Chapter 4

I put my phone down and looked out the window.

The sun was rising. Sometime during the night, someone had changed me into dry pajamas and applied burn ointment to my hands.

The bedroom door swung open.

"Sera, wake up!"

Chloe bounced over to my bed, grabbing my hand excitedly. "We're going to the amusement park today! It's been forever since we went out."

Julian followed her in, looking at her with an indulgent smile.

My body felt like it was on fire, and my throat was too raw to speak.

After a long pause, I rasped, "I have a fever."

Julian immediately touched my forehead. Concern flashed in his eyes. "Oh my god, you're burning up."

He turned to grab some fever reducers.

Beside him, Chloe pouted, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. "Sera, it's just a mild cold. You'll be fine once you take the pills."

"I checked online. The theme park has wheelchair access. If we bring you, we can use the priority lane. We won't even have to buy Fast Passes! It's such a good deal. Let's go, please?"

Her words unleashed the anger I had bottled up all night.

To her, my high fever and physical pain were nothing compared to skipping a line at an amusement park.

"Get out," I spat, my voice freezing cold. "If you want to go, go by yourselves."

Chloe, unused to me snapping at her, was stunned. Tears welled in her eyes. "Sera... I just wanted to make you happy."

Julian's heart clearly ached for her.

He sighed, bringing the medicine to my lips while supporting the back of my head. "Come on, Sera. Take the medicine. You'll feel better."

When I ignored him, he ignored my struggles, lifted me out of bed, placed me in the wheelchair, and wheeled me out of the apartment anyway.

I wrapped myself in a blanket, my head throbbing.

Julian pushed me from behind as they excitedly chatted about which rides to go on first.

The wheelchair access did mean we skipped the lines. Chloe cheered as she ran ahead, and Julian pushed me close behind.

The roller coasters, the drop towers, the carousel...

Chloe dragged Julian onto every single ride. I was left parked alone by the exit gates.

I watched them plunge from the peak of a roller coaster. Chloe screamed, throwing her hands in the air, while Julian laughed and wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

After every ride, they would run back to me.

"Sera, that was amazing!"

"What's next? Let me check the map."

"Julian, let's go to the Ferris wheel next!"

My body shivered with fever, and my eyes shut. I felt entirely dead inside.

Just then, a little boy ran over, staring at my wheelchair. "Hey, lady, what is that chair?"

Before I could speak, Chloe knelt down and smiled sweetly at the boy. "Hey there! This is a wheelchair. This lady's legs don't work anymore. She's disabled, so she can't stand up."