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  A New Hope Against Cancer – How a SmallPharmaceutical Company Aims to Change the World

  Cancer: the uncontrolled growth of the body's own cells, spreading and destroying the body from within. While certain types of this complex disease are already treatable to some extent, an effective universal cure remains elusive. The company GlatagPharma believes it can change that.

  On its website, the company describes a groundbreaking new drug called Sontacamid, which is claimed to be a true miracle cure for cancer. When contacted by our editorial team, CEO Thomas Schreiger confirmed that promising study results have been obtained. However, since the drug has not yet been released to the market, the company remains cautious about disclosing its exact mechanism of action.

  It seems that the coming months could be of tremendous importance for cancer therapy – keeping an eye on the market may well be worthwhile.

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  In the company's underground parking garage, his mid-range SUV had not been swapped for a 600-horsepower sports car. At least that hadn't happened. Not that he would have complained about a car worth hundreds of thousands of euros, but that would have been a bit over the top.

  Their single-family home, located on a quiet street about a fifteen-minute drive from his workplace, also looked normal. His girlfriend had quite the green thumb, which was why she lovingly tended to their front yard. He considered it a bit of a waste of time, but as long as it made her happy...

  The plant koala, about half a meter tall, was still standing next to their front door, looking at him as always. It had been a gift, something he had commissioned from a gardener for her birthday two years ago. Ever since their trip to Australia eight years ago – right after they had first met – she had been absolutely in love with the little marsupials. Since smuggling a real one past customs wasn't exactly an option, he had opted for this instead. The gardener had attached green plants to a plastic frame shaped like a koala, creating a beautiful, leafy sculpture. At first, he had worried it might be too cheesy – he wasn't exactly the most experienced when it came to relationships – but she had seemed genuinely delighted.

  Kjell parked in the driveway, fished out his keys, and unlocked the door. Before he knew it, he heard quick footsteps rushing toward him. Xaya stepped into the hallway from the next room and threw her arms around his neck.

  "You're the best, honey. I love you."

  Normally, he might have been surprised, but he had already expected his boss to strike at this weak point. A lesson taught by every other movie: Having someone you love at your side is like a massive linden leaf, turning you into an Achilles' heel just waiting to be exploited. Using Xaya to influence him was simply the easiest and most effective choice.

  "I love you too. But can you remind me why exactly I'm so great right now?" He tried to play along, keeping his tone light.

  "The Louvre!"

  "The Louvre?"

  "Yes! You must have arranged it somehow. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the chance to exhibit my works in the most famous art museum in the world. But since you're the guy who's curing cancer, you probably made it happen."

  Was he serious? This was the kind of card he was playing? Compared to this, a sports car would have been nothing.

  "Uh, yeah, I asked around a little," he said, smoothly lying. That idea had definitely not come from him. "Which paintings are you planning to exhibit? How many can you choose?"

  "Come to the dining room first. I cooked. You can tell me all about what you had to do to arrange this."

  That CEO was a damn fox.

  Xaya was practically bursting with joy. Some people might have been dissatisfied knowing that their success didn't come solely from their own talent but rather from connections, favoritism, and backroom deals – or whatever people wanted to call it. Social climbers, envious people might label them. Those kinds of people existed everywhere.

  But Xaya didn't let such trivialities cloud her excitement about this opportunity. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. He loved seeing her this happy.

  By now, the scent of seared elderberry reached his nose, mingling with the rich aroma of beef. On the stove, two filet steaks were sizzling in a red wine and elderberry sauce, soon to be complemented by the Duchess potatoes roasting in the oven.

  Kjell shook his head and grinned. "Damn, I love you."

  She wrapped her arm around his waist and nestled against him. "We have something to celebrate, after all. I hope it tastes good."

  He cooked regularly, too – his years as a bachelor and his desire to make her happy had made sure of that. But it was almost laughable how much better she was at it. With just a handful of ingredients, she could whip up dishes that he would never manage in a lifetime.

  She could probably turn pork neck into a better steak than he could make using the finest Kobe or Wagyu beef.

  She was an artist, after all – and cooking was an art. Compared to that, he was just a scientist, someone who dealt in cold, hard empiricism. He didn't stand a chance.

  "When is the exhibition?"

  "In two years and five months, from January to April." She stirred the sauce with a wooden spoon and flipped the steaks.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Meanwhile, he grabbed two plates, glasses, cutlery, and a candle from the kitchen cabinets and arranged everything on the table.

  "That's still quite a while away. Do you want to paint new pieces by then, or have you already decided which works you'll choose?"

  "I have to select fifteen of my works. 'Gardener in Latex' and 'Couple in Cyanide Blue' absolutely have to be included, since they are my most successful paintings. I also think 'Mona the Devil' would be a fitting choice because of its reference to the Mona Lisa. Then, I'd really like to exhibit our painting. As for the others, I haven't decided yet. I'll have to see what I create by then."

  Did it really have to be that one? By our painting, Xaya meant a canvas she had painted the day after they first met. One of those moments he would rather keep buried forever.

  Various oil colors blended together to form a faceless man, his hands on a woman's breasts, while she stared at him in shock. He wasn't proud of it. Why would he be? Sure, he had downed a few tequila shots that night at the club, but that was hardly an excuse for sexual harassment.

  She had just looked at him shyly, without screaming, without complaining. He still couldn't forget her expression. It was nothing but pure panic, like a curse wrapping around her soul. The guilt never quite left him – even though things had turned out far better than he could have ever expected.

  It had only taken a week for them to meet again. Fate really did seem to bring together those who belonged together.

  Kjell had been reading a novel about a young man who discovered his passion for art and decided to pursue a career as an artist, despite the fierce competition. Enthusiastic as he often was about new ideas – at least for a few days or weeks – he thought it would be a great idea to visit an art exhibition. Naturally, he ended up walking right into hers.

  Suddenly, Kjell stood in front of her, dressed in a suit, while she wore a beautiful light blue dress. Their eyes met, and in that instant, they both knew exactly what had happened between them not long ago.

  "Uh... about the other night... I'm really, really sorry," he blurted out, caught off guard.

  "It's fine, it happens."

  Sure, if you were a drunken idiot with a beer belly and a sex addiction. But Kjell had always thought of himself as better than that. He had no idea how to respond, so the awkward silence stretched between them. Simply turning around and walking away would have been the worst thing to do, so after ten excruciating seconds, he forced himself to speak.

  "I really like your paintings, by the way. I'm not particularly talented when it comes to creativity."

  "Oh, that makes me happy to hear." She gave him a shy smile. "This is actually my first time exhibiting my work."

  "Well, for a first exhibition, there are quite a lot of pieces. Must have taken you ages. I really liked the one with the koala, by the way."

  He was the king of small talk, a real player. Or maybe not. But at least it was enough to get a conversation going – even if it was painfully awkward.

  "Oh, you mean 'Lewd Koala Bear'?"

  "Yeah, I think that was the title. Though koalas aren't actually bears, you know."

  He immediately regretted the know-it-all remark – so much for being the king of small talk. But to his surprise, she responded with a warm smile.

  "Oh, really? I didn't know that. But this is art – we can name our paintings however we want."

  "You're absolutely right. Freedom of art is even protected by the constitution. I wouldn't dream of telling you what to call it."

  Even he cringed at what he had just said, so he quickly changed the subject.

  "How many paintings are in the exhibition?"

  "Twenty-four. But my best ones are still at home. This exhibition had to be family-friendly, you know, because of all the kids."

  That comment seemed to have slipped out unintentionally. But it certainly hinted at something interesting about her personality.

  They grinned at each other. The ice was broken. His drunken mistake was almost forgotten. Who knew a simple, honest apology could do so much?

  "I don't know... would you like to see the other paintings?"

  That single question turned his whole life upside down.

  Two days later, they met at her place, where he got to admire Gardener in Latex, Couple in Cyanide Blue, and many other masterpieces. One week and three dates later, he finally got to admire another masterpiece – her body, which was undeniably one.

  From there, one thing led to another. Xaya became Kjell's first serious girlfriend. Then the whole Sontacamid thing happened, launching his career to incredible heights, while hers remained a much bumpier ride.

  Over the years, he had apologized thousands of times for what he had done that night. And every time, she had brushed it off like it was nothing.

  Eventually, she showed him that painting – the one she had created the day after the club incident. It was her way of processing things, of externalizing bad memories, maybe even rationalizing them. The painting was probably meant to show him that she no longer carried that night as a burden in her mind.

  As for most of her other works? He had no clue what they meant. He had asked, of course, but her answers were obviously fabricated. He didn't dare push any further.

  How far could one go in a romantic relationship before crossing a line? He honestly wasn't sure.

  "Good choice. I'm sure the visitors will love them."

  "I hope so. But the competition is unbeatable. Maybe I'll still manage to find my niche somehow."

  "You definitely will." The two filled their plates with the lavish meal and sat down.

  "And you?" she asked him. "Anything new at work?"

  If he wanted to tell her about his boss, now was the moment.

  "Everyone in my research group received a 50,000-euro bonus from our boss."

  She raised an eyebrow. "Now that's generous. Another reason to celebrate. I'm really happy, I hope you know that. Things are going really well for both of us right now."

  Damn, the ice was getting thinner. With every second, it became more uncomfortable to break the rather controversial news to her.

  "Yeah, I suppose. I just worry that everything could fall apart so close to the finish line. If some side effect or resistance emerges, then the last twelve years of work will have been worthless – except for the money."

  "Oh, come on, it'll be fine. You're way too smart for something like that to happen."

  Should he tell her?

  "But what if Sontacamid gets released, and because of some mistake, it ends up killing thousands, maybe even millions of people? Wouldn't you hate me then?"

  "Why would I?" She got up and took a bottle of still mineral water from the fridge. "I know you're doing your best. And you don't have to please everyone. Your success isn't the reason I love you. It wouldn't change anything for me."

  She sounded as if she would forgive him for anything – at least as long as he wasn't simultaneously sleeping with three other women in their shared bed without protection.

  "And what if our drug never makes it to market?"

  Her joyful expression shifted to one of realization.

  "So that's what the Louvre was about." Her ability to pick up on things was remarkable.

  "Nothing is decided yet, but my boss is planning it." He left out the part where his boss intended to spread cancer deliberately. That was, perhaps, even worse than multiple infidelities.

  "And may I ask why?"

  "I'm not entirely sure. I guess they believe they can make more money if they delay the market launch by a few years. The decision is made solely by the CEO and the board – it's beyond my control."

  "I see. But that's not your fault, then."

  "I just wouldn't be allowed to tell anyone that we already have a cure for one of the deadliest diseases of our time. That does put some responsibility on me – legally, too."

  "And what are you supposed to do? Despite everything you've accomplished, you're just a small cog in the machine. There are people you should never mess with. So, if you need my blessing, then consider it granted. And not just because of the Louvre." She looked at him intently. "I need you, you know."

  They sat in silence for a moment, eating a few bites of their meal.

  "Alright, then I'll agree to it. You're right – we don't really have a choice."