If I Could

{44} - Elizabeth

"Yes, I was selling information to the press. But it's not because I want to, it's because I need to, Freddie. I have stage four pancreatic cancer. I need to pay for my useless treatment. Well, it would be rude to call the efforts to keep me alive 'useless' but that's what they are. And the press pays really well. I'm sorry, Freddie. I know you don't deserve this".

The entire house fell silent, the space filling with the sound of the birds chirping outside. Freddie started to shake uncontrollably, tears streaming down his cheeks. Freddie and Belle looked at each other in complete desolation, and Belle, who had always been really pale, looked even paler than usual.

"W-What? Why didn't you tell me?".

"I was still thinking about how I would tell you. My prognosis is bad, Freddie. I don't have many time left. But I'm still making an effort to stay alive because I want to be with Daisy. You have a daughter, I know you will understa-

"I do, I do". Nothing felt real to Freddie anymore. His future with Joe, which once seemed so solid, was crumbling to dust, together with his hopes and dreams. Tomorrow was never going to happen, at least not in the way he had imagined.

"I'm sorry, Joe. Is there anything we could do to help?", Belle asked after she had started to cry softly. She couldn't believe this was happening, she would have actually prefered to be disappointed in Joe rather than finding herself thinking about his death.

"Not really Belle, but thank you. I don't deserve any of your help after betraying you anyways". A few tears started to stream down his cheeks, but he tried not to cry any harder, in fact he was actually trying not to cry about his illness again. His life had been cut short. Why waste his remaining time crying about things that couldn't be changed, when he only just could try to enjoy life as much as he could? The outcome would still be the same.

"Don't say that, Joe. I'll admit it wasn't the best idea but truth be told I can't judge you for it at all. If I was in the same circumstances as you I would probably have done the same, I don't know. Despair is a powerful thing", Belle muttered, looking extremely downcast. Joe asked Freddie and Belle to sit in the living room so he could tell them everything about his disease, prognosis and treatment.

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After leaving Taylor Enterprises, Daisy began looking for a new job, but after her father's cancer diagnosis, she had to put her plans on hold and take care of him — but her savings wouldn't last forever so she had to find a new job quickly again, as fast as she could. One of her friends had adviced her to apply for this 'prestigious company with high pay and hot bosses', but Daisy never knew she was talking about Malek Corporation. Understandably, Daisy was in complete and utter shock when she opened her acceptance letter. It almost felt like she had gotten into her chosen college again. Well, she didn't really know how such an elegant and professional company resembled school but it was surreal, not only the idea of working again without having to follow Catherine's rules was surreal to her but working again with and for Rami Malek was even more exciting, because he probably was one of the reasons why she had not resigned earlier anyways.

Rami Malek was an enigma of all sorts, the wall he had built around himself was practically indestructible,leaving him shrouded in mystery. But working with Rami at Taylor Enterprises had allowed Daisy to see parts of the man that others longed to seek out, and maybe that would help now that she was his new secretary. Finally, after what felt like a thousand floors and a lot of surprised, flustered workers, Daisy twisted the doorknob of Rami's office and yet she didn't flip it completely because her nervousness didn't remind her to knock the door, instead she chose to press her ear against the door to get a hint of what Rami was doing. She didn't hear a thing, so she took a deep breath and knocked the door, and when Rami allowed anyone who was knocking to come in, Daisy pushed the door open completely, making her way into the room.