Chapter 3

Janice's POV

The golden retriever knocked me down, covering my face in dog fur and sending a glass of water on the nearby table crashing to the floor.

Sharp pain surged through my body, and my breath caught from an allergic reaction to the dog's fur. Zayne immediately lifted me up, his eyes filled with distress.

Jason and Freya rushed to check on the dog.

Freya said, "It's soaked from the water. It still hasn't recovered from its cold these past few days. I hope it doesn't get sick again. Oh, no, it's bleeding! It must have been cut by the glass."

A worried look crossed her face as she turned to accuse me. "Ms. Moyer, even if you dislike me, you didn't have to take it out on the dog. You provoked it on purpose and got it hurt!"

I was bewildered, but Shawn quickly pulled several bags of dog treats from the back of my wheelchair. "You used these to tease the dog, didn't you? Are you trying to get close to it so Jason will look at you again? Keep dreaming!"

The concern in Jason's eyes vanished completely, replaced by profound disgust.

"There's a limit to your lies! Why would we even bring dog treats when we go out?" Zayne tried to defend me, but no one believed him. They were all focused on the dog.

My breathing became increasingly difficult. I grabbed Zayne and whispered, "I want to go home."

Zayne shot them a glare and pushed me toward the exit, but Jason blocked our path.

He said arrogantly, "The dog was supposed to bring us the rings at the wedding, but now, it's injured because of you. To make up for it, why don't you deliver the rings for us instead, Janice?"

Zayne clenched his fists. "How could you humiliate someone like this?"

Jason's eyes were my favorite part of him. He used to look at me with such focus and intensity, as if I were the only person in the world worthy of his devotion. But now, when he looked at me, his eyes were filled with nothing but hatred.

He said, "Otherwise, I must ask you both to stay until the dog has recovered. Ms. Moyer, if you need anything, just let me know. You don't look particularly well."

Did he remember that I was allergic to dogs?

But I wanted nothing more to do with him. "I… I'll do it."

I agreed without thinking. All I wanted was to leave as soon as possible.

The people around me burst out laughing.

Some said that I had come back because I couldn't make it abroad. Others claimed that I returned to win Jason back now that he was about to get married. In their eyes, I had become the desperate ex-girlfriend who was willing to do anything to please Jason.

It didn't matter. Soon, I wouldn't hear any of it anymore. They could say whatever they wanted.

Zayne was furious. "You know full well that your body can't handle long flights, so why did you agree to such an unreasonable request?"

I had taken my allergy medication and regained some strength. "It's not for him. I just want to go see that snow-capped mountain again."

Zayne said nothing more and turned to arrange a private jet to Selvaria.

I closed my eyes as the sprawling snow-capped mountains of Selvaria drifted into my mind, along with a small cabin glowing with warm yellow light at the foot of the mountains.

I remembered racing Jason down the ski slopes. After having our fill, we returned to the hotel to shower and change, then went down to the bar for a drink and sat there the entire evening.

Jason had also invested in a ski club in Raveth, where a photo wall was dedicated to documenting our moments.

Once, he was emboldened by the alcohol and asked me, "How about I propose to you in front of this wall someday?"

I laughed and pushed his face away. "Who said I'd marry you?"

Back then, I had always spoken the opposite of what I felt. In my heart, I had already decided that I would marry him or no one. Looking back now, it seemed that I hadn't broken my word.

The plane landed smoothly in Selvaria, and Zayne gently woke me up. "We're here. I'll have someone to take you to the residence first. Dr. Barnes will arrive in an hour. I'll wait for him at the airport."

William Barnes had been my attending physician while I was abroad and was also a close friend of Zayne's. He was familiar with the hospitals in Selvaria.

I nodded and followed the staff toward the car, but before we reached the exit, Shawn blocked our way.

"Ms. Moyer, you're right on time," he said.