The Boy Who Tattooed My Name on His Chest novel Chapter 27

"Not as I think? Are you saying that what I saw with my own eyes isn't real, and what I heard with my own ears isn’t real either?"

"Luke, you said you wouldn't lie to me..."

At this point, Gina suddenly felt like everything was pointless. She tried to calm herself and face it all.

"I've already decided. I will move out tomorrow."

For so many years, she had been living alone. Now, it was as if she was just returning to square one.

Across from her, Luke was silent for a long time, before suddenly giving a bitter smile.

"I didn’t want to tell you this, but now it seems I can’t hide it any longer."

He took a piece of paper out of his bag and handed it to Gina.

Gina froze, slowly taking the paper and opening it. It was a hospital diagnostic record.

Luke, male, 22 years old, has an unknown shadow in the frontal brain… surgery is recommended as soon as possible.

Before Gina could recover from her daze, Luke’s voice sounded above her head again.

"Malignant brain tumor! The reason I was with Zoe was indeed for money. I didn’t want to burden you."

Gina suddenly raised her head to look at him, her eyes full of disbelief.

She knew every word on the paper, and she could hear every word he spoke clearly.

But at that moment, she felt like she had lost the ability to think.

Gina opened her mouth, but her throat seemed full of thorns, making it impossible for her to speak.

"Sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t keep our promise and lied to you."

Luke stepped forward, embracing her, his drenched body pressing against hers, gently stroking her back.

"I didn’t mean to hide it from you, I just… didn’t know how to tell you."

Gina instinctively wanted to return his embrace, but then something seemed to flash in her mind, and her hand froze in midair.

"Since you’ve decided, why not lie to me completely?"

And since you’ve decided not to burden me, why bring it up now?

Luke held her tighter, his voice growing firmer: "Because I can't accept the consequence of losing you."

Gina was silent for a long time before asking: "Is that true?"

Luke paused and sighed deeply: "It’s my fault. Zoe promised me that as long as I agreed to her conditions, she would help pay for the surgery."

Luke was deeply asleep, while Gina remained wide awake.

After a long while, she quietly got up, walked to the living room, and took out a velvet box carefully stored in the corner of the cupboard.

Inside the box was a jade bracelet, clearly of considerable value.

It was the only keepsake her mother had left for her.

Even when she was so poor she could barely afford food, Gina never thought of selling the bracelet.

She gently stroked the bracelet, as though her mother’s lingering scent was still there.

On one hand, was the most important thing her mother had left her; on the other, was the life of Luke, who had always been by her side during her most difficult times.

She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and suddenly thought of her only high school friend.

The girl who had always supported her, no matter what decision she made, Lily.

Unfortunately, Lily Hardin’s life had been cut short at the age of eighteen due to depression.

If only she had noticed earlier, maybe Lily wouldn’t have died.

"Mom, Lily, I don’t want to owe anyone anymore. You’ll understand my decision, won’t you?"