The Liar's Game

My name is Nancy Salk. Three months ago, my husband, Carson Leonard, passed away. He left suddenly, with late-stage liver cancer; from diagnosis to death was less than half a month. I stayed outside the ICU until the doctor removed his mask and said, "Sorry, we did everything we could." At that time, I didn't yet realize that this farewell was not an end, but the beginning of my descent into an abyss. Carson Leonard's funeral was simple; aside from a few distant relatives, almost no one came. He was no prominent figure, yet after his death, he left me with a staggering debt. When the lawyer placed a stack of IOUs before me, my fingertips went ice cold, and I could barely make out the words. "Mrs. Salk , Mr. Leonard borrowed over eight million during his life, and the creditors are pressing hard." I had been married to Carson Leonard for two years, and he never once mentioned borrowing money to me. All I knew was that he ran a small business, earning a modest income—enough for the three of us to live quietly and steadily. The "three" here includes the son he brought with him, Earl Leonard. Earl Leonard is sixteen years old, the child of Carson Leonard and his ex-wife. We weren't very close, but we lived together without conflict. Three days after Carson's death, Earl was diagnosed with leukemia. The doctor said chemotherapy had to start immediately, followed by a bone marrow transplant, with costs totaling at least two million. On one side was a massive debt; on the other, a stepson suffering from a terminal illness. I stood in the hospital corridor, gazing at the gray, overcast sky, feeling for the first time that life had reached a dead end. I used to be an actress, somewhat well-known. After marrying Carson Leonard, I quietly withdrew from the entertainment world and devoted myself to being a full-time housewife. Now, with nowhere left to turn, the only path I can think of is making a comeback. I reached out to my former agent, Chris. When Chris saw me, regret filled her eyes: "Nancy, you've been out of the spotlight for two years; the market has long since changed." I lowered my head, my voice hoarse: "Chris, I need money—the more, the better." "I don't care about the quality of the role; as long as they pay, I'll accept any part." Chris sighed and finally nodded. At first, I could only get small supporting roles, with few lines and barely any pay. After filming a rain scene all night, I held three thousand, unable to even afford a taxi to the hospital. Cramped on the bus, soaking wet and shivering from the cold, I clutched that stack of money tightly, thinking of Earl Leonard's medical bills. The pressure from debt collectors grew more intense, and the creditors began harassing me at my home. They sprayed graffiti on my front door, smashed things, and even threatened to take me to court. Earl Leonard's chemotherapy costs were like a bottomless pit, quickly exhausting the small savings I had. That day, looking at the numbers on the hospital bill, standing at the payment window, my mind went completely blank. As I passed the blood donation center at the end of the hospital corridor, my steps suddenly stopped. I went in and donated 400 milliliters of blood and received two hundred as compensation. Stepping out of the blood donation center, dizzy and lightheaded, yet feeling a little more at peace inside. In the days that followed, I became a frequent visitor to the blood donation center. The doctor warned me not to donate blood too often; my body would weaken. I smiled and nodded in agreement, but then turned around and walked back into the blood donation center once again. Compared to Earl Leonard's illness and the mountain of debt, my health was nothing. That day, I landed the third female lead in a low-budget web drama and earned fifty thousand in labor fees after filming. It was the largest sum of money I had received since my return. Clutching the money, I ran to the hospital, planning to pay part of the chemotherapy expenses first. Just as I reached the door of Earl Leonard's ward, I overheard the conversation inside. It was Carson Leonard's voice.