Chapter 3

Of course, by then, Mia would probably already be just a corpse. But since they were so deeply in love, Charlie probably wouldn't mind.

Sure enough, his eyes lit up when he heard that. He thought he could finally steal something I cared about from me.

What he didn't know was that Mia, without her heart, would be nothing more than useless garbage to me. I had no use for her anymore, so if he wanted her, he could have her.

"Don't think I'm going to fall in love with you in three days!"

Mia assumed I'd set a three-day deadline just to win her back.

"I don't need you to fall in love with me," I replied. "I just need your heart."

I considered myself an honest person, yet no one wanted to believe me.

"Ha! Men! Don't they mean the same thing?" Mia scoffed. "Still, considering you're willing to set me free and you've been treating my injuries, I don't mind being a little nicer to you for the next three days."

Before I could even react to her offer, Charlie couldn't sit still any longer. He leaned against her shoulder, looking all sad and pitiful.

"Mia, you won't actually fall for Ricky, will you? He has everything, but I only have you."

Really? At first, I really did have everything. I had my parents' love and a comfortable life. But then he stole all of that from me.

The moment he appeared in my life, I lost my room, Dad changed, and my face became permanently scarred.

Even though Charlie wasn't Dad's biological son, Dad still valued him more than me, his flesh and blood. Even after I was disfigured while saving Charlie's life, both of them acted as though it was only natural that I did it.

I still remembered the aftermath of that fire.

I was rushed to the hospital for treatment, but Charlie felt bored at the hospital and demanded Dad take him to an amusement park. Dad naturally obliged.

And just like that, little old me was left alone in the hospital. I didn't have a single family member there to take care of me, even though I'd just narrowly escaped death.

It was one of the nurses on duty who couldn't stand watching it anymore and called Dad, forcing him to come back.

As a teacher, Dad cared about his reputation above all else. So, he put on a show of being a loving father when the nurse was around, but the moment she left, his expression immediately shifted to one of disgust.

"You're still a kid, and yet you'd do anything just to vie for attention. How bad can a little burn really hurt?"

His cutting barbs choked the breath right out of me.

Dad had clearly doted on me before. And back then, I was too young to understand why he had changed so drastically. I thought he was angry with me because I'd failed to take good care of Charlie.

It was only later that I learned the truth. Dad had only married Mom for her money.

When Mom was still alive, he could at least maintain the charade. But once she passed away, his true colors emerged.

If she hadn't left a will stating that I would inherit her entire estate after her death, my sanctimonious excuse for a father probably would've handed every single penny of it over to Charlie.

"No way, Charlie. My heart only belongs to you."

Mia's voice pulled me back to reality. At some point, the two of them had already wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace.

How loving of them.

I checked the time and interrupted their little lovefest.

"Mia, it's time for you to take your medication."

Mia's lips curled into a smirk. "Rick, you really are obsessed with me. Even now, you still care enough to remind me to take my medicine. When Charlie and I start making love to each other, are you going to show up right on schedule to remind us to use birth control too?"

Huh? Humans and fish could have children together?

"I don't think that'll happen."

Mia smirked, assuming I was just putting up a front. After all, in her eyes, I was willing to do anything for her.