"I like it." I nodded obediently. "Thank you, honey."
On the way home, I brought it up casually: "Oh right, I noticed my medicine seems a little off."
Derek's hand trembled on the steering wheel. "How so?"
"The color seems lighter." I tilted my head to look at him. "Did the doctor switch to a new one?"
"Maybe." His eyes flickered. "Did the doctor say anything?"
"No."
He let out a breath.
I knew he'd swapped my hemostatic medicine for vitamins. One more bleed, and I'd die from blood loss. Then he could take the policy and collect.
That night, Derek took a phone call. His face went ugly fast.
"What? Still need thirty thousand?" A pause. "Didn't I just pay it back last month?" Another pause. "Fine, fine, fine. I got it."
He hung up and viciously stubbed out his cigarette.
I pretended to ask casually, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He brushed it off.
"Are you short on money?" I hesitated. "How about... I ask my brother?"
Derek's eyes lit up. "Ryan? Hasn't he always been doing badly?"
"Recently he made some money in business," I said softly. "He mentioned taking me to invest—guaranteed profit, no loss."
"Invest?" Derek perked up immediately. "What kind of investment?"