本棚
検索
Short
I Disappeared After Ninety-Ninth Engagement

I Disappeared After Ninety-Ninth Engagement

短編ストーリー · Romance
作家:  Jinara完了
言語: English
goodnovel4goodnovel
10チャプター
2ビュー
読む
本棚に追加

共有:  

報告
あらすじ
カタログ
コードをスキャンしてアプリで読む

概要

Tragic Love

Plot Twists

Feel-Good Story

Childhood Sweethearts

Mistress

Teacher

Caught Cheating

Regret

Countdown

For our ninety-ninth engagement ceremony, Julian booked us a skydive. He said he wanted to tell me he loved me at thirty thousand feet. My chute didn't open. I got tangled in a big tree. I survived, yet suffered multiple fractures all over my body. In the ward, I accidentally saw a message on the screen of our jump instructor's phone. It was addressed to Julian, and it carried a video. The video showed someone tampering with my chute before we boarded. So the "accident" was Julian's idea? I dragged myself out of bed on crutches, every bone in my body screaming, ready to confront him. I made it as far as the hallway. He was already there, talking to someone, and the moment I saw the other man, the floor tilted under me. The man across from him was the same driver who'd hit me with his car the night before our last engagement. The hit-and-run that should have killed me. "Mr. Veil, if you ever need me again, please reach out." Julian's voice was flat, almost tired. "There won't be a next time. I've tried everything I can think of. The engagement can't be postponed anymore." "And the woman you actually love, sir?" "I'll keep loving her," Julian said. "But Ada is the one I marry. Her mother gave my father a kidney. That's the debt. I have to pay it." I stood there shaking, and the truth rearranged itself behind my eyes. The camping trip he had planned, where I got lost and nearly died of hypothermia in the woods. That had been him. The vitamin C he had handed me, the one that put me in the ICU. Him too. And this time — the skydive, thirty thousand feet, “I want the sky to witness our love”. All of it. Every single one of those accidents was him trying to delay the wedding. But Julian, I thought, I could save you the trouble. The next morning I accepted an offer that had been sitting in my inbox for weeks: an invitation from a world-class orchestra on the other side of the planet.

もっと見る

第1話

Chapter 1

I sat in my hospital room shaking, my hands trembling on the grip of my crutch.

I didn't notice the visitors at first.

It wasn't until I tried to stand, needing the bathroom, that a girl in a white dress rushed forward to steady me.

"Ada," she said, "we're Professor Julian Veil's students. I'm Sheila. We heard about your accident. Let me help you."

I looked at her. Her face was soft and pretty, the kind of face people compared to a lily.

But her eyes were sharp and calculating. And her smile made the hair on my arms stand up.

I couldn't exactly refuse, so I let her walk me down the corridor. The second we reached the bathroom door, she leaned in close, her breath warm against my ear.

"Ada, want to make a little bet with me? Let's both fall down at the same time. We'll see who Professor cares about more."

Her stiletto came down on my broken leg.

Pain ripped through me. I went white, cold sweat sheeting down my back, and I crumpled onto the floor.

Sheila collapsed gracefully beside me and let out a theatrical wail that brought the other students and Julian running.

I was shaking so hard I couldn't speak.

Julian didn't even look at me. He scooped Sheila up and laid her on my hospital bed.

Sheila squeezed out two delicate tears.

"I heard Ada was hurt, so I came to visit. I was just trying to help her walk, and she said I had bad intentions. She pushed me. I think I twisted my ankle."

The other students turned to me with disgust written all over their faces.

"I heard the professor was forced into marrying her. She's actually this nasty? No wonder he's not happy about the wedding."

I didn't have the breath to defend myself. My lips were going blue from the pain. I gripped the doorframe and tried to drag myself upright. I fell twice.

I would not ask Julian for help.

Julian was busy massaging Sheila's ankle. He looked over at me, eyes cold.

"Ada. You're upset that I haven't visited. Fine. But don't take it out on my students. Sheila was being kind. How could you hurt her?"

Sheila patted Julian's hand, her expression more piteous than before.

"It's okay, Professor. Ada's a patient. She's just in a bad mood."

The more understanding she pretended to be, the more tender he became. The way he looked at her was full of love.

There was nothing complicated between them. Not like us. Between us there was always the debt, the favor he didn't want to repay, and it made every look he gave me feel like irritation.

Sheila whispered something in his ear.

Julian's brow tightened. He walked over and stood above me, looking down.

"I need to teach you a lesson. Otherwise, who knows how many more people you'll hurt using my name."

Then he helped Sheila up and led his entourage out of the room.

For the next three days, my surgical wound got infected, and no doctor came to change my dressings. Julian had pulled my admission file. I don't know how, but I was no longer officially a patient there.

Only one nurse felt sorry enough for me to sneak in some painkillers.

I cried as I dialed a number on my phone. "Is this Sonata World Orchestra? I'm accepting your invitation. I'm at Veil Private Hospital right now. Please — please come and save me."

Finally, an ambulance came. They wheeled me into emergency.

The last thing I thought before I lost consciousness:

[Julian doesn't deserve my love.]
もっと見る
次へ
ダウンロード

最新チャプター

続きを読む

You may also like

Related Novels

New Release Novels

読者の皆様へ

Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.

コメントはありません
10 チャプター
Chapter 1
I sat in my hospital room shaking, my hands trembling on the grip of my crutch.I didn't notice the visitors at first.It wasn't until I tried to stand, needing the bathroom, that a girl in a white dress rushed forward to steady me."Ada," she said, "we're Professor Julian Veil's students. I'm Sheila. We heard about your accident. Let me help you."I looked at her. Her face was soft and pretty, the kind of face people compared to a lily.But her eyes were sharp and calculating. And her smile made the hair on my arms stand up.I couldn't exactly refuse, so I let her walk me down the corridor. The second we reached the bathroom door, she leaned in close, her breath warm against my ear."Ada, want to make a little bet with me? Let's both fall down at the same time. We'll see who Professor cares about more."Her stiletto came down on my broken leg.Pain ripped through me. I went white, cold sweat sheeting down my back, and I crumpled onto the floor.Sheila collapsed gracefully beside me an
続きを読む
Chapter 2
I woke up in a SVIP suite.The first thing I saw was Julian. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.He'd brought a small army of doctors and nurses. On the bedside table was a box of my favorite donuts.It was like nothing had happened. Like we were back before Sheila, before the truth in the hallway.Before all of it, Julian had been gentle with me, patient. That was how he'd fooled me so many times without me ever noticing.When I didn't say anything, he picked up a chocolate one and held it to my lips, his expression almost guilty."Ada, sweetheart. I drove two hours to your favorite bakery. You need your strength back. Eat."This was the eldest son of the Veil family, a celebrated musician with the entire industry hanging on his every word.And he had driven two hours for a donut.Maybe this was his version of an apology.I took a bite. The chocolate hadn't even finished melting on my tongue when Julian's expression shifted.He turned to the men standing along the wall."Get the h
続きを読む
Chapter 3
My fractures still weren't fully healed. There was a bandage wrapped around my arm.I tried my best, but I missed two notes during the accompaniment.The second I finished, Sheila pounced. She pulled Julian aside, pointed at me across the room, and started to cry.A minute later he came over, his face like a thundercloud."You know this piece backwards. How did you miss that many notes?""Were you doing it on purpose?""Is this how you repay my father for everything he's done for you? For my trust?"The audience, the same people who had been clapping for me just minutes ago, started murmuring."The professor's right, you know. None of us caught it.""So this 'world's number one violinist' title is a bit of a stretch, huh?"Sheila pursed her lips and, in a voice just loud enough for me to hear, said: "Ada's mom used to work as the Veil family's housekeeper. They let her into the orchestra as a favor to Julian, you know…"Heads nodded around her like the lights had just come on."Oh, tha
続きを読む
Chapter 4
When I left her room, I went to the university to collect some things I'd left in Julian's office.I walked in on him playing a party game with his students.Sheila had lost a round. The penalty was to kiss one of the male students.She picked a guy at random. Just before her lips touched his, Julian pulled her away.His possessiveness hadn't dulled at all.When we were kids, he would get jealous if I talked to another boy for too long. Of course, watching the woman he actually loved about to kiss someone else, he couldn't take it.What I didn't expect was to hear them, that same night, in our house.Sheila's voice drifted through the wall in soft, hiccupping sobs."Julian, Professor, you're getting engaged. I love you, but I can't ruin another woman's marriage. I need to be with someone else, so I can forget you. Let me go."I didn't hear Julian's reply.What I did hear after that was the sound of kissing, and Sheila's breath catching.I pressed my hands over my ears and ran to my own
続きを読む
Chapter 5
The next day was Sheila's graduation recital.Julian hadn't just packed the audience with classical music's elite. He had also arranged for live streams on a dozen major outlets.The concert was about half over when the big screen behind her suddenly lit up with photos.They were photos of Sheila in bed with different men.I was as shocked as everyone else in the hall.But the next instant, Sheila was off the stage and rushing toward me, pointing."Ada, why are you doing this to me?""I know the professor doesn't love you, but how is that my fault? Are you trying to kill me?"The look Julian gave me was pure fire.He pulled it back, though. He went to Sheila first, settled her into a chair, and said clearly enough for every camera in the room to hear: “I'll get justice for you.”Then he walked over to me, lifted me out of my seat by the arm, and dragged me to the front. He leaned in close, his voice low against my ear."Apologize to Sheila. Then face the cameras and confess. Say you we
続きを読む
Chapter 6
Sheila noticed Julian's expression change. She leaned closer, asking what was wrong.He didn't hear her. He kept dialing my number on muscle memory until his phone died in his hand.He couldn't hold back his panic, pushed her away and drove home frantically.He was shouting my name before he was through the front door. The staff had never seen him like this. None of them had the courage to tell him I was gone.He took the stairs three at a time. He threw open my door. The room was empty.A last sliver of hope kept him talking out loud."Ada's gone? No. She loves me. She wouldn't leave. She can't have left.""She's just angry I stopped her mother's medication. She must be transferring her to another hospital. That's what it is. That has to be it…"The last sliver died when he found the death certificate.He hadn't thought, hadn't let himself think, that the woman who had saved his father's life could die because he'd cut off her medication.His hand shook so badly the recorder fell out
続きを読む
Chapter 7
Julian threw a punch into Wyatt's face."I knew someone was scheming to drive Ada away from me.""Don't think I haven't seen what you've been doing. Watching her for years.""I've been turning a blind eye. I never thought you'd actually try to take my woman."Julian had been running on pure emotion all day. He had torn through the National campus searching for me. By the time he threw that first punch, he had nothing left.Wyatt put him on the grass in three moves.The fight in both their eyes hadn't burned out yet. I lurched over and pulled Wyatt back."Julian. We're done. Stop calling me your woman.""You said I was using your father's favor to get something out of you. You said Sheila was the one you actually loved. Well, I'm gone now. You can be with her in public. Isn't that what you wanted?"I tugged at Wyatt's sleeve and turned to leave. Julian caught my hand."Ada. I was wrong. The second I knew you were gone, that's when I understood I can't live without you.""From the moment
続きを読む
Chapter 8
Mr. Veil took Julian back to the country for treatment. I didn't hear about him after that.But on the day after he jumped, Veil Group made a coordinated press release across dozens of major outlets.They cleared everything up. The concert, the photos, the confession — everything had been Sheila's setup. The photos had been queued by her own people to flash on the screen mid-performance. My on-camera "confession" had been extracted under threat, with my mother's life as collateral.Within a day, Sheila's social media was a wasteland. She was finished in classical music.And the reversal made me famous in a way I hadn't been before. People who saw the news googled me. They found out I was teaching at National. The invitations started coming in: concerts, guest judging slots on competition shows, theatrical collaborations. Student enrollment in my class doubled.The same people who had questioned why Wyatt had hired me suddenly had nothing to say.One day I was eating lunch in the facult
続きを読む
Chapter 9
I looked into his eyes. The arrogance that had always lived behind Julian's gaze was gone.What was left was just sorrow.I didn't answer his question right away.I undid the buttons at my collar and pulled the fabric aside until the scar showed.A long, raised line ran down toward my heart."Julian. Do you remember this scar?""The night before our ninety-eighth engagement. You took me out to see a movie. On the way there, a car hit me. The driver fled the scene. They never found him.""I was in the ICU. The only thing keeping me alive was the idea that I couldn't die before our engagement. I lay there and told myself, over and over: I will not die the night before Julian's engagement.""I got lucky. The doctor told me the deepest cut was a centimeter from my heart. Another centimeter and I would be gone.""I held your hand afterward and told you it had to be a sign, a blessing for both of us."Julian closed his eyes. Two streams of tears ran from the corners of his eyes back into his
続きを読む
Chapter 10
A year later, I won first place at the World Classical Music Competition.In my acceptance speech I thanked my mother, Wyatt, Mr. Veil, and most importantly, myself.For being strong enough to walk through that much pain and still climb to the top of my own life.The spotlight was on me. I thought, for a second, I saw a familiar figure in the crowd.I was halfway through my speech —when a woman's voice tore through the hall."Ada, die!"The instant I saw Sheila, the blood in my veins froze.A gunshot cracked through the hall. I couldn't move. I closed my eyes and waited.When I opened them, the hall was in chaos.Julian was there. His men were already on Sheila. Then he was on the stage beside me, hands checking me everywhere, frantic.I looked down and saw the red.Wyatt was at my feet. Blood was pouring out of him onto the stage.My legs gave way. I dropped to my knees beside him, one hand pressed to the wound, the other fumbling for my phone to call an ambulance.Julian closed his
続きを読む
もっと見る
無料で面白い小説を探して読んでみましょう
GoodNovel アプリで人気小説に無料で！お好きな本をダウンロードして、いつでもどこでも読みましょう！
アプリで無料で本を読む
コードをスキャンしてアプリで読む
DMCA.com Protection Status