No More Saving Me のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 9

On the way home, Stefan Adler kept gripping his phone. His mind was clearly elsewhere.I called his name three times before he finally snapped out of it.He put away his phone and reached for my hand gently."Sorry, babe. I was thinking about what to make you for dinner tonight and zoned out."I did not answer. I moved aside, avoiding his touch, and pointed at his phone."I saw her friend request."Stefan froze for a second, then immediately rejected it in front of me.All the way back, he chased after me, explaining and apologizing. I ignored every word.When we turned a corner, the endless voice beside my ear suddenly disappeared.I looked back. At some point, Stefan had vanished.The hurt surged up without warning. My head filled with the things people had said five years ago, when I first fell for Stefan."Give up. Stefan Adler will only love Nadine Keller for the rest of his life.""They grew up together. What makes you think some girl who showed up later can take her

"But you promised to take me to the concert today. If she was in danger, why couldn't she call the poli-""Elise Bauer!"Stefan's brows tightened as he shot me a cold look."Is a concert more important than someone's life?""I've told you there is nothing between me and her anymore. Can you stop clinging to this?"I froze hard.No one spoke for the rest of the drive. The air in the car was suffocating.When the car stopped in the garage, Stefan unbuckled his seat belt and took a delicate little box from the storage compartment.Inside was a necklace in my favorite style.He fastened it around my neck, then held my hand and said softly, "I'm sorry, Lise. I was too harsh just now."But I've already taken the case, so I have to see it through. That's basic professional ethics for a lawyer."So be good. Don't make a scene anymore, okay?"I said nothing.I was a mess inside.But I could not immediately let go of this relationship either.He had loved me for five years.But I

Stefan rushed to the operating room door. The red words SURGERY IN PROGRESS burned his eyes.Too much information crashed into his mind at once, leaving his brain completely blank. Acting on instinct, he tried to force his way inside.Luckily, a doctor and several nurses passing by stopped him."Why would she abort it? Why... why would she abort our child?"Stefan's face was pale.One young nurse recognized him and spoke with open contempt."Aren't you the 'good Samaritan' from the news?""Your own wife was fighting for her life in the hospital, and you still had time to worry about someone else. How touching."Stefan looked up blankly and instinctively tried to explain."I'm a lawyer. She is my...""In that situation, shouldn't the first person she called have been the police?"The nurse glanced at him coldly."When the patient scheduled the procedure, she was crying so hard. You're a husband with a very hard heart."Stefan did not know how he got through that wait.When

He held breakfast in his hands, along with a warm bag of cinnamon roasted nuts.Come to think of it, that may have been the day he first got to know the vendor.Somehow, he had found out I liked cinnamon roasted nuts, so he bought them for me every few days.His way of pursuing someone had always been direct and intense.Soon, the news that Stefan liked me spread across campus too.His friends were confused when they heard it and pulled him aside to ask who he actually liked.Stefan was silent for a long time before saying he did not know.The turning point happened on a rainy night.I had gone outside campus for field research for a group project.A heavy storm trapped me in the hills.To make matters worse, I got separated from the others.At some point, my phone service had been cut off because I had missed a payment. I could receive calls, but I could not call out.I curled up beside a rock, able only to hope that my teammates would come back for me.Two hours passed.

I went to work, came home, ate, and slept as usual.But Stefan's life fell completely apart.At work, he often zoned out.Sometimes his colleagues had to call him three or four times before he snapped back to himself.After work, he ran into Nadine at the entrance again.Nadine shouted at him unwillingly, "Why? You used to love me most, didn't you? Why did you change?"Stefan rubbed his brow."Go home. I'm tired. I don't want to argue with you.""I'm not going home! Stefan, I want an explanation!"You used to say you would love only me for the rest of your life. You said you would wait for me. Was all of that fake? Were you lying?"Have you fallen in love with Elise Bauer?"At the mention of Elise Bauer, Stefan could no longer stay calm.He exploded."Yes! I love Elise Bauer! Is that a problem?"Nadine, you asked me to wait, so I waited. You asked me for help, and for the sake of our past, I helped. What more do you want?"Will you only be satisfied after you destroy my