Chapter 4

"Sally has eaten a large amount of extremely spicy food and shows signs of chronic gastritis. She shouldn't be consuming this much spice at once. Kyla's stomach is empty, and everything looks normal. Gastro and neurological exams are both clear."

My heart sank.

She had actually managed to make it so nothing showed up on my tests.

But then, why did hers clearly show she had eaten spicy food? That didn't make sense.

Unless… She wasn't just transferring the heat. Maybe she could transfer physical conditions, too.

I was about to question her when Francis cut me off, his tone sharp. He pulled off my engagement ring.

"We're done! I'll have my assistant put out a ban. You're not allowed anywhere near the company or our streaming locations again."

No. We couldn't break up.

If we did, I would lose any chance of uncovering the truth.

Under Sally's mocking gaze, I forced myself to back down and admit I was just jealous.

"Francis, I know I messed up. Can we not break up? I…"

He shook my hand off, as if it disgusted him.

"I'm not asking. I'm telling you. If you hadn't pursued me for two years back then, I never would've gotten with you. Looking back, it was the worst decision I ever made. You don't deserve me. The only person I've ever loved is Sally. If you have any self-respect, pack your things and leave."

His words got harsher with every sentence. I had no choice but to pretend I didn't hear them.

The doctors and nurses nearby watched the whole scene unfold, already annoyed by all the rounds of tests I had ordered.

Now, the way they looked at me was even worse.

"Seriously, how can someone be this shameless? She just won't let go, no matter what."

"Well, look at the guy. He's tall, rich, and successful. Who wouldn't want that? I heard his streaming company pulls in a ton of money."

The company!

My eyes lit up. "Francis, when you started that company, every dollar came from me. If you insist on breaking up, then I'm taking it back."

Back then, he had insisted on signing an agreement to prove he wasn't living off me. The company was under my name, and I had 100% ownership.

His expression darkened instantly. "Kyla, you're ruthless. You can have my body, not my heart. The only person I love is Sally."

Hearing him confess to Sally with that kind of tenderness dragged me straight back to the days when he used to pursue me.

He probably didn't even remember.

I never chased him. He was the one who came after me.

After he made it big, people started joking that a girl with a regular salary couldn't have landed someone like him without trying hard.

Over time, even he started believing it.

Now that I had exposed it in front of everyone, he grabbed Sally and left without another word.

I turned and walked out of the hospital, too.

While Sally was getting checked earlier, I had caught a glimpse of something. If my guess was right, then everything finally made sense.

Half an hour later, I stood in front of a run-down orphanage on the edge of town.

It all came back to me.

I didn't let anything show. If Sally realized I had figured it out, she would destroy the evidence without hesitation.

I took a cab home like nothing had happened.

Sally and Francis were on the couch, wrapped up in each other like I didn't exist. They didn't even bother pretending when they saw me.

I acted like I hadn't noticed and went straight to my room.

The next morning, I realized the door was locked from the outside.

Francis had taken Sally to the national spicy eating championship.

This time, I didn't scream or fight as I had before. I sat quietly and opened his stream.

Unlike the other contestants who were shoving food into their mouths like maniacs, Sally didn't look right. She stared at the pile of chilli peppers in front of her, one hand pressed to her stomach. Her face was pale, her lips trembling.

"Sally, what are you doing?" Francis leaned in, his voice low. "Start eating. You're already behind."

She forced one pepper into her mouth.

The next second, her entire face flushed red. "Fr-Francis, my stomach hurts. Help me…"

Before she could finish, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, splattering the tablecloth in front of her.

The whole place erupted into chaos.

As the ambulance rushed her away, Francis finally unlocked my bedroom door. He stormed in, fury written all over his face.

"Kyla, what did you do?!"

I smiled faintly. "You tell me."