Chapter 85: PROM

It was prom night. I stared at the black tuxedo laid out on my bed, its fabric catching the faint glow of the bedside lamp. I didn’t even know why I had bothered to take it out. Maybe some part of me thought seeing it would change my mind. But now that it was staring back at me, it felt like a joke.

"You won, Ali... no prom," I muttered under my breath, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. Without another thought, I grabbed the tux and shoved it back into my closet, slamming the door harder than I meant to.

The morning had been a blur of silence. I’d visited my mom at the hospice, but neither of us said a word. She didn’t talk anymore, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything either. It felt like we were both waiting for something—maybe the end, maybe a miracle.

My phone buzzed on the bedside table. Ming’s name flashed on the screen. He had called yesterday, but I hadn’t been in the mood to answer. When I tried calling him back, it had gone straight to voicemail.