When he finally left, I dialed for help through the searing pain.
When the ambulance arrived, I dragged myself from the bedroom to the stairs, only to hear the man downstairs telling the medics, “This is just a misunderstanding. My wife and I were playing around. Who knew she’d be so dramatic and accidentally called you? Sorry for the trouble.”
Although I no longer had any expectations of Jeremiah, I still felt disappointed when I heard him say that.
When I woke, I found myself locked in the basement. Jeremiah came to see me.
“If you’re willing to go apologize to Margaret, I’ll let you out,” he said.“You know, she donated a kidney to me and is my lifesaver. You should be more considerate."
I was a little confused. When did Margaret also donate a kidney to Jeremiah?
But the pain of the burn and the fatigue of being locked in the basement quickly distracted me.
My eyes were hollow, and I nodded. “Okay.”
Once released, I forced out a sincere apology to Margaret. Jeremiah, satisfied with my compliance, kindly allowed me to be sent to the hospital.
After waking from surgery, I reached for the phone beside me and made a call.