Chapter 3

Simon and I grew up together.

My parents were both in the military. When I was young, I was kidnapped by terrorists who used me to threaten my parents. They tried to force my parents to betray the country and give in to their demands.

I was locked in a small, dark room while the terrorists and my parents faced off outside. I remembered pressing my ear hard against the cold metal door, desperate to hear my parents' voices on the other side.

All I heard were gunshots, followed by silence. No matter how hard I screamed for them, no one answered. I was terrified, and I didn't know how long I was trapped in that room before the door finally creaked open.

Simon's frightened, anxious face appeared in front of me, followed by a crowd of police officers. I frantically scanned their faces, hoping to spot my parents. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find them.

That was the day I learned my parents had sacrificed their lives while taking the terrorists down with them. They did it to save me and to end the threat for good.

Later, I became an orphan and no longer had a home. The Heath family took me in, and I lived with them thereafter.

After being held hostage by the terrorists and listening to my parents get killed, the trauma stayed with me. I was scared of the dark, couldn't be alone, and didn't trust anyone except Simon. On the day I was rescued, his tear-streaked face was the first thing I saw through the blinding sunlight.

During those days when I shut myself away from the world, he'd stay by my side. He'd hold my hand and sing me lullabies in a low, gentle voice. Whenever I jolted awake from a nightmare, the first thing I'd see was his worried face.

With the constant care of the Heath family and Simon, I slowly began to find my way out of that dark place. I still feared the dark and hated being alone, but as long as I could hear his voice, I could sleep.

So, he called me every night, just to soothe me until I drifted off. Even when nightmares startled me awake, his gentle voice was always there.

When I was 15, a guy from a neighboring school stopped me. His cheeks were red as he handed me a pink envelope.

I stood there frozen, not knowing what to do.

Simon suddenly appeared beside me. He returned the envelope to the guy and turned him down for me.

The guy frowned and snapped, "Who are you to her? What gives you the right to speak for her? Just because she lives in your house doesn't mean you get to make decisions for her."

Simon smiled faintly, then reached out to grab my hand. His voice was gentle, but left no room for argument.

"I'm Lily's family member and also her boyfriend. Don't you think I should have a say in her decision?"

I used to think the memories we shared were the sweetest part of my life. But now, seeing how deeply he and Sophie loved each other and how naturally they understood one another only made the pain worse.

I once believed Simon was my cure, but now he had become poison instead—the kind that ate me from the inside out.

I calmly went through our old photos and deleted them one by one. Then I gathered the gifts he'd given me over the years. There were expensive ones and cheap ones scattered throughout the house.

The cheapest was a flower crown that had long since withered and dried out. He had woven it for me himself on the day we decided to get married. I had preserved it carefully for seven years, but seeing it now, withered and decayed, I couldn't help feeling melancholy.

While I was sorting through my belongings, Robert Heath and Carol Bennett, Simon's parents, appeared in the doorway. Just seeing them filled me with guilt.

They had always treated me well, as if I were their own daughter. And yet I was ready to walk away without a word, never once thinking how much it would hurt them to find out this way.

When Carol saw me going through my things, she looked puzzled.

"What are you doing with all this stuff? Did that rascal Simon make you upset again?" she asked.

When I noticed the warmth in her eyes, my chest tightened. I wanted to throw myself into her arms and spill out everything I'd been holding in, but I held back.

"I was worried things might get moldy, so I thought I'd air them out," I said evenly.

Seeing them carrying so many bags, I was puzzled.

"Mom, Dad, why didn't you tell us you were coming? I could have picked you up from the airport."

Hearing that, Robert and Carol exchanged a complicated look. She wanted to say something, but he grabbed her hand and shook his head.

With no other choice, she forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"We hadn't visited you two in a while, so we thought we'd come see how you're doing. We just got off the plane and we're a bit tired, so we'll go rest now."

With that, they practically fled upstairs.

I washed a bowl of cherries and grabbed the suitcase they'd left behind, heading upstairs to find them.

Then, I overheard Carol complaining to her husband, "Why wouldn't you let me tell her?"

Robert replied helplessly, "Lily loves Simon so much. How could she possibly accept divorcing him?"

Her tone sharpened. "But Sophie is pregnant with Simon's child. We can't let this child be born out of wedlock.

"We've treated Lily well for over 20 years. Isn't that enough? If she can't have children, there are plenty of women who can. He likes Sophie too, so Lily should be sensible and agree to a divorce."

Hearing their words, I stood frozen in place. After what felt like forever, I realized tears were streaming down my face.

I quickly turned and dragged the suitcase behind me, only for the latch to suddenly snap open. Baby items spilled out across the floor in front of me.