首頁 / Romance 短篇故事 / He Left Me in the Fire / 第 1 章 - 第 9 章

《He Left Me in the Fire》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 9 章

9 章節

Chapter 1

The second I hung up, Nathan walked in.He wore a T-shirt printed with a cartoon bunny.He never used to wear anything like that. I'd once bought him one on a whim.He hadn't even glanced at it before tossing it, packaging and all, straight into the trash."Serena! Can you stop being so childish!"But lately, he'd been wearing shirts just like it.Because Vivian liked cartoon bunnies."Does it still hurt? Who were you calling this late?"Even as he showed concern, his eyes instinctively avoided the raw, bleeding wounds on my back."My lawyer," I said flatly.He gave a casual "oh," then seemed to remember something."Don't press charges. Vivian was just trying to set up a birthday party for you."She didn't know the old wiring would catch fire."For once, I didn't argue.I picked up my phone and started looking up train tickets out of town.Nathan got no response from me.He reached over and toyed with a strand of my hair."The doctor said your burns aren't serious. The wounds should cl

Chapter 2

A bolt of pain bored through me. My fingers shook, and the phone slipped from my hand.By the time a nurse helped me pick it up, the call had long since disconnected.In our message thread, there was only one message from Nathan."I have a scheduling conflict around your discharge. I'll take you to meet my parents some other time."That afternoon, a nurse finished changing my bandages.Believing I was asleep, a few nurses began whispering among themselves."Do you think that woman next door is sleeping with him?""Definitely. Did you see that tiny blister? If she'd arrived a day later, it would've healed on its own.""He's falling all over himself worrying about her. I just heard them planning a ski trip to Aspen for next week.""That poor wife."My phone slipped from my hand again.The lock-screen photo of Nathan kissing my forehead was spiderwebbed with cracks.The room fell dead silent.One nurse quickly picked up my phone, and they all shuffled out, nudging each other along.Late t

Chapter 3

The room went quiet for a beat.His gaze landed on the unhealed blisters across my back.Only then did he realize how unreasonable his request was.But I forced myself to sit up anyway."Ask Rosa to make it."Ten years earlier, Nathan had stepped in to save me.Without him, a gang of thugs would have assaulted me just after I escaped the children's home.Once I did this, the debt between us would finally be settled.Seeing me frail but stubborn, Nathan paused."Just write down the recipe."I didn't hesitate. "Will Vivian be eating it?"Nathan had no answer. I'd known all along that Vivian was the one craving the stew.Even with all my care, my wounds still seeped a little blood.While rummaging for gauze, something in the drawer caught my eye.It was almost funny: the drawer was packed.Every item inside was a ceramic flower I'd made to mark one anniversary or another.In four years, Nathan had accepted only two. The rest had ended up here.And he had never once given me a gift.When N

Chapter 4

As I pulled the papers away, Nathan suddenly pinned them under his hand.His expression was hesitant."Serena, is there anything else?"When I shook my head, a shadow crossed his face.Then he yanked his hand back as if by instinct."Go get some rest."I picked up the papers and caught sight of the clusters of blisters on my own hands from the fire.It clicked.My appearance had frightened him.As I turned to leave, my lawyer called."I'll send the papers over soon."My casual tone drew a puzzled question from behind me."Send what over?"I turned back with a false smile."My husband's calling. Let me hang up."Then I looked Nathan straight in the eye and lied."I picked up the wrong package."Vivian suddenly giggled as if she'd thought of something funny."Speaking of packages, Nathan, you're so careless.""A few times, the lingerie you bought for Serena got delivered to my place instead.""I'll bring them over next time, Serena."Nathan had never bought me anything, period. Meanwhile

Chapter 5

After blocking him, I transferred to a different hospital.Meanwhile, back in the hospital room, Nathan stood before the empty bed.He ran his fingertips over the smooth sheets as a hollow ache spread through his chest.He thought of what the nurse had said."Ms. Hayes already checked out. She left without taking a thing."For the first time, panic cracked through his composure.No matter how badly we'd fought before, I had always stayed put, waiting for him to come around.But this time, I'd left without a sound.No clinging. No confrontation. No tears.He pulled out his phone. Every one of the dozens of calls he tried went straight to voicemail.His iMessages had turned green.I had severed every connection between us.Soft footsteps sounded behind him. Vivian's eyes were rimmed with red."Nathan, is Serena angry?"It's all my fault. If only I hadn't lost my memory."She fell back on her usual act: helpless and hurt.But this time, Nathan didn't even acknowledge her."Or maybe she is

Chapter 6

The next morning, Nathan sent people to search for me everywhere.They discovered that my number had been disconnected and every social-media account erased.It was as if I had never existed in his life.No matter how hard he looked, he found nothing.His panic deepened by the hour.Vivian wore her usual fragile, innocent expression."Where could an orphan like Serena even go?"She's so thoughtless. She knows you'd worry about her."And she just vanishes without a trace."Nathan caught the smug glint in her eyes.For the first time, he brought up the fire himself."Was the electrical fire at Serena's birthday party really an accident?"Vivian's pupils tightened, but hurt spread across her face."Nathan, how could you even ask that? How could I possibly want to hurt Serena..."Her voice choked, and she reached for her usual shield."My brother died saving you. I can never thank you enough. How could I hurt anyone?"Before, Nathan would have immediately apologized and soothed her.But th

Chapter 7

Three days later, I was discharged.The Ashfords reached out to Nathan directly.In the living room, two documents were placed in front of him.The first: a DNA test report.The report identified Serena Hayes as the Ashfords' biological daughter, missing for twenty years.The second was an agreement requiring Nathan to waive any claim to custody of our child.Nathan's fingers trembled.He gripped the papers so hard they nearly crumpled.He shoved both documents away."I won't sign!"He turned to me."Serena, I know I was wrong."Vivian chose that moment to appear.She put on her pitiful look."Nathan, Serena doesn't even love you."Just sign."She said it like it meant nothing. Nathan looked up, his eyes bloodshot.Vivian opened her mouth again, only to be slapped across the face and sent sprawling.Catherine glared at her with open contempt."Who the hell do you think you are, showing your face here?"Vivian clutched her cheek and whimpered, "Mom.""Don't call me that."Catherine step

Chapter 8

Vivian suddenly laughed.Her laughter was wild and unhinged."I wanted a handbag, so I sold them."Nathan lunged at her as if to tear her apart, but the officers restrained him.William pushed the document forward again."Sign."Nathan knew he was about to lose the company.Once it was gone, there would be no chance of winning me back.Defeated, he picked up the pen and signed.Vivian still wasn't satisfied, even as officers pushed her toward the squad car.She turned to Nathan."Oh, by the way. I never lost my memory."Only then did Nathan understand everything.From beginning to end, he had been the greatest fool and the one most to blame.He was the one who had driven away the person who loved him most.Once they learned the truth, Robert and Elaine Carter came to the Ashford home to apologize and plead for reconciliation."No one else should meddle in a married couple's relationship."They're only having a fight, and Serena is pregnant."It was all a misunderstanding. For the sake

Chapter 9

Derek wheeled me away.From start to finish, I never once looked back.Nathan stood frozen, watching Derek push my wheelchair until we disappeared from sight.Warm sunlight fell on him, but he felt nothing but cold.For the rest of his days, he would live in endless regret.Derek suddenly spoke."Love, devotion, and care. You really don't want any of that?"Not even from someone else?"I'd just taken a sip of water and nearly choked.Vivian received a twelve-year sentence for arson and was ordered to pay civil damages that would follow her for life.Derek later told me what happened.Vivian remained defiant to the end.Day after day, she screamed curses through the bars like a woman possessed.Prison medical staff frequently had to sedate her.She never improved, and doctors eventually diagnosed her with a psychiatric disorder.Even after release, there'd be nothing left for her.The Carters' reputation collapsed in their social circle, and their business interests faltered one after a

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