02
I gave him a cold smile and kept walking, not giving him the time of day.
Ethan froze, clearly not understanding why I wasn’t acknowledging his pleading look.
After all, women like me were supposed to be soft, right?
The ones you could charm with a few tears.
He bit his lip and, with a voice full of emotion, said, “Miss, could you spare me some cash for
the registration fee?”
- in.
His voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet corridor, it was enough to grab everyone’s attention.
People exchanged glances, and before long, all eyes were on me.
I acted like I didn’t hear him, keeping my pace steady as I walked ahead.
Ethan, now in full panic mode, raised his voice.
“The lady in the purple jacket, please, have a heart and help me out.”
I glanced at my jacket, shrugged it off, and hugged it close to my chest.
Then I kept walking, not a care in the world.
Ethan didn’t expect me to be so cold. Looking around, he saw no one else was going to step
So he stubbornly hobbled after me, keeping his limp as he trailed behind.
He had it in his mind that I was his only shot.
face.
Finally, he limped in front of me, gritting his teeth from the pain, and sweat pouring down his
He was shaking like a leaf, and his voice barely made it out.
“Miss, I know you don’t want to get involved with someone like me but look at me! You can’t just walk away.
A few bucks is nothing for you, right? Please, show some kindness, and I’ll make it up to you. Wait, scratch that, I promise you won’t ever see me again.”
I scoffed. His promises were empty; he wouldn’t be able to keep a single one.
Whether it was making it up to me or staying out of my life, neither was happening.
A middle–aged guy sitting nearby overheard Ethan’s words and clicked his tongue, then turned to me.
“Girl, you’ve got no heart. He’s begging you, and all you’ve got to do is spare a few bucks. Look at all the designer stuff you’re wearing. You really can’t help him out with that?”
I sized up the man who’d spoken, “You seem like you’ve got money. How about you pay?”
The man let out a “hey,” but didn’t say anything.
I rolled my eyes and turned to walk away.
Ethan quickly blocked me, then, out of nowhere, dropped to his knees.
“Miss, I can tell you’re a good person. If you let me bow to you, I’ll forever be grateful.”
I quickly stepped aside, and the middle–aged man ended up kneeling instead. Both of them were caught off guard.
D
“Come on, man, he’s already on his knees for you. You can’t just let her pay?” I started.
The man didn’t react right away, so I spoke again, “You’ve got a saint’s face. I swear, saving a life is better than building a temple. It’s only a few bucks, and that belt of yours? Must be worth thousands. Surely, you can spare a little, right?”
- me.
The man’s face twitched a couple of times, and he glared at me like he wanted to strale
Ethan stared at me, clearly unsure what to make of this.
He probably didn’t expect me to be so stubborn.
I shot him a look.
“What are you looking at? You’re the one begging. Didn’t you hear him? I’m heartless. But he’s got a good heart. If you want help, go beg him.”
Ethan looked at the man, and like someone desperately clutching at straws, he started
bowing.
The middle–aged man’s face grew darker, and he stood up, spitting on the ground. Guess he didn’t want to lose face in front of everyone.
“It’s just a few bucks, right? Fine, wait here. I’m not like some people who have no
conscience!”
With that, he stood up and walked toward the registration desk.
Ethan’s face lit up with hope, but when he turned back to me, his eyes were cold, almost like
he was looking at an enemy.
I couldn’t help but smirk and pointed him in the wrong direction.
“Didn’t
you notice? He’s not actually going to register you.”
If the hospital had rules, they must have made sense.
And the man knew that too.
So while he pretended to go to the registration desk, he didn’t ask for Ethan’s ID. He hung around for a bit, then bolted out of the hospital.
Normally, I would have thought less of someone like him, a “runner.”
