Chapter 35: Ansel has cancer
Hearing the call, both momentarily broke free from their train of thought. Simultaneously, they turned their gaze toward the girl who had just appeared.
“Please come into the doctor’s office to learn about the results and listen to the advice.” The nurse smiled and informed Ansel.
With a slight hesitation, Ansel remained seated in the chair. Meanwhile, Nika decisively stood up.
“Come on, Ansel. It’s time to find out who won and who lost,” Nika said, noticing Ansel’s dejected and reluctant expression and a hint of insecurity. Nika had to pull Ansel’s hand away to step into the doctor’s office.
“Hello, doctor. May I disturb you for a moment?” Nika politely spoke.
The doctor was looking at the test results when he raised his head. The doctor felt proud and surprised when he noticed Ansel, a celebrity in the business world and Brown’s only heir, visiting his hospital.
“Hello. Please have a seat, both of you,” the doctor said.
“How are Ansel’s medical examination results, doctor?” Nika, feeling impatient, immediately asked the question on behalf of Ansel as soon as they sat down.
“Ansel Brown. I have two pieces of news for you. One good news and one bad news.” The doctor entered a professional state and began to explain slowly. Somehow, looking at the doctor’s serious expression, Ansel suddenly felt tense.
“Please go ahead and tell me,” Ansel requested. The thrill made Ansel’s chest heave wildly.
“First the good news.” The doctor’s voice sounded quite bright: “You are fortunate to have come here before it’s too late.”
As soon as the doctor finished speaking, both Nika and Ansel fell into a state of shock. They exchanged glances, then turned their gaze back to the doctor, staring intently.
“What do you mean, Doctor?” Nika spoke up before Ansel. His voice carried a hint of concern.
“The bad news is that you have melanoma, a type of skin cancer.” The doctor announced the second news, replacing any further explanation. “And you need to have the cancer cells removed immediately.”
“Are you joking with me? I have cancer. It’s hard to believe,” Ansel said, after a moment of shock from the alarming news. He believed that this diagnosis was inaccurate.
“I’m sorry, but it’s not a joke. The test results confirm 100% that you have cancer,” the doctor firmly emphasized. “To ensure accurate results, we conducted three tests, and each one came back positive.”
Seeing Ansel’s skepticism, the doctor had a few soft words:
“If you do not trust our hospital, you can go to another medical facility for further testing. However, please note that doing so only takes time and incurs additional costs.” The doctor gently warned
“Let me make it clear to you: our hospital is a leading national cancer treatment center, and it ranks among the top in the world. There will be no errors in your test results,” the doctor added, addressing Ansel’s concerns.
The devastating news hit Ansel like a lightning bolt. The world seemed to crumble before his eyes. He felt his body become heavy and out of balance. Ansel would have nearly collapsed from his chair if it weren’t for Nika being by his side, helping him maintain his balance.
Knowing that Ansel was unable to ask questions at the moment, Nika did what needed to be done on Ansel’s behalf.
“The type of cancer that Ansel has-is it a serious condition, Doctor? Is it life-threatening?”
“It’s serious, but as I said before, luckily you caught it in time,” the doctor said calmly. “If you ignore it for another year or two, it could be fatal.”
They were suddenly enveloped in silence. A sense of darkness consumed Ansel, and Nika appeared equally affected. Oh, dear God, nobody could have predicted that Ansel would develop cancer. How could such a seemingly ordinary mole on the skin herald something so terrifying?
“I’m sorry for your situation. However, it’s not the end yet. What we need to do now is remove those malignant cells.” The doctor broke the silence. “Eliminate the harmful seeds before it’s too late.”
“Is everything going to be okay? I mean, was the surgery successful? And after removing the bad cells, will Ansel recover and be healthy again?” Nika asked worriedly, waiting for the doctor to answer.
“The indications suggest that the cancer cells are in the early stages of formation. With proper intervention to remove them, the patient can potentially return to their normal life,” the doctor emphasized once again. “It can be said that you are fortunate to have detected it early. Many cases cannot be cured due to patients being neglectful and underestimating small signs, leading to a late diagnosis.”
As Nika listened to the doctor, he suddenly remembered Erica and asked curiously:
“How can a disease be detected based solely on a mole? It sounds hard to believe.”
“Detecting cancer solely based on a mole on the skin is very difficult and not a common occurrence,” the doctor explained enthusiastically. “In Ansel’s case, detecting cancer based on the mole was a coincidence. Sometimes, if there are suspicious changes in the size, color, shape, or borders of a mole, patients may observe and notice those differences. And coming to the hospital for an examination is the right decision.”
“Ansel, you have great powers of observation.” The doctor turned to Ansel and praised him, saying, “And your decision to come here is wise. Trust me, your issue will be resolved soon, and you will be able to return to your normal life.”
With the doctor’s sure tone, Nika suddenly felt strangely relieved. As for Ansel, he still hasn’t recovered and isn’t in good spirits. Ansel still couldn’t accept the fact that he had cancer. Lost in his thoughts, he paid no attention to the brief conversation between Nika and the doctor.
“You can let us know whenever you’re ready for the surgery,” the doctor reminded Ansel, calling his attention.
“Ansel, did you hear what the doctor said?” Nika nudged Ansel’s arm when he noticed Ansel was distracted. The decision is in Ansel’s hands, so only Ansel can answer the doctor’s questions.
Ansel came out of her contemplation, looking confusedly at Nika and then at the doctor.
“When do you want surgery?” The doctor repeated the question.
“The sooner, the better,” Ansel said decisively, trying to control the negative emotions. “I want to get healthy again.”
“Okay, I get it.” The doctor nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll arrange the surgery for you.”
“Thanks,” Ansel managed to smile, expressing her gratitude. However, Ansel’s smile looked wry.
…
On the way back to the company from the hospital, Ansel and Nika were still in shock from the news they had received.
“Ansel, I can’t believe you have cancer! What on earth happened?” Nika couldn’t take it anymore and had to express her opinion: “This really shocked me.”
“I can’t believe it either.” Ansel sadly admitted, “I might die young.”
“Do you just need to undergo surgery to remove that mole, right?” Nika encouraged his friend in a formal tone.
“It seems so,” Ansel confirmed.
“Well, that’s good then. It’s truly fortunate that you listened to me,” Nika said with a bit of self-pride. “I’m the winner of the bet.”
“I owe you, Nika. I will be truly grateful and repay you in a deserving manner,” Ansel said with deep and sincere gratitude.
“Of course you should,” Nika replied.
Nika smiled brightly, feeling the joy of victory overpower the sadness upon hearing about Ansel’s cancer. Suddenly, Nika’s smile faded as he remembered something important.
“Wait a minute, did we forget something?”
“What do you mean?” Ansel asked curiously.
“The girl who tried to warn you about cancer.” Nika turned to Ansel, her tone serious. “She’s the one who saved you.”
Ansel is reminded of Erica. It’s true, just like Nika said. Ansel is very grateful to Erica.
“You’re right,” Ansel finally admitted.
“And yet you put her in jail,” Nika criticized harshly.
“I know I was wrong.” Ansel realized his mistake.
“Oh, Ansel, is that how you treat your savior? Is it too much? It’s even terrible!” Nika exclaimed.
“Enough, Nika, please stop,” Ansel pleaded.
“Are you feeling remorseful?” Nika probed as he noticed Ansel’s guilt-ridden expression.
“Yes, I am. But what can I do to change what has already happened?” Ansel helplessly said
“Think about apologizing and expressing gratitude to that girl once you recover,” Nika suggested.
“You’re right.”
“But first, we need to get her out of the police station. Ansel, you’re a miserable person. Why did you imprison a girl for such an unreasonable reason?” Nika still wasn’t satisfied and wanted to scold Ansel even more.
“I know I was wrong. Stop harping on it,” Ansel snapped.
“Then go there and demand her release,” Nika ordered.
“Please help me, Nika,” Ansel pleaded, looking at Nika with a desperate gaze.
“Oh, you’re such a coward, Ansel,” Nika mocked without hesitation.
“I’m just not ready to meet her, okay?” Ansel justifies: “Besides, this is an order from your boss. You should do it obediently.”
Ansel gave orders as a senior, which an employee like Nika couldn’t refuse.
“Okay.” Nika did not forget to remind Ansel, “You owe me again.”
“I know,” Ansel replied irritably, “you’re annoying.”
“What did you say?” Nika complained.
“Shut up and focus on your driving.” Ansel snapped, then turned to look out the window, ignoring Nika.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!