He Thought I Was Dying, Now He’s Insane

I walked out of the hospital clutching the test report, my expression grim. My fiancé glanced at the report and immediately spotted the three letters that seemed to jump off the page: ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He said nothing. But when we got home, he prepared a table filled with all my favorite dishes. After we finished eating, he looked at me solemnly. "Alice, there's no cure for this disease. My company has only just gotten off the ground. It would be incredibly difficult for me to take care of you after we get married, and I can't bear to watch you become completely disabled." He paused before continuing, "Let's call off the engagement." I froze, staring at him blankly. He went on, his voice gentle and sincere. "If I were the one who was sick, I'd support you in calling off the engagement, too. I would never ask you to throw away your bright future because of me. Alice, I hope you can understand." Of course, I understood him. So I nodded. "Okay. Let's call off the engagement, then." He seemed relieved. But there was one thing he had gotten terribly wrong. I wasn't the one who was sick. ***** Recently, both Ralph Brown and I have been feeling under the weather. Since neither of us had gotten our annual physical yet, we decided to go to the hospital together for a check-up. When the test results came back, the doctor looked solemn and asked me to come into his office alone. "Miss Harris, you're Mister Brown's next of kin, correct?" I nodded. "According to the test results, your fiancé has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." A loud buzz filled my ears. We were supposed to get married in a week. "Doctor, we'll cooperate fully with the treatment. Money is no object. Please do everything you can to slow the progression of the disease and help him maintain the best quality of life possible for as long as he can." I was on the verge of tears. Even after I walked out of the office clutching the report, my entire body was still trembling. I tried my best to keep my expression neutral, but Ralph immediately noticed that something was wrong. His gaze fell onto the report in my hand. I quickly stuffed it into my bag. Ralph acted as though he hadn't seen anything. He simply smiled, pulled me into his arms, and said, "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home. I'll make you something delicious." When we got home, I sat at the dining table, which was laden with all my favorite dishes. The thought of Ralph gradually losing his motor functions over the next few years, eventually becoming bedridden and unable to care for himself, made my eyes burn. I couldn't hold back my tears. They spilled down my cheeks right in front of him. Ralph gently wiped them away. "It's all right. Let's eat first." I thought he already knew. After dinner, we sat in silence for a long time. Then Ralph suddenly spoke. "Alice, let's call off the engagement." I burst into tears. "No! The doctor said treatment can slow the progression. We can fight this together!" “But what happens after we get married? My company has only just gotten off the ground. I can't simply step away from it—" I cut him off, grabbed his hand, and spoke through my sobs. "It's okay. I can hire people to help manage the company. My parents will help with the medical bills, too. We'll find the best doctors and—" "That's my company!" His voice suddenly hardened. "It's still in its early stages, and I'm not going to hand it over to someone else. After we get married, I'd barely be able to take care of you, and I can't bear to watch you slowly lose the ability to take care of yourself." I stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" "If it were me who was sick, I'd support you in calling off the engagement, too. I wouldn't want your entire life ruined because of me. Alice, I hope you'll understand." And then I realized... He hadn't actually read the name on the report. He thought I was the one with ALS. I quietly pulled my hand away from his. My tears stopped. Just like that, I understood what it meant to fall out of love with someone. "All right," I said quietly. "I understand. I agree to call off the engagement."