Chapter 3

My breath caught in my throat, and my blood ran cold.

Dead?

So, I would be dead ten years later?

I tried hard to stay calm. Then, I probed him about my death.

Luke didn't seem interested in hiding the truth either. He took his time before typing back. "Because she was stubborn."

"After I forced her to call off our engagement, her grandmother died anyway," his next message read. "It was just an accident, though. One day, the woman I loved went to visit her grandmother and accidentally let slip what was going on between us."

"Her grandmother got too worked up, and the doctors couldn't save her."

A chill ran through me. I bit down hard on my lower lip, forcing myself not to sob.

I already knew who he meant by "the woman I loved". It was Anna.

My grandmother was the only family I had left in this world.

"She didn't do it on purpose. She just wanted to invite her to the engagement party."

"And you just believed whatever she told you?" My fingers flew across the screen, unable to hold back my anguish.

Unexpectedly, Luke didn't get angry. He just kept typing.

"Of course. I know her well. She's straightforward and doesn't play games."

Then another message popped up. "Unlike that other woman."

My hand went limp, and the phone slipped onto my lap.

He was right. Anna was straightforward, bold, and free-spirited. She loved fiercely and hated just as fiercely, never hiding how she felt.

In his eyes, I was nothing more than a bitter, scheming liar.

"What happened next?" I asked, fighting back my tears.

"After that, she lost her mind. She insisted on confronting the person I loved. I lost my temper and slapped her. She stumbled and fell, and she miscarried," he replied.

"I didn't know we were expecting a child," he added.

His words were brief, but every one cut straight into my heart like a sharp blade.

"I regretted what I had done. I wanted to take good care of her, but after she woke up, she became mentally unstable. So, I had her admitted to a psychiatric hospital."

"But I never expected…" He paused for a moment before typing back, "Last week, she had a sudden relapse and took her own life in the hospital."

The screen went black. By then, tears were already streaming down my face.

So, this was how my story ended.

An agonizing pain seized my chest, making every breath a struggle. Cold sweat broke out all over my body as my hand trembled uncontrollably. A sudden wave of nausea hit me, leaving me gagging helplessly.

Finally, I bolted out the door and headed straight for the nursing home.

Grandma was sitting peacefully by the window, enjoying the sunlight. The moment she saw me, her eyes crinkled with a smile. Before she could say anything, I hurriedly cut her off.

"Grandma, I'm planning to study abroad. Will you come with me?"

I would never leave her here.

Grandma froze, clearly confused by my sudden announcement. Still, she gave me a gentle nod.

"Of course," she murmured, her frail hand reaching up to stroke my hair. "Wherever you go, I'll go with you. What about Luke? Are you two…"

"He has nothing to do with me anymore. Grandma, remember this. I don't love him, and I'll never marry him," I said firmly.

Grandma looked at me, confused. But in the end, she agreed.

The crushing weight in my chest lifted slightly, and I let out a sigh of relief. After chatting with her for a while, I got up and left.

However, I didn't expect to find someone blocking the doorway. More accurately, there were two of them.

Luke stood there, his face dark and unreadable. My heart instantly tightened. How much of that had he overheard?

Beside him, Anna immediately spoke up. "Zoe, did this blockhead mistreat you again? Is that why you said you don't love him?"

"I'll teach him a lesson for you!" She raised her hand to hit Luke, but he caught her wrist in one swift movement.

"Is your hand even healed yet?" he asked coldly.

I caught sight of a tiny Band-Aid wrapped around Anna's finger. Then, I lowered my gaze to my own hand.

A week had passed, yet it was still wrapped in thick bandages, with fresh blood seeping through.

Luke followed my gaze and looked down at my hand. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face.

He cleared his throat and said, "Let's go home first. Your hand—"

"No need," I cut him off, lifting my head and forcing a smile onto my face. "It's exactly what you heard. Luke, let's stop seeing each other from now on."