Chapter 4 Heartless

There was no more pain, not because it had passed. Instead, it was because all I could feel now was numb.

Zoe stepped forth. "Melanie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fallen for Timothy. I shouldn't have sent you that text and ruined your wedding. It's all my fault!"

She went down on her knees and started slapping herself. It didn't take long until her cheeks were swollen like she was a squirrel carrying a big stockpile of food.

A concerned Timothy pulled her up, and an old album slid out of her arms. The cover was our photo from when we were still in high school. I was in the center, a big, stupid grin plastered across my face.

Timothy's arm went around my shoulder and wrapped itself around Zoe. His eyes were filled with the tenderness I'd never seen.

So, they had been going behind my back since then.

"Melanie, for old times' sake, please forgive me! We promised we'd grow old together as besties, remember?" Zoe was sobbing, trying to connect to me with our history.

That history served as nothing but a reminder of my humiliation. I snatched it out of her arms and hurled it in her face. "Fuck off!"

The metallic corner hit Zoe somewhere above her eye. She doubled over in pain and covered her eye, while blood slowly trickled out of the cracks between her fingers. "Ow! Timothy!"

Timothy shoved me aside and held her. I lost my balance and crashed into the ground. The metal shards pierced my palm, and pain swept across my body.

Timothy held Zoe in his arms and roared at me, "I'll make you pay if anything happens to her, you lunatic!"

The pain nearly robbed me of my consciousness. I only had the presence of mind to feel my phone buzz in my pocket. The immigration application I'd put in was approved.

…

I got myself bandaged and came to my mother's ward only to hear the moans of a couple coming from inside.

"Don't do this, Timothy. Melanie's going to be mad if she finds out."

Timothy's voice was ragged and raspy. "Why do you only think about her? What about me? What about my feelings? I've fallen for you, Zoe. You're the one I want to marry. Don't give me to someone else."

Sounds of rustling clothes slithered in the air. Sensual breathing and Zoe's suppressed moans followed. It was grating. It was filthy. How dare the bastards do it right in my mother's ward!

A wave of fury rushed into my mind. As Timothy's growl of ecstasy echoed, I slammed my foot into the door, and it swung open with a crash.

I charged into the adulterous couple and tore them away from each other, all the while grabbing everything around me to use as ammo.

Zoe scrambled to pull some clothes over herself, while Timothy kept her in his embrace.

"I'm sorry, Melanie. I just wanted to apologize to your mother, but one thing led to another…"

An apology wasn't possible.

Zoe knew my mother was conscious, even if her body couldn't move. She knew my mother couldn't suffer any more agitation, and that my mother treated her like she was her own.

Chaos followed soon as a loud blare pierced the air. It was coming from the machine.

Medical staff barged into the room, looking grim. "Septic shock! Emergency procedure immediately!"

I was chased out of the ER. The sign over the door lit up, died, lit up, and died again. A long, arduous wait later, the doctor came out and took his mask off. He shook his head.

"We did our best, Ms. Green. My condolences."

I nearly blacked out, but my uncontrollable rage held me up. I snapped up the scalpel and tried to drive it into the bastards, but a machine tripped me up, causing me to slam into the ground.

As the machine fell, Timothy turned around and kept Zoe well-protected in his arms. The heavy machine slapped down on me and punctured a hole in the back of my head.

Moments before my consciousness faded, I saw Timothy leaving with the scared Zoe, and he didn't even spare me a look. And so, I was left alone in a cold pool of blood.

…

Timothy rested his head on the edge of the bed that night. He had a dream. I was crying on the edge of a cliff, holding my legs. He tried to hug me, but a thick blanket of fog separated us. He tried his best, but he couldn't touch me.

After a while, I wiped my tears dry, gazed at him for a long moment, and jumped.

Timothy jolted awake and charged out of the room before he could change into some clothes. He grabbed a passing doctor and demanded, "Where's Melanie Green?"

The doctor looked at him like he'd never seen someone so breathtakingly stupid. "The girl who got hit by the machine? She just died."