I only told him this when Isaac was waiting for me to back down.
"Isaac, didn't we break up?" I said on the other end of the phone.
After a few seconds of silence, Isaac's voice rose and he yelled at me. "Anna, you really think you're something?!"
"You think I really wanted to call you? If it weren't for Alma—"
I cut off, "Then don't call."
I already guessed what Isaac was going to say. He was going to say that even this call was because Alma persuaded him.
He'd already given me a way out and I had to do as he asked. If I didn't take the bait, I'd be ungrateful.
But I didn't want to back down anymore.
I told Isaac, "I don't care what you and Alma do. I just want to tell you, Isaac, we've broken up."
That day, my stomach hurt so badly I curled up in bed, begging Isaac to take me to the hospital. I was trembling with pain, my face pale, clutching Isaac's hand, pleading with him to take me.
Isaac agreed.
He hurriedly found my medical insurance card, grabbed his coat and was about to carry me out when he suddenly received a call from Alma.
“Isaac, what do we do? Grandma’s gone again!”
“What if something happens to her? What if she dies, Isaac?”
“Isaac, I’m scared. Can you come stay with me?”