Chapter 3

But the only thing I got was his retreating back.

I saw him scoop Yasmine into his arms and run toward safety through the flames. He didn't even hear my cries for help.

In that moment, something inside me died.

…

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. There was only one day left before I was supposed to leave.

Arnold sat at my bedside, looking at me with pain written all over his face.

"Juniper, you're finally awake!" He gripped my hand tightly, his eyes filled with remorse. "I never imagined you'd be in the house. I thought you were still in the garden! I would've saved you first otherwise…"

I quietly pulled my hand back and turned my face away. "I understand. You don't need to explain."

He let out a long sigh, then added, "Yasmine is still a child. Whether in terms of emotion or reason, I had to save her first. I know you've always disliked Yasmine because your parents favored her over you. Still, she's your sister.

"And I'm older than Yasmine—how could I just leave her behind?"

"Alright," I replied with a calm, serious tone. "I understand completely."

Judging by how Arnold was taken aback, he clearly was not expecting me to be so reasonable. After all, any time the topic of Yasmine came up in the past, I'd always urged him to stay away from her. We'd even fought over it.

He never thought I'd be acting so differently today.

The next second, he grasped my hand again and promised me sincerely, "Juniper, you have to believe me when I tell you I love you. If I could, I'd trade my life for yours."

Just then, a message alert popped up on my phone. It was from Yasmine.

"Junie, Arnold chose to save me when danger struck. You were the one he forgot. Same as with Mom and Dad, I'm also Arnold's favorite. All I have to do is crook a finger, and he'll come running to my side. Do you still think he loves you? If you do, you're wrong. Keep watching."

The very next moment, one of Arnold's men rushed in anxiously.

"Bad news, Mr. Willowstream—Ms. Yasmine has gone missing!"

Arnold's expression instantly changed. He jumped to his feet, ready to rush out the door.

I held back my tears and asked with a trembling voice, "Arnold, where are you going? My shoulder hurts so much. Did you know a steel bar went right through my bone?"

He hesitated, then forced himself to sit back down beside me. "My love, I'm not going anywhere."

Then, he turned to his subordinate with a frown. "Did you not find anything at the scene?"

The man stammered, "N-No, sir. Only a bloodied shoe that belonged to Ms. Yasmine."

Arnold's face turned ghostly pale. This time, he couldn't hold back any longer. He suddenly stood again.

"Juniper, I—"

I could see the struggle and panic in his eyes. My heart felt nothing but coldness. With a calmness that I didn't feel, I said, "Go find her. Yasmine might be in danger."

He looked as if he'd finally been released from a heavy burden. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room.

"Find her! I don't care what it takes. Search the whole damn world if you have to!"

Lying in the hospital bed, I watched his back disappear once more.

All hope in my heart was gone.

No matter how much I had done, no matter how hard I tried, what we had was never coming back.

Even so, I felt strangely calm.

In just three hours, I would board a plane out of this city that had brought me nothing but heartbreak for good.

Fighting through the pain of my wounds, I checked myself out of the hospital and took a cab back to the house that once echoed with laughter and love.

Now, it was cold and empty. It was just me.

I walked into the bedroom and silently began packing my things.

Just then, my phone buzzed again. I received a photo from Yasmine.

Arnold sat beside her, eyes filled with concern, gently blowing on a bowl of mushroom soup in his hands.

Under it were a few lines of text that stung my eyes.

"Junie, see this? I'm the one in Arnold's heart. Even when you were seriously injured and in the hospital, he still left you behind to come find me. Who do you think you are? You're just some woman past your prime who clung to him for a few years. If you know what's good for you, get lost. Don't come back and disturb our peace again."

I clutched the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

Yasmine's words cut like knives, stabbing into my heart repeatedly.

But this time, I didn't cry.

I took off the ruby necklace around my neck and gently set it on the coffee table. Inside the item was a micro-camera that had recorded every cruel word and provocation Yasmine had ever thrown at me.

Arnold would see it. And when he did, he would know the truth.

But to me, it didn't matter anymore.

…

Meanwhile, Arnold was growing increasingly uneasy as a deep panic filled his chest. He wanted to return to the hospital to find me.

However, Yasmine clung to him tightly.

I, on the other hand, picked up the plane ticket I had prepared long ago, grabbed my suitcase, and strode toward the door.

One minute before boarding, I sent him a message.

"Arnold, the two copies of our divorce agreement are now in effect. From this moment on, we are nothing to each other. Let's not meet again."

The moment he saw the message, Arnold's expression changed. He shoved Yasmine aside and bolted out the door.