Chapter 3

When I was 16, I had no parents, and my classmates mocked me at that sensitive age. They said I was cursed and doomed to be alone. One day, when I was hiding and crying by myself, James showed up like a hero and chased those bullies away.

He did not ask what happened. He just looked at me and said, “Summer, no matter what, it’s their fault if you’re crying. I’ll make sure they pay for it.”

His promise still echoed in my ears, but the man standing in front of me was no longer that knight in shining armor.

I pulled the ceramic shard out of my skin and tossed it aside. I stood up, one hand covering my wound.

“I’m the victim here. I don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

James stared at the cut on my arm, then lowered his eyes. His expression was unreadable.

After a few seconds of silence, Mila whimpered dramatically in pain. James did not hesitate. He picked her up in his arms and rushed her to the hospital. Alone and cut off, I stood among the broken shards while the store staff stared in uneasy silence.

In the end, I went to the hospital by myself to get my wounds treated. Thankfully, it was just surface injuries. They would heal in a few days.

“Summer, are you okay?”

As soon as I finished getting bandaged, I looked up to see Caden rushing toward me, out of breath. I was surprised. How did he know I was here?

“My friend’s an ER doctor. He told me you got hurt, so I came as fast as I could.”

A quiet warmth settled in. It eased the chill that had been sitting in my chest.

When Caden offered to help me home, I politely declined.

There were still four days left. Half of my things had already been moved out of the room. A little more time, and I could finish handling everything.

But when I opened the door, I saw Mila sitting on the couch. She had not turned on the lights. The room was lit only by the soft glow of moonlight.

“Summer, I know now that you’re not a threat to me. I’m sorry for what happened today.”

Mila stood up from the couch with a warm smile and handed me a glass of milk.

“I heard from James that you always drink a glass of milk before bed. Consider this as my apology.”

I looked at her doubtfully.

“We’re going to be a family soon. What, are you afraid I poisoned it?”

She took a small sip herself, then offered it to me again.

I took the milk and told Mila again that I would move out before the wedding.

“I know. Now, drink it before it gets cold.”

So, I drank it all in one go.

But in the middle of the night, I suddenly felt hot all over and incredibly thirsty. I went to the kitchen to get some water, only to run right into James.

For some reason, he looked especially attractive tonight. Without thinking, I reached out and touched his chest.

Just a light touch eased the burning heat in my body. I could not help but want more relief. My lips parted slightly, my eyes grew hazy, and my head felt light and foggy.

There was a voice in my head telling me to stop. I bit my lower lip hard and tried to resist, but my body moved on its own.

Smack!

James slapped me across the face before I could even react.

I snapped out of it for a second, just in time to see the disgust in his eyes.

“Summer, you’re still using tricks like these? You disgust me!”

I wanted to explain, but he did not give me a chance. He picked up his phone and called security.

“Throw her out. And make sure you record her at her worst.”

The guard hesitated, but James barked at him angrily.

Before the guard dragged me out, James grabbed my face, gave a cold, mocking smile, and said, “Summer, really? Drugging me now? You’ve really hit a new low. You make me sick.”

Before the guard dragged me out, I desperately tried to explain. I broke down in tears and said apologetically, “James, I was wrong. Please don’t throw me out. I promise I’ll leave tomorrow…”

I was only wearing a thin camisole nightdress. If I was tossed out like this, my reputation would be ruined.

But James just shot me a cruel smile. “Summer, the truth is, you won’t learn your lesson unless it hurts.”

And with that, the guard threw me out the door.

It was early autumn, and the night air was chilly. I wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm, but the guard yanked me roughly to the ground.

“Ms. Lane, Mr. Grayson wants you to learn a lesson. He doesn’t want to see you here ever again.”

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a group of shady-looking men stepped out of the shadows.

I froze. A wave of hopelessness rose from deep inside me.

I looked up and saw Mila standing at the window. She was calmly sipping milk and smiling sweetly as she watched me.

Then, James appeared beside her. For a second, hope flared in my chest.

I screamed his name, but the guard clamped a hand over my mouth. Through the window, I saw James and Mila standing at the edge of the bed, facing me.

Mila said something I could not hear. James nodded, took the glass of milk, and drank it all. Then, he pulled the curtain closed.

Just before the curtains were fully closed, I caught a glimpse of Mila’s smug, taunting face.

My heart sank into complete despair.

James, did you really hate me that much?