Chapter 3

The next morning, Victoria brought me to the hospital for a follow-up. I didn't understand what the doctor said, but I saw her frowning very hard. I realized that my condition had most probably gotten worse at this point.

The realization weighed heavily on my chest. I couldn't continue dragging Victoria down with me anymore. So, I waited until she left me alone as she went to get the car, and I quietly slinked out of the parking garage, turning around to run out of the hospital building.

I had to succeed this time. I had to find that place they called a mental hospital, no matter what.

However, I'd only just gotten to the door when I bumped into Mike. His expression turned dark as soon as he saw that I was alone. He grabbed me harshly by my arm, and it hurt so badly that I cowered in fright.

"Jordan Hurley! Why did you sneak out by yourself again like this? Can't you stop creating trouble for Victoria?" he gritted through his teeth. "Why is it always you? Why does it always have to be you?

"It's all because of you that Victoria keeps rejecting me time and time again! Aren't you happy enough that you're ruining her future and that you also want to ruin mine as well?"

The look in his eyes suddenly turned sharp and cruel, as if he'd just made a firm decision. He glared daggers at me while mumbling to himself, "It's because you're too soft-hearted, Vicky, that you can't ever get rid of this liability…

"That's fine. Let me handle this for you, once and for all."

Mike then dragged me to a secluded corner and pressed me against the wall. He cackled coldly and grabbed my hand all of a sudden, using my nails to scratch himself on the face.

"No! Let me go!"

I was so scared that I screamed out loud while trying to draw my hands back, but I was no match for his strength.

Soon, Mike's face was covered in bloody scratches. However, he still didn't think it was enough. He took out his phone and hurled it to the ground, the screen shattering instantly.

Then, under my terrified gaze, he threw himself headfirst into the wall until he began bleeding from his forehead.

"You dipshit, I swear I'm going to get back everything you owe Vicky on her behalf!" he said, snarling at me.

A split second later, he suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Help! Save me! This lunatic is trying to kill me!"

Soon, hurried footsteps could be heard, and a few medical staff from the hospital saw the bloodied Mike and my frozen self standing there. They immediately rushed up to us and wrestled me to the floor, pinning me there.

"It wasn't me… I never did anything…"

I sobbed while forcing the words out of my mouth, but nobody paid any attention to me. Everyone assumed that I was a fierce and dangerous lunatic who'd gone out of control.

A short while later, Victoria also heard us and rushed over. She froze at once when she saw the scene, immediately running up to Mike and asking him shakily, "Are you alright, Mike? What happened just now?"

He leaned heavily against her shoulder and answered weakly, "Don't blame Jordan for this, Vicky… He just… He just had an episode and lost control of himself…"

He wasn't even done speaking when Victoria's gaze landed on the smashed phone on the ground. Her face turned dark at once.

"Jordan Hurley! Don't you know how many important documents were in that phone, you idiot?"

"It really wasn't me, Vicky…"

I kept shaking my head as I sobbed, but she saw the blood under my fingernails and cast me a cold glare.

"It's been ten years since I gave up everything for you, and this is how you repay me?"

Her voice suddenly turned loud and shrill, filled with despair. She began pounding her fists against me, each blow carrying deep hatred and resentment. In the end, she kicked me hard in the head.

The guards tried to stop her, but she shoved them all off.

"Don't you know how much I've lost just because of you?" she screeched at me while crying. "You don't think destroying me is enough? You even tried to destroy everyone around me? What have I ever done to wrong you, Jordan Hurley? Why do you always torture and torment me like this?"

I curled up on the ground, letting her take it all out on me. I shook and shivered from head to toe, but what hurt the most was still my heart.

In the end, Victoria seemed to have exhausted herself and stood back up to call someone to drag me away.

They brought me back and threw me into the dark, musty basement. The iron door was shut with a loud clang, and my entire world plunged into darkness.

The wounds on my body stung very badly, and I curled up in a corner, shivering in the dark.