Chapter 2

Kenneth comforted Gigi tenderly, "Don't be afraid. I'm right here."

I continued knocking on the door. As the joints in my fingers turned numb, my knocks became softer and softer.

Finally, someone opened the door. Kenneth stood at the door. His shadow was cast right over my curled-up body. He demanded, "Give Gigi an open apology, and I will let you in."

I leaned against the door frame, lifting my head to look at him. Throughout the last four years of our marriage, his face was the one I adored above all others. It just felt like I could gaze at him forever.

However, now, the sight of his face was making my skin crawl.

"I did not do anything wrong, so I'm not going to apologize," I said.

Then, Gigi's voice came from behind him. She said, "Don't make things difficult for her, Ken. It's fine if she doesn't want to apologize. I'll just bear the brunt of things. I'm fine with it…"

Kenneth crouched down and clamped his hand around my jaw.

"Stop pretending like you're half-dead. According to Gigi, you only have a few scrapes. Who exactly are you putting this show on for by looking so pathetic?"

His tone was cutting and harsh. Clearly, he thought I was acting like I was in pain to vie for his attention and sympathy.

Others came crowding around us.

"Is this woman truly a lunatic?"

"She truly deserves to end up like this."

"Why did she have to come in between a happy couple?"

Kenneth took a few steps back and wrapped his arm around Gigi's shoulders. She buried her face in his chest and smiled.

The doctor in the evacuation center took a glance outside, and his face fell immediately. "The victim is severely injured. She needs immediate medical attention!"

Kenneth furrowed his brows, reaching his hand out to me instinctively. However, Gigi clutched her chest out of the blue and let out a sharp cry. "Ken, my chest hurts so much… I-I can't breathe…"

Kenneth's outstretched hand stiffened. Then, he waved his hand impatiently and instructed, "Just get her inside for now!"

Then, he turned toward the doctor and requested, "Take a look at Gigi first. She has a history of heart disease."

I was carried to a damp and moldy mat in the furthest corner. The doctor threw a glance in my direction before helplessly walking over to Gigi with a medical kit in his hands.

I watched as Kenneth stood next to Gigi, soothing her back with a worried look in his eyes.

He had once caressed me gently with those hands too. However, now that I thought about it, it just felt so ridiculous.

Forty minutes passed, and it was finally my turn. The doctor rolled the leg of my pants up and frowned the moment he saw what was underneath.

Nevertheless, he did nothing more than carelessly wrap a few layers of basic gauze around it. Even the disinfection process was half-done.

"Why did you cross Mr. Scott's darling? We were given orders not to utilize any medical resources on you."

He shook his head helplessly, then turned around to check on other casualties. He never came back to me again.

I lay on the damp and cold mat, enduring the excruciating pain as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

When it was time for food to be distributed in the evening, Gigi walked up to me with a bowl of hot soup in her hands. "You must be hungry. I scooped this out just for you," she said.

I accepted the bowl from her. As the steam hit my face, I noticed a glob of spit floating on the surface of the soup.

When she saw me set the bowl back down, she raised her voice immediately. In a grievous tone, she shrieked, "I was just trying to be nice. Aren't you going to eat the soup I got for you?"

Kenneth strode over, grabbed the bowl, and hurled it to the floor. The broth splattered on the wound on my leg, and the burn caused me to inhale sharply.

"Forget about getting her anything next time. Some people just don't know how to be grateful."

No one else distributed any food to me.

A short distance away, Kenneth removed his down jacket and placed it around Gigi as she curled up in his arms, muttering to him that she was feeling cold. He shot me a look. His gaze settled on the thin jacket I had around me. It was the only thing I had that was keeping me warm.

Nonetheless, he walked over and yanked it off of me.

"Gigi is feeling cold. She'll be borrowing this for the night," he said without any hesitation, leaving no room for protest.

I curled up in the freezing wind. My teeth chattered uncontrollably the entire time.

It was winter back then, too, but everything was different then. Back then, Gigi was still overseas.

Every morning before we left home, he would turn on the car heater ten minutes ahead of time and warm the car up for me. When I caught a cold, he would personally make a trip to the pharmacy for medicine. Whenever I had any cravings, he would get them for me right away.

At the time, I believed he loved me.

Now, I finally realized those were just charitable gestures he conveniently offered to a substitute while the actual person was absent.