May the Flames of Hell Engulf You

When I walked out of the doctor's office with my test results, the hospital's advertisement screen played the scene of Brandon proposing to me.Under a dazzling starry sky, deep blue fireworks lit up the night. He wore a white suit and kneeled in a rose garden, opening a box with a diamond ring inside.The scene was so beautiful that it looked like something straight out of a romance drama.I overheard some patients' family members chatting with a nurse."I'm really so jealous of Ms. Pace. Meeting a man like Mr. Foster is the luck of eight lifetimes.""They really are the model couple of Arkmery, no doubt about it."…I walked past them expressionlessly, as if the person they were talking about wasn't me.Brandon really did love me.We grew up together as childhood sweethearts, and he pursued me for ten years.When I finally accepted his confession, his eyes reddened in front of everyone. He held me carefully in his arms and promised, "Daniella, I will treat you so, so well."

I never planned on going to the hospital. No matter how many checkups I had, the results would always be the same. If there was no cure, then there was no cure. There was no need to keep going through the motions.But I didn't expect to fall asleep on the way back. I wouldn't wake up no matter how much the driver called out to me. It scared him half to death. He broke out in a cold sweat and rushed me to the hospital.By the time I woke up, it was already the next afternoon.The driver's face was as pale as a sheet, and he was trembling as he looked at me.I figured he must have already found out. To reassure him, I said, "It's okay. I'll talk to Brandon about it."The driver hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed. His eyes were red-rimmed as he looked at me.After all, he had watched me grow up. Seeing me like this must have made him feel awful.Not long after, Brandon called me. His tone was evasive as he asked where I was.I paused for a m

When I woke up, I was surprised to see Lexie sitting by my bedside.She met my gaze, looking somewhat guilty. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke softly. "Why did you…"I smiled at her and shook my head.But she frowned and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were sick. I shouldn't have upset you like that."For a moment, I saw a glimpse of the young girl she used to be.I didn't know what to say to her, and I didn't have the energy anyway. Before long, I drifted back to sleep.I hadn't expected that she still hadn't left when I woke up again.Her teeth were clenched, her eyes reddened, and she bowed to me again. "I'm really sorry. But Ms. Pace, I truly like Mr. Foster. It's because of him that I…"She took a deep breath. "I know you and Mr. Foster used to have a great relationship, and it was despicable of me to come between you two. But now, Mr. Foster doesn't love you anymore."He doesn't even care about you at all. Even when he saw you faint, he didn't

In Arkmery, getting me away from Brandon's watchful eyes wasn't an easy task, but Lexie managed to do it.She took me back to her hometown.Her entire family was gone, leaving just the two of us. She took excellent care of me.One evening, as she took me to watch the sunset, she shyly told me, "Ella, when I got your letters in middle school, you had no idea how much I wished I could stay by your side forever."I let out a soft chuckle, only to be wracked with a fit of coughing. As I coughed, blood started dripping from my nose again.She scrambled to wipe it away and poured me some warm water to drink.I asked her, "Is that why you wanted to be with Brandon?"She hesitated for a moment. Then, after a pause, she nodded. Her eyes reddened, but her gaze was steady as she said, "Yes. Ella, you never told me who you really were. You only say you worked at Foster Group, so I…"I nodded.Back then, I had found her name on a list at Foster Group. All of her sponsorship came from Foste

Lexie's POVI really was destined to be damned.I took a deep breath and looked at Brandon's dazed, lifeless expression. Then, I started laughing.He demanded to know what I was laughing at.I said, "This is our karma."He froze, then cried again.I watched him suffer without saying a word. Daniella had personally told me she didn't hate him.Daniella was a great person, but I wasn't. I wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life.He and I had to spend a lifetime atoning for Daniella.Later, I took Brandon back to Foster Group. It wasn't because I had any intention of staying. I only returned to resign.I was Brandon's secretary, and all my work needed to be properly handed over. As much as I despised seeing his face, I had no choice but to stay at the company for a few more days.News of Daniella's death hadn't spread yet. Many people in the company were still secretly envious of the love she and Brandon had once shared.One day, Brandon overheard them. I didn't know wha