His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 146: Desperation and Hope

"Okay, thanks, doctor."

Iris left the doctor's office.

She took a deep breath outside Keith's hospital room, pulling herself together. Right when she reached for the door, she heard Ethan's voice.

"Yeah, I need to sell the house. When can you come check it out? Alright..."

Iris froze. She threw the door open, making Ethan jump to his feet. He stared at her, nervous and wide-eyed.

Ethan looked stunned. "Iris..."

"If you sell the house, where are you gonna live?" Iris marched over, snatched the phone from Ethan's hand and hung up. She spoke firmly, every word sharp. "You already sold your shop. You can't sell the house either. The second-hand market's terrible right now. Walk-up apartments hold little value. If you sell it, where are Emily and Frank gonna stay?"

Ethan didn't want to wake Keith. He pulled Iris out into the hallway. His face was worn, even thinner than before, covered in stubble and his eyes bloodshot. He spoke helplessly. "We can rent a place. But we can't give up on Dad. The doctor said the surgery went well. He's got an 80% chance to live five more years. We can't quit now."

Iris's voice turned serious. "I told you, I'll handle Dad's medical bills. You don't have to worry about it."

"Your company's struggling. And now you're getting divorced from Julian. Where are you gonna get the cash?"

"I'm the boss of a company. Even if I have to take out a loan, I can get the money. Either way, you ain't selling the house."

"If we sell it now, we can buy another one when we're back on our feet. But if you take a loan, you'll be stuck with interest and debt. You..." Ethan's voice cracked.

Iris took his hand, helpless but firm. "Ethan, can you think about Mom and Emily? You can't sell the house."

Ethan pulled her hand away. "I've made up my mind."

Iris rubbed her forehead, a throbbing pain in her temples.

She knew Emily too well.

Selling the house would destroy everything. She couldn't let Ethan take that risk.

Ethan wouldn't budge. He told Iris to stay at the hospital with Keith while he went home.

The truth always comes out.

Grace and Emily found out about Keith's cancer, all because Ethan was selling the house.

Grace cried nonstop, and Emily flipped out.

The house turned into a mess. Ethan took all the blame, carrying all the pressure. He sold the house for just 350 thousand, the lowest price he could get.

For the next week, Iris stayed by Keith's bed and took care of him.

Keith woke up, and he got better every day.

Ethan never came back. His phone was always off.

Grace would bring Frank to visit. But when Iris asked about Ethan, Grace just shook her head. She hadn't seen Ethan or Emily in days.

Iris borrowed money from her company's account and paid off all the hospital bills.

That week, she kept her phone on day and night.

Julian never called.

On the last day of June, Iris remembered the divorce court date was the next day. She needed time to get ready.

She called Ethan again. This time, someone picked up.

But it wasn't Ethan. It was a police officer.

"Ethan is trying to jump off a building. You're his sister, right? Hurry to the top of Moon Building."

When she heard that, Iris went ice cold. Her mind went blank, and she started shaking all over.

She handed Keith over to the nurse and then raced to the scene, panic taking over.

Iris was out of breath, shaking so hard she could barely stand. She stood next to the police, staring at Ethan's back as he sat on the roof edge. Her heart felt like it was gone, filled with fear she couldn't put into words.

"Ethan." Iris's eyes were full of tears. She called him as soft as she could.

Ethan turned around.

In ten days, he'd lost so much weight that he barely looked like himself. He was haggard, his eyes red and empty, tears streaming down. A heavy sadness hung over him.

When he saw Iris, Ethan's composure broke.

He looked down at the ground below, leaning forward like he was gonna jump.

The police tensed up, ready to move.

"Ethan, don't!" Iris yelled. The next second, her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees, crying. "What's wrong? Where have you been? Did something happen? Tell me, we'll fix it together. You can't die. What will we do without you? Mom and Dad are too old—they can't lose you. Frank's still little; he needs his dad. I need my brother too..."

By the end, she was sobbing so hard she could barely talk.

Ethan covered his face with his hands, tears pouring through his fingers. He cried in ragged gasps, so much pain it looked like he was dying.

The police and firefighters inched closer, waiting for their chance.

Ethan screamed through his tears, "Iris, I'm so sorry. Sorry to you, sorry to Mom and Dad, sorry to Frank. I'll pay you back in the next life. I can never make it right in this one. I'm just a burden to all of you. Only if I die can I pay off these debts. Iris, I'm sorry. Take care of Mom, Dad, and Frank. I'll make it up to you in the next life."

Ethan leaned forward again. The firefighters didn't have time to stop him.

"Ethan." Iris stood up, walking to the other side of the roof. "If you jump, I jump too. We'll die together."