I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 22

“A welcome gift.” 

I blinked, looking from the pendant to Uncle Julian. He had already closed his eyes again, showing no intention of speaking further. But as my fingers traced the jade, it felt warm to the touch. He must have been holding it for a long time, unsure of how to give it to me. 

A sourness pricked my nose. I looked down at the pendant in my hand; its color and clarity marked it as a top–quality piece. 

Growing up, besides my mother, very few people had ever shown me genuine affection. Yet, from this quiet, world–weary uncle, I felt a flicker of warmth, of family. His life seemed even more difficult than mine, yet he had given me something so valuable as a welcome gift. 

When I got back to Rachel’s apartment, she wasn’t home yet, so I flopped onto the bed and let my thoughts drift to Uncle Julian. His heart condition was severe, but there was no one around to look after him. I suspected that, like my mother, he had severed ties with my grandfather. Learning of my mother’s death had been a massive blow; it was clear he cared for her, and he wasn’t unkind to me, either. I couldn’t just stand by and watch him repeat the past, dying so young. 

The problem was, heart surgery was incredibly expensive. My job application had been torpedoed by Steven, and now I was unemployed. Where was I going to get that kind of money? 

My father would never give it to me. The only reason he’d given me money this time was because I’d used Steven’s mother as an excuse. He wouldn’t have parted with a single cent if I were starving or dying. Besides, he held a deep grudge against my mother’s family after years of being looked down on by my grandfather. Now that Uncle Julian was in trouble, he’d be more likely to gloat than to help. 

Wait. A sudden idea struck me. I grabbed my phone and dialed Steven’s number, planning to arrange a meeting for the next day. I’d been married to him for a year. If there was no credit, there was at least hard work, right? He’d eaten meals I’d cooked for an entire year. It wasn’t unreasonable to ask for enough money to cover Uncle Julian’s surgery as my severance pay. 

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