I felt my heart drop when I heard that.

"Well, take care. Let's put it this way. You focus on recovering. If your health improves, we'll continue to collaborate on other small projects involving high-end doors." I painted a hopeful picture for him.

I had to do this. I couldn't bear to see this strong man be so defeated.

Sure enough, a hint of contentment appeared on his face. In reality, we both understood that this was just a verbal agreement. If his health didn't improve, our collaboration