I Texted I Love You To My Guardian Uncle

My college psychology professor gave us an assignment: text your parents "I love you" and record their reaction. Since both of my parents died years ago, I took the chance to send it to Julian, my adoptive uncle and guardian. The chat window showed "typing..." on and off, but nothing came through for the longest time. Two hours later, he finally replied: [Don't start having thoughts you shouldn't have.] After that, he stripped away every bit of affection he had ever shown me. He blocked my number on Snapchat. He even told his assistant, Marcus, that he never wanted to hear another update about my life. The security guard at Vance Group blocked me from entering the building to see him. "Mr. Vance's orders, Hazel. You’re blacklisted. He said he’d rather let a stray dog in than you." Whenever I happened to cross his path, he would immediately turn around and walk away. This went on for six months, until I was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. 1 In my final days, just to stop him from treating me like a stranger, I agreed to go on a blind date with Tristan, a guy Julian had set me up with. For the first time in months, Julian spoke to me with a hint of gentleness. "How are things going with Tristan? Are you two planning the wedding yet?" "It’s going well." The tears in my eyes were threatening to spill over. I couldn't bear to ruin this rare, peaceful conversation, so I described the wedding of my dreams. "We’re planning it... The venue will be themed with lavender, my favorite. The ring will be a purple diamond, shaped like a lavender blossom..." The more he listened, the tighter his brows furrowed. Finally, as if he couldn't stand listening to me anymore, he cut me off. "As long as it's being planned. Just remember, Hazel, I will always be your uncle. We will always be family, and this place will always be your home." He looked around my room, which was already half-empty, and added, "Have you moved your things to Tristan’s place? That's fine. Whatever you left behind, I'll have someone buy you new ones..." A sharp, needle-like pain pierced my heart. I forced a smile and shook my head. "No need, Julian. I... probably won’t be coming back here to live anyway." Honestly, it wasn't that I wouldn't come back often. I was never coming back. And my bags weren't at Tristan's. They had already been shipped overseas. Dr. Miller had scheduled me with a lung cancer specialist in Switzerland. In three days, on the day of Julian’s wedding to his fiancée, Victoria, I would leave this place for good. Whether the surgery succeeded or failed, I would stay in Switzerland forever. Julian's face darkened slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something else. I spoke quickly before he could. "Julian, do you know what kind of flowers Victoria likes?" "Cherry blossoms," he replied instantly. Then, a look of suspicion crept into his eyes. "Why are you asking?" That look was like an icicle, freezing me to the core. He was probably worried that I would be childish again and do something to ruin things for his fiancée. I looked away, staring out the window at the lavender field in the yard—the one Julian had planted with his own hands years ago. My voice was so soft it almost drifted away in the wind. "I just wanted to get a wedding gift for you and Victoria." He waved his hand coldly. "Don't bother. She doesn't need anything." I lowered my head, a bitter smile forming on my lips. Right. I had forgotten again. Dr. Miller said the cancer had metastasized to my brain, and I would start forgetting things. I forgot that when I was a kid, Julian would do anything to make me happy, no matter how ridiculous my requests were. When I once said I wanted to see a real castle, he bought a plot of land in the suburbs and built a European-style estate just for me. I also forgot that I had seen what he looked like when he truly loved someone. With him around, Victoria obviously didn't need anything from me. I just... wanted to show a little gratitude for all the years he had raised me. We stood there in silence. The awkwardness stretched between us. The night wind blew in with a chill, making me shiver. Ever since I got sick, my body had become extremely sensitive to the cold. "Julian, I'm a bit tired. I'm going to head to bed." I turned around. I could feel his gaze heavy on my back until the bedroom door shut him out. When I woke up the next morning, my mind was a complete blank. I couldn't even remember what had happened yesterday. It wasn't until I checked my phone and saw the reminders—"Two days until departure" and "To-Do List for Today"—that I realized what I had to do. I finally hired workers to dig up that lavender field and replaced it with cherry blossom trees that were just about to bloom. In the afternoon, I took some heavy-duty cough suppressants before meeting Tristan. Since I had decided to leave, I shouldn't lead anyone on. I told him honestly about my diagnosis and my plan to go to Switzerland for treatment. Surprise flashed across Tristan’s eyes, quickly followed by genuine pity. "Does Julian... know about this?" I tried hard to recall, then shook my head. "Probably not. And... please don't tell him." Tristan promised to keep my secret. I pulled out a document and slid it across the table, asking him to take a look. When he opened it, shock was written all over his face. 2 "You're transferring all the shares your parents left you to Julian? Hazel, this is your inheritance!" I smiled faintly. "My parents left me a trust fund. It's more than enough to cover my medical bills." "I'm not coming back to this country." "Think of this as my way of thanking Julian for taking care of me all these years." "After all, I used to be so immature and caused him so much trouble." Human emotions are strange. Out of nowhere, a memory flashed in my mind. Six months ago, I was still heartbroken by Julian’s coldness. To get me to stop bothering him, he had said to me: "Hazel, can you have some self-respect? Stop clinging to me like a piece of cheap gum." Those words had cut like a knife back then. But remembering them now, I felt absolutely nothing. Maybe this sickness was taking away not just my memories, but also those intense feelings, the deep-seated pain... And my inappropriate, deep attachment to him. I looked at Tristan. "Julian's wedding is the day after tomorrow. He probably doesn't want to see me there. Could you do me a favor and give this to him after the ceremony?" This share transfer agreement was my second wedding gift to him. Tristan took the document and nodded solemnly. After thanking him, I went back to the Vance estate. The housekeeper, Martha, told me I had an international package. I opened it. It was a Swiss SIM card sent by Dr. Miller's contact. Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief I had never experienced before. For the next two days, I stayed in the villa, wanting to see Julian one last time before I left, just to say a proper goodbye. Maybe he was too busy with the wedding preparations. He didn't return until the night before the wedding—my very last night in this house. He looked exhausted. I was in my room, coughing so hard it felt like my lungs were about to tear apart. The loud noise naturally caught his attention. Panic seized me. I quickly threw a handful of cough suppressants into my mouth. But the moment Julian pushed my door open, I hacked up a mouthful of dark red blood. The white pills, mixed with blood, scattered all over the floor. 3 My heart hammered against my ribs, and my face went pale. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I had imagined a thousand times how Julian would react if he found out. But ever since I decided to go to Switzerland, I didn't want him to know. He couldn't cure me anyway. Knowing would just be another burden for him. I was frantically trying to think of an explanation. But he just curled his lips into a mocking sneer. "I thought you’d finally grown up, Hazel. But you're still using the same cheap tricks. Faking an illness?" I froze for a second, then forced a smile through the tears in my eyes. "You caught me, Julian. It’s just vitamins mixed with ketchup." His face grew even darker. He glanced at my thin frame, swallowed up by my oversized sweater, and frowned. "Is this house starving you? Do you really need to put on this act?" His eyes swept across the room. Because I had packed up most of my personal belongings, the room looked incredibly bare. "And why is this place so empty? It looks like no one lives here." My chest tightened. Avoiding his sharp gaze, my voice—hoarse from coughing up blood night and day—sounded dry. "You're getting married. Getting rid of old things makes room for new blessings." "I hope you and Victoria have a wonderful life together. A happy marriage and a big family." He let out a sarcastic laugh. "A wonderful life? A happy marriage?" "Are those really the only words you have for me right now?" Maybe because I used to care so much about his mood, I instantly picked up on his irritation. But I truly didn't understand what I had said wrong this time. Or maybe, just my sheer existence was enough to annoy him. If that was the case, he would be much happier after tomorrow. Because this would be the last time I ever stood in front of him. Tomorrow morning, when Julian left as a groom to pick up his bride, I would head to the airport and fly to Switzerland. I took a deep breath, looked up, and gave him my most sincere wish. "Julian, I hope you have a beautiful wedding." His brows drew together tightly, his eyes searching my face as if trying to catch some hidden motive. But my words were perfectly polite, and my expression was completely neutral. I didn't even wait for him to respond. I turned around and walked upstairs. The next morning, I woke up early and packed my last suitcase. Fortunately, my mind was incredibly clear today. I knew exactly what day it was—the day of my departure. Outside the villa, luxury cars were lined up. Billionaires and public figures who usually only appeared in Forbes were gathering. Reporters with cameras were crowding the gates, eager to cover the wedding of the century. I took my cough suppressants before stepping out of my room. The moment I walked out, I ran into Julian, who was wearing a custom-tailored tuxedo. He glanced at me, his face immediately clouding over. "Is that what you're wearing to my wedding?" A sharp pain hit my chest. I opened my mouth, but I didn't know how to explain that I wasn't going. Luckily, a voice from downstairs saved me. "Julian! The cars are ready. We need to leave now!" He pressed his lips into a thin line, gave me one last deep look, and said, "Go change into something decent." I gave a vague nod and watched him walk downstairs, surrounded by the crowd. I could faintly hear an elder laughing downstairs. "Why is the groom looking so serious? Aren't you happy to marry the girl of your dreams?" I couldn't hear the rest. But in my heart, I knew this was our final goodbye. I went back to my room, looked at the framed photo of my parents on the desk, and whispered, "Mom, Dad. Julian is getting married today. I saw his bride for you. She's beautiful, and they look great together..." I touched the frame, my voice cracking. "From now on, the three of us will be together forever." It was time. I stood by the window and watched Julian get into the lead wedding car. The convoy drove away amidst the loud cheers. The moment the villa fell completely silent, it felt like a piece of my heart had been carved out. But only for a second. I pulled myself together. Under the bewildered stares of the maids, I walked out carrying my parents' photo and my suitcase, and got into the private car I had called to take me to the airport. All along the highway, the giant LED screens on skyscrapers and billboards were broadcasting Julian and Victoria's wedding. I watched silently, my eyes dry and aching from the wind. When I arrived at the airport, I received a text from Tristan. It was a photo of the wedding venue. The entire place was decorated with purple lavenders, flower petals falling from above, purple diamonds... My heart stopped. It was almost identical to the dream wedding I had described to Julian a few days ago. Was it on purpose, or just a coincidence? But I quickly pushed the thought away. It didn't matter anymore. I was leaving. None of this had anything to do with me. The second photo was of the ceremony. Julian looked dashing in his black suit, and Victoria was stunning in her white gown. Tristan texted: [I’ll deliver your gift after the reception. Hazel, I hope your surgery goes well. Safe travels.] Even though the photo made a dull ache spread through my chest, I let out a long sigh of relief. At least the last family member I had in this world had found his happiness. I smiled and replied: [Thank you, Tristan. I hope you find your happiness soon, too.] I hit send and turned off my phone. A flight attendant walked by and handed me a small bag of wedding candies with a sweet smile. "Miss, today is the wedding of Mr. Vance of the Vance Group. These are being handed out to all passengers to share the joy." I stared at it. So, the entire city was celebrating his wedding... I thanked her softly, unwrapped a candy, and put it in my mouth. It was sweet. Exactly like the candies Julian used to drive across the city to buy for me when I was little. Except... this was probably the last one I'd ever have. As the plane started to taxi on the runway, I took out my phone and quickly typed out one last text to his Snapchat: [Julian, I was young and foolish, and I caused you a lot of trouble in the past.] [I'm gone now. Please forget about me completely. I wish you eternal happiness.] After sending it, I popped out my domestic SIM card, snapped it in half, and dropped it into the trash bag. Then, I slid the Swiss SIM card into the slot. "Ladies and gentlemen, our flight to Zurich is about to take off..." As the engines roared and the plane lifted into the air, I pulled down my eye mask. It blocked out the world outside, and hid the tears silently slipping down my cheeks. Thousands of miles would separate us now. We would probably never see each other again. This would be the last time I cried for the stubborn, foolish girl who loved him with everything she had. From now on, in sickness or in health, in joy or in sorrow, I would learn to love myself. I would never look back. Goodbye, Julian. Goodbye forever.