, searching for the right words. "Mother, I... I didn't want to burden you and Richard with my problems. I thought I could handle it on my own, and I didn't want to worry you both."

”So you mean you haven't told Richard about it, you kept such a news from him” Mary yelled at her.

”I didn't want to bother him with a thing like that” she explained.

“Can you hear yourself, you know such a news from your husband, from your family. What the hell is wrong with you?” Mary asked.

Elaine just stood there quiet, it was not like she hadn't tried to tell Richard about it but she just wasn't given an opportunity.

“How the hell am I supposed to tell him that I have cancer and I am left with one year to live” she demanded.

“You have cancer?” a voice said and Elaine instantly froze.

“Answer me” the voice repeated.

Elaine slowly turned to see Richard standing behind her with his jacket in his hand. His bag had already dropped to the ground and she could tell it was from shock.

“Yes and the doctor said I had about a year to live” she summed up courage to answer him just to see his reaction.

“Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?” he said recalling the discussion she tried to have with him but he dismissed her.

“Yes, I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen to me.” she said.

“Okay” he responded and then turned to leave.

The screeching sound of a car could be heard as he drove out through the gate.

Elaine stood there stunned that he would turn his back on her at a time like that.