"She is..." Bartlett opened his mouth, about to spill the beans that Ellinor was Theo's wife.
At this point, Ellinor cut him off and said to Floy, "We met when we were both sick. So, I guess you could say we're... sick buddies."
"Sick buddies?" Floy was taken aback.
Bartlett did not expect Ellinor's response. His eyebrows furrowed, but the corner of his mouth curled up, eager to hear what she would say next.
Ellinor nodded, "Yes, we're sick buddies. We met in a group chat for people with the same illness. We were just discussing his condition."
Floy turned to Bartlett in astonishment, "You're sick? Why didn't you tell me?"
Ellinor feigned surprise, “Ah? You didn’t tell her?”
Bartlett chuckled, "Yeah, I haven't had the chance to tell her yet."
Ellinor quickly apologized, “Sorry, I didn't mean to blab.”
Bartlett shook his head, "It's okay. She would have found out sooner or later."
Floy was confused, "What kind of illness do you have? You can't keep it a secret from me!"
Before Bartlett could answer, Ellinor began to explain. "Ms. Lewis, don't worry. His illness is not serious, and it won't threaten his life. It's a rare disease that is only a little bit contagious, but as long as he takes good care of himself…”
Ellinor hadn't finished her sentence when Floy jumped up at the mention of "contagious."
She grew pale, obviously recalling her previous contact with Bartlett.
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