Boyfriend’
Boyfriend’ 1

After receiving the news of Marleen’s leukemia diagnosis, I went to the hospital.

Through the door, I saw my boyfriend Alfred Walker embracing her, crying like a child. Standing at the doorway, I felt a pang in my heart.

Alfred and I have been in love for five years, met each other’s parents, and were planning to get married one month later. But all along, I felt that there was always a thin veil between us… like two parallel lines that seemed very close, yet never intersected.

I knew he had liked Marleen since college. He pursued her for a long time until she went abroad for studies, ending their relationship.

I once asked him if he could forget her. He said, “Marleen is the most beautiful memory of my youth. I won’t forget her; I’ll cherish that memory.”

And I, I would be the one to spend the rest of my life with him.

I always took his words as a promise.

I composed my chaotic thoughts and told myself that Marleen was a patient; I needed to be more forgiving and not sweat the small stuff. Alfred was just visiting her as a classmate.

After preparing myself mentally, I pushed open the door of Marlene’s home and walked in, placing the fruits, flowers, and nutritional supplements on her bed.

Alfred glanced at the gifts I brought, his face looking displeased, with a tone of annoyance and reproach: “Laraine, don’t you know Marleen can’t eat mangos? Did you do it on purpose?”

Feeling a bit wronged by his accusation of being “on purpose,” I was at a loss but still apologized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Throw them out!” Alfred said coldly.

I stood there, unmoving, as he walked over and threw everything I brought to the corridor outside the room.

“There’s something we need to discuss,” Alfred said.

“Marleen doesn’t have much time left, and she wants a wedding of her own.”

My mind exploded with a resounding “boom.” A wedding of her own? What did that mean?

“Laraine, you won’t blame me, right?” Marleen said tearfully, looking at me with eyes full of sorrow. She explained it was a promise between her and Alfred.

Alfred told me that he had thought it over. The wedding next month would proceed as planned, but the bride would be Marleen, not me. He asked me to be tolerant and consider the bigger picture.

Marleen clutched my arm weakly, calling my name and hoping I would fulfill their wish. She added that as a dying person, she wouldn’t compete with me for Alfred.

My head buzzed and my heart was in chaos. How could marriage, a major life event, be treated so lightly?

I voiced my objection, only to be harshly reprimanded by Alfred. He took the moral high ground, scolding me for my lack of compassion and calling me a jealous woman.