Chapter 3

Adeline seemed to have picked up on my cold attitude toward her.

To a woman who was used to stealing the thunder, my decision to ignore her rather than get into hysterical arguments with her seemed to prick her even more.

Adeline was used to being the center of everyone's attention. Of course, that meant she was used to Glenn catering to her every whim and need.

That was why she felt the need to keep provoking me just to confirm that she still held power over me. That, and she wanted to test where my boundaries lay.

On Friday night, I had to pull an overtime shift thanks to an emergency project. So, I only got home at 9:00 pm.

As soon as I opened the front door, a strong waft of floral scent hit my nostrils instantly. It wasn't a faint fragrance that came from perfumes—it was an intense concentration of pollen that came from lilies.

I covered my mouth and nose straight away, but it was too late.

Adeline's cream-colored jacket was draped on my favorite corner of the couch in the living room. Huge patches of bright yellow pollen could be seen coating the collar and the sleeves.

My windpipe suddenly constricted, making my breathing labored and rapid. Every time I drew in a breath, I felt as though I was swallowing jagged pieces of glass.

My knees buckled instantly, and I collapsed onto the carpet.

"M-My meds…"

I began crawling toward the coffee table with great difficulty. My powerful antihistamine pills were kept in the second drawer of that coffee table.

My vision began to blur. Red rashes began spreading across the exposed skin on my neck and arms. Itchiness spread across my body, making me feel as though tens of thousands of ants were biting beneath my skin.

That was when the study's door was opened from the inside. Glenn walked out of the study with a blueprint in hand.

"Willow? Are you home?"

He saw me lying on the floor and the way my nails dug into the carpet from the excruciating pain. That was when his expression finally faltered. Quickly, he approached me.

"What's wrong, Willow? Is your allergy kicking in again?"

Just as Glenn was about to touch my shoulder, we both heard another scream coming from behind him.

Adeline could be seen standing next to the kitchen island in the open-air kitchen. She happened to be holding a pair of pruning shears at that time. A droplet of blood that was tinier than a pea could be seen oozing from her fingertip.

"Ow! Glennie, my finger hurts!"

Glenn's hand froze in mid-air. Adeline's cry was enough for him to look back at her.

She raised her finger while peering at him with teary eyes. Her body was trembling slightly from the pain, too.

"I accidentally touched the thorny remnant of the rose you've left on the table… and my finger starts bleeding…"

Glenn was already moving before his mind could register what happened. He shot up to his feet instantly and strode back to Adeline. As he clutched her hand, he frowned deeply at her injury. His tone was coated with heartbreak that he could barely conceal.

"How are you this clumsy? Is the cut deep? Are there any thorns wedged inside your finger?"

I remained lying on the carpet. Even though my vision was completely blurred by my tears, I could still see everything playing out in front of me clearly.

By then, I could no longer squeeze out any sounds from my throat. All I could do was grip the edges of the carpet with all my might. My nails were on the verge of snapping due to how much force I used.

"S-Save… me…" It took everything in my power to squeeze out those words.

Glenn turned around to spare me a glance. There was a hint of dilemma in his eyes, but it was quickly overtaken by a cold, unapologetic indifference.

"Addy needs to attend a hand-model photoshoot for a luxury jewelry brand tomorrow. Her hands mustn't be marred by scars. If she catches an infection, we'll have to pay an astronomical amount of contract termination fees. I have to take her to a clinic to get her cut treated."

He grabbed the car keys from the cabinet by the front door as he spoke. Naturally, he showed no signs of coming over just to help me up to my feet.

"You have your medication in the drawer. Just take one pill, and you'll be right as rain. I'll be back later."

As soon as Glenn was done speaking, he wrapped an arm around Adeline's shoulders and supported her to the front door without sparing me a glance.

"Glennie, I think Willow is in a lot of distress. She keeps gasping for breath…" I heard Adeline's tender voice drifting from the doorway.

"That allergy is a regular recurrence for her. She always gets so dramatic whenever her allergy acts up. She'll be fine after taking her pills. Your hands are more important, Addy. We should hurry to the clinic."

Just like that, the door was slammed shut behind them.

The entire apartment lapsed into a deadly silence. Only my heavy breathing could be heard echoing through the living room.

Using the last shred of my strength, I pulled the drawer open. Soon, I felt the outline of the familiar plastic pillbox. Weirdly enough, it felt awfully light.

With trembling hands, I managed to pry it open, only to see nothing inside.