He Never Knew I Was Dying Novel by Gibsonnia _ Novel




He Never Knew I Was Dying Chapter 01

Brinley's POV
My ex-boyfriend Braxton chose his engagement party with Ariah at the hotel I worked as a waitress.
While I was serving dishes, a former classmate mocked me. "You dumped Braxton just to end up waiting tables here?"
All eyes in the ballroom turned toward me. Braxton glared at me, "Didn't you say back then that there was no future with a sickly guy like me? Do you regret it now?"
"Yes, I regret it." I said quietly, "Can I go now?"
I quickly left before he kept asking anything, I didn't have the energy to dwell on the past or debate who was right or wrong.
After all, my artificial heart wasn't going to last through the winter. 
I made a quick excuse about getting back to work and tried to leave.
But Braxton quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Brinley, didn't you say this back then?
"You said you'd definitely be at my wedding."
I lowered my eyes as a wave of bitterness surged within me.
I had only said those words back then because I was certain I would be the one marrying Braxton.
After we broke up, I did everything I could to avoid him. I never expected our paths to cross again – especially not at his engagement party.
Whispers began to buzz through the room.
"So she really is Mr. Pikholz's ex? I heard she only finished school because the Pikholz family paid for everything, then she dumped him the moment she graduated!"
An old classmate who knew our history dropped a curse word, "She's an ungrateful snake! Braxton had severe heart disease back then and needed a heart transplant. She was scared of being held back by him and walked out on the spot."
"No wonder she ended up like this. It's karma. She'd be better off dead."
Every insult and curse drifted toward me, hitting its mark.
A dull ache spread through my chest, making it harder and harder to breathe.
I looked up to see Ariah affectionately slip her arm through Braxton's. "Brax, don't be so hard on her. After all, we're all classmates."
She turned toward me, wearing a practiced air of generosity. "Brin, do us the honor? Stay and have a glass of champagne to celebrate our engagement."
"No, thank you. I really need to get back to work," I declined as politely as I could.
Picking up my tray, I tried to make a quick escape from the suffocating atmosphere.
But the moment I turned to leave, I heard Braxton's low, commanding voice. "Richard."
My manager, Richard Croston, came scurrying over, practically bowing in his haste to please him. "Mr. Pikholz, how can I help you?"
Braxton didn't even spare him a glance. His eyes remained fixed on me as he spoke with cold deliberation.
"This waitress is to serve the main table exclusively tonight. I'll pay triple her rate. However, if she's absent or doesn't meet my expectations, she loses her entire month's salary."
Richard didn't even bother to ask if I was willing; he simply nodded in frantic agreement.
I felt as if invisible ropes were tightening around me, pinning me in place.
Without that paycheck, I wouldn't be able to afford my medication next month.
I had no choice but to follow orders, trailing behind Braxton and Ariah as they made their rounds, toasting table after table.
Red wine, white wine, champagne – whatever Braxton handed me, I had to finish.
My stomach churned. The familiar ache began to throb in my chest.
"Mr. Pikholz, who's this?" one of the guests asked curiously.
Braxton pulled Ariah closer by the waist and glanced back at me with a cold smirk. "Just an ex who didn't know a good thing when she had it."
The entire table erupted into laughter.
I clenched my fists, a deep sense of desolation washing over me.
When we returned to the main table, there was no seat for me.
Braxton gestured for me to stand beside Ariah and issued a clipped command.
"Ari likes crab cakes; serve her that."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he leaned in close. His breath, laced with the smell of alcohol and mockery, brushed against my ear as he spoke in a voice meant only for me. "Brinley, if you hadn't walked out back then, you'd be the one sitting here. Too bad you never had the luck for it."
I numbly served some of the food onto Ariah's plate.
She took small, elegant bites before suddenly saying in a playful, coaxing voice, "Brax, I want some shrimp."
Braxton paused.
Memories flashed sharply through my mind.
I had once tried to playfully feed him a shrimp, and he had laughed, pulling away. "You eat it," he'd said. "I'm allergic. My hands start to itch the moment I even touch them."
He had never peeled a single shrimp for me.
Yet now, under everyone's watchful eyes, Braxton skillfully peeled the shrimp and gently placed them onto Ariah's plate.
Ariah smiled sweetly at the table. "Brax is always like this. He insists on peeling them for me himself every time, saying he doesn't trust anyone else to do it."
Braxton said nothing. He simply picked up another shrimp, peeled it, and dropped it into an empty dish.
Aidan Norrel, who had been on the same financial aid program as me years ago but now sported a noticeable paunch, raised his glass with an obsequious grin. "Mr. Pikholz, your devotion to Ms. Turford is truly moving! She is a world apart from certain other people. Even though she also comes from a humble background, she is kind, graceful, and genuinely grateful. It is no wonder she's finally found her perfect match in you."
"But others?" Aidan continued, his voice dropping to a pointed hiss. "They're all smiles and gratitude when they're receiving support, acting like they'd do anything for you. But the moment you fall ill, they turn cold and heartless without a second thought. It's truly pathetic."
Every word pierced me like a needle.
The long shift, combined with the alcohol I'd been forced to drink, left me pale and trembling violently. My vision began to dim, and I had to lean heavily against the table just to stay upright.
Braxton seemed to notice. He looked up at me with a frown, as if he were about to speak.
But Ariah's best friends shot me a look of pure disdain. "Mr. Pikholz, some people are just born drama queens. She's acting pitiful to fish for sympathy. If she weren't so manipulative, she wouldn't have dumped a seriously ill boyfriend."

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