Yet, Marley persisted, her words dripping with cruelty.

"That's a lie. Sooner or later, she will abandon you. No one can endure your presence. You are a devil! No one loves you. Can't you see the pain you inflict upon her? One day, she will leave you!"

This time, Theodore chose silence. Slowly, he rose from the wheelchair and made his way, one deliberate step at a time, towards the head of the bed. Marley trailed behind him, speaking resentfully.

"You should have died in that car accident. Why are you still alive? Everyone who crosses your path deserves death. You fall in love with her, but she too shall meet a wretched demise!"

Theodore paid no heed to her venomous words, refusing to turn back. With trembling hands, he retrieved a bottle of medicine from the bedside table, withdrew two pills, and swallowed them without hesitation.