PART 1
“The doctor gave him three days,” Amber whispered near the hospital bed. “Finally. As soon as he dies, the house, the bank accounts, and the company will belong to me.”
“And I will keep the sports coupe,” replied Ruby, her daughter. “I can already picture myself driving it all the way to Miami.”
Calvin Buffington lay completely motionless, keeping his eyes shut while his breathing remained heavy. The powerful painkillers allowed him to feign deep sleep, yet he heard every single word spoken beside him. At sixty-six years old, he had built one of the most prominent landscaping and plant nursery enterprises in Atlanta entirely from scratch. Forty years earlier, he possessed only an old rusty pickup truck, a few basic hand tools, and Barbara, his late first wife, who had sold her personal jewelry just to buy their very first batch of saplings.
Together, they had also lovingly restored a classic 1967 Ford Mustang, painted ivory white with original cream leather seats inside. Barbara always told him that old automobiles possessed a genuine soul as long as someone cared for them with true love. When she passed away nine years ago, Calvin left the vintage vehicle covered in the garage for nearly two solid years. Sitting behind its wheel felt exactly like hearing her bright laughter echoed throughout the quiet space.
Later in life, he met Amber during a charity fundraising dinner. She appeared kind, attentive, and frequently expressed deep admiration for hardworking men. They married just a year later, and her grown daughter, Ruby, quickly entered his life by constantly asking for financial assistance with unpaid credit cards, luxury vacations, and failed business attempts. Calvin paid every bill to avoid heated arguments, foolishly convincing himself that he was building a real family.
Until that painful afternoon spent inside the medical clinic.
The original scan had revealed an unusual mass on his liver, accompanied by a very severe internal infection. Dr. Robert Gable remained cautious when delivering the news to the family.
“We need to perform a complete biopsy right away,” Dr. Gable explained. “It could certainly be serious, but I am not willing to give an official diagnosis without proper laboratory results.”
“Just speak clearly to us,” Amber demanded firmly. “Can he actually die this week?”
“In the worst scenario possible, his overall condition could deteriorate within a few days,” Dr. Gable admitted softly.
As soon as the physician left the room, Amber smiled softly to herself. She gently straightened Calvin’s bedsheet, smoothed his forehead, and uttered the cold phrase that ultimately broke his heart inside. Later on, she and Ruby stood right outside in the hallway, openly discussing selling his private apartments, discarding Barbara’s old antique sofa, and planning a cheap funeral service. Calvin gritted his teeth until his jaws began to ache terribly.
When evening fell, Elias Herrick arrived at the hospital room. He was Calvin’s trusted driver of thirty years and a loyal friend who had stayed by his side when Barbara passed away. He carried a hot thermos of homemade soup sent directly by his wife.
Calvin immediately confided everything to his old friend.
“Let us get a proper second medical opinion first,” Elias suggested calmly. “My own brother-in-law was once given a terminal diagnosis over a dark spot on his organ, and it turned out to be nothing more than an abscess. I personally know a great specialist practicing over in Nashville.”
