CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: HOW CAN I SHAVE MY HEAD BALD?

After starting chemotherapy, hair loss becomes quite severe.

Even most adults can’t handle this blow. Anna Thornton was worried that Pop would be scared seeing her own hair on the pillow, so she simply shaved all of her hair off.

She expected the child to be sad, but she didn’t anticipate that Pop would stay upset for so long.

The hair was shaved off last night by Anna while the little one was asleep.

As a result, when Pop woke up in the morning, her head felt cool, and she realized she had no hair. She cried a big, sad cry, and no matter how Anna coaxed her, she couldn’t cheer her up.

Later, after crying herself out, the little one hid under the blanket and refused to see anyone, even refusing to come out for breakfast and lunch.

Anna tried everything, and tempting with delicious food was already attempted.

The little one probably felt like she had turned into a little monster with nothing to look forward to, losing even the desire to eat.

Mary was afraid she’d suffocate, so she simply took away the blanket, leaving Pop without a place to hide.

Pop had no choice but to get up, stretching her short legs and sitting on the hospital bed, but still had her back to Anna, arms crossed over her chest, refusing any hugs, showing she was still angry!

And she was very angry!

Originally, such a young child hasn’t fully grown, looking soft and sweet, and now even without hair, she was all fair, tender, and round-headed, becoming a true little cream bun.

Mary looked at Pop’s puffed-up expression, feeling both heartache and an uncontrollable urge to laugh.

"Little Pop, how about you look at Aunt Mary? Let me tell you, you’re still young, your hair will grow back, no need to worry." Mary tried to comfort her with an adult’s mindset.

However, the little cream bun still refused to turn her head and ignored her.

Can’t you love being pretty just because you’re young?

How could there possibly be no worry?

"Oh dear, how can our little treasure endure such grievance!" Mary clutched her chest in heartache. "I hope this surgery goes smoothly, so Pop can get better soon and never have to suffer like this again."

"By the way, Anna, when is Pop’s surgery scheduled?" Mary asked Anna.

"In four days."

"Just four days, so why haven’t we seen President Sterling yet? As a bone marrow donor, shouldn’t he be admitted in advance to draw blood or something?"

"He should come tomorrow, I guess."

When Anna said this, Mary could tell she wasn’t confident.

"Why don’t you call and confirm with him? Don’t miss the surgery time."

"If I call, he won’t answer." Anna said with certainty.

"How can you be so sure? Are you two still at odds with each other? I really can’t understand... just a little quarrel, why hasn’t it been resolved by now?" Mary couldn’t comprehend, "Anna, I’ll be honest. Although I always had confidence in you, President Sterling’s temper seems hard to deal with. Why insist on confronting him, especially at the critical moment of Pop’s surgery? Aren’t you afraid he might get upset and refuse to donate the bone marrow?"

"Who wants to argue with him if he’s not being too much? Always with a stern face, who is he trying to impress?"

"Isn’t he always stern-faced? I thought you got used to it since we returned home."

"Why should I get used to it? He’s not like that with Marilyn Ford. The sour face is just for me. If it’s just for me, fine, but it seems like Pop isn’t even his own child, and it’s as if we owe him for the bone marrow donation. What he owes me from four years ago can’t be repaid in a lifetime, so why act like a benefactor in front of us?"

"Wait a minute, don’t continue!"

Mary caught a hint of acidity in Anna’s words: "Are you really upset because President Sterling shared Pop’s illness? I feel like you’re more upset that he reconciled with Marilyn Ford?"

"Of course, I’m upset that he was careless with his words, reconciling with Marilyn at the expense of spreading Pop’s situation around. Isn’t a man supposed to take up the responsibility of being a father, putting the child’s protection first? You see how I’ve been being criticized so harshly since coming back home; have I said a single word in my defense?" Anna spoke emotionally.

"No, no, I understand your temper. If you were angry about President Sterling divulging Pop’s illness, you would’ve been mad then, not increasingly upset. It’s been so long, you’d have no reason not to give him a call. I think you’re angry because he and Marilyn rekindled their old love and that he hasn’t been to the hospital recently. You’re angry now because you’re thinking maybe he’s still busy dating, aren’t you?"

Mary, having been a manager for quite a while, was skilled at pinpointing the key points in conversations.

Anna’s veiled shifts of concepts in her words were all captured and dismantled by Mary one by one!

"Yes! I’m mad he’s still busy dating at this critical moment! Because the surgery time is getting closer, Pop is suffering through chemotherapy, and I’m also sleepless at night. I’m mainly angry at my poor judgment back then; messing up would be one thing, but I accidentally chose such a selfish father for the child!"

"Hmm, the main issue is President Sterling’s selfishness, right? You look down on him, not have feelings for him?"

"Of course, I know exactly what I came back for, how could I really fall for him?!" Anna said with certainty.

Even the single Mary wasn’t interested in probing any further whether there was any romantic tension; adult matters weren’t her concern, she’d rather focus more on little Pop.

The little cream bun’s back looked like a little monk entering seclusion, with the words ’currently in isolation’ figuratively written on her smooth, round back of the head, still refusing to respond to them. Mary couldn’t help but worry: "Poor little Pop, what can be done to cheer her up?"

"I might as well shave my head to accompany her," Anna suggested.

Mary saw that Anna seemed serious, recalling her friend’s extraordinary courage and action, instantly turning a shade paler, grabbing Anna’s hand to stop her: "That won’t do! You’re a celebrity; how can you shave your head?"

"Celebrities rely on their faces, not their hair," Anna shrugged it off, "Even without hair, I should still look good, right?"

"That’s not acceptable! Your hair is your image. Last year you won first place as the artist with the most beautiful hair, do you know how many fans envy your lovely locks? Even I envy them, almost suggesting you buy insurance for it. Let me tell you, shaving it is absolutely out of the question." Mary firmly refused, even threatening with her life to dissuade Anna’s idea, "If you must shave, you’d have to shave me first."

"I think this way, let me shave mine then," Mary reconsidered, willing to risk her own hair to preserve Anna’s, not to speak of putting her life on the line, her hair just above the shoulders, "I don’t rely on my looks for a living, I’ll keep a shaved head with Pop. I haven’t tried this hairstyle yet; I’m even a bit curious."

Though she spoke these words, Mary internally was bleeding.

She thought her face wasn’t as small as Anna’s, fearing it wouldn’t fit the bald style.

Now she could finally relate to little Pop’s feelings, and Mary thought after shaving her head, she’d probably also hide away in solitude for a while.