All Chapters of Long-Distance Fool: My Girlfriend's Double Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

As soon as I learned which hospital my childhood friend Ryan Cole was in, I rushed to the hospital room.When I pushed open the door, I saw Damian Pierce kissing my girlfriend, Claire Whitmore, gently on the cheek. Gifts of all sizes were piled around the newborn. The happy scene shattered the instant I walked in.Aside from Ryan, several of our mutual friends were also in the room, including some of my closest friends. All of them drew in a sharp breath when they saw me.Damian looked at me in confusion. "Who are you?"Before I could say a word, Claire shot me a warning look and cut in. "He's just an old classmate I haven't seen in years."I let out a bitter laugh. Even after ten years together, Claire still refused to call me her boyfriend.Right then, Ryan grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. "Nathan, don't disturb Claire. She needs to rest. We can talk about this another time."I stared at his familiar face and remembered all the video calls and late-night talks we'd share

That night, Claire came to my hotel room."Why did you lie to me?" I demanded.If she'd told me the truth sooner, I wouldn't have worked myself to the bone trying to buy a house, nor would I have promised my mom that I'd bring home my future wife one day.Claire handed me a bank card. "Nathan, there's 200,000 dollars in here. The PIN is your birthday. Consider it compensation. My marriage to Damian… was arranged by our families. I didn't have a say in it."I looked at the familiar face I'd loved for ten years and felt all that love shatter in an instant.A flicker of emotion crossed Claire's eyes. "If you want, you can still stay by my side. Just pretend none of this ever happened, and we can go back to how things were before. Damian just can't find out about this."I flung the bank card back at her, making my refusal clear.Claire still didn't give up. "I admit I handled this badly, but I really do care about you. Haven't I treated you well all these years?"I paid for your mo

As my consciousness faded, I heard panic in Claire's voice I'd never heard before. "Nathan, hold on! Stay with me!"How ironic. After ten years together, the first time I'd ever heard her speak to me that way was when I was about to die.When I woke, all I saw was a stark white ceiling. The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. I tried to move my fingers, and a tearing pain shot through my chest.Claire was asleep at my bedside. She jolted awake at the sound, and her eyes reddened when she saw that I was awake. "Nathan, you're awake! The doctor said you almost died. Do you know how scared I was?"I turned my face away. I didn't want to look at her putting on an act. "Has my mom's funeral been held?"Claire went silent for a few seconds before answering. "She's already been cremated. Her ashes are being kept at the funeral home. You can pick them up whenever you want."I stared at the stark white ceiling as tears slipped down my cheeks. I didn't even get to see my mom one la

Claire's expression darkened. "Nathan, stop saying things you don't mean."I yanked my hand free from hers. A dull, tearing pain shot through my wound, but it was nothing compared to the anguish I felt inside.The next morning, I checked myself out despite my doctor's advice and flew straight to the hospital where my mom had been treated.The hospital administrative staff looked uneasy when they saw me. "Mr. Holt, we've already sealed your mom's medical records. If you want to access them, you'll need to follow the proper procedure...""Fine. I'll do just that." I pulled out my phone right in front of them and called the city's health commission."Hello, I'd like to file a formal complaint against Haine Hospital for illegally destroying patient surveillance footage. The matter involves a medical dispute and a suspected criminal case. I'd like to request intervention from the higher authorities."The administrative director's face went white. "Mr. Holt, please, there's no need for

I turned and walked away, only to hear hurried footsteps behind me. It was Ryan.He caught up to me and grabbed my sleeve, breathing hard. "Nathan, I'm sorry. I didn't know Damian would go that far. I thought he just wanted to scare you..."I stopped and turned to him. "Were you the one who twisted my wrist that day?"The knife should have struck Claire in the chest back then. But at the very last second, someone had forcefully twisted my wrist, turning the blade back toward me.Ryan had wrestled when he was younger. His grip was stronger, and his reflexes were quicker than most people's.Seeing the color drain from his face, I threw his own words back at him. "Ryan, no matter how close we are, I can't take your side on this. You're an accomplice."Two weeks later, the police arrested Damian for deliberately causing my mom's death and ordering others to destroy evidence. The Pierce family's legal team tried to argue for lesser charges, claiming the incident had stemmed from an em