Home / Left on Read While Bleeding Out / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Left on Read While Bleeding Out: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

19 Chapters

Chapter 1

Gabriel's POVEsther Cahill sent a screenshot in the three-person group chat, and Lionel Fox replied with "HAHAHAHAHA".The two of them went back and forth, the chat pinging nonstop. My fingers were still covered in blood as I struggled to type out a message. "I just got into a car accident. Could you guys take me to the hospital?"The moment I sent the message, two new ones popped up, quickly pushing mine out of sight. My heart clenched, and my calf throbbed with a sharp pain. Blood trickled down my pant leg. With the last of my strength, I held down the voice message button and asked, "Esther, are you done? I just got into a car accident!"The group went completely silent. A moment later, Esther sent a dog sticker. "How could you say something like that just to get our attention? That tactic was pretty popular back then, but that's not gonna fool us, right? @Lionel." Lionel responded instantly. "Of course. This is nothing. I've even seen a clip of a woman jumping off a

Chapter 2

Gabriel's POVThe next day, I went back to class, still limping a little. It was a mandatory class for our major, which meant Lionel and Esther were there too. I opened the classroom door and saw them huddled together, looking at their phones. Esther looked back at me and casually made her way to me. "Gabriel, I texted you before class. Why didn't you reply? Are you still upset that we saw right through your little act yesterday?"Esther was still grinning at me, but the moment she noticed the bandages on my leg, her smile faltered. "You're hurt? What happened?""Gabriel, you're finally here!" Lionel suddenly rushed over. "You didn't reply in the group chat yesterday. Esther and I talked all night. Want to see the photo I edited of her?"He wanted to show me the photo, but Esther snatched his phone away. "Don't try to ruin my reputation.""What reputation?" The two of them started wrestling over the phone, giggling as they shoved each other. Just then, our professor walk

Chapter 3

Gabriel's POVOnce I was back in my dorm, I locked the door. I pulled open the bottom drawer of my closet. All of Esther's things were inside—a gray hoodie, a mug, and a pack of Polaroid film. I crouched down and stuffed everything into a trash bag, one by one. As I shoved a scarf inside, I was reminded of that winter back in sophomore year. She handed me the lopsided scarf with a grin, her hands covered in needle pricks. I tossed a trophy into the trash bag as well, and it cracked in half. I froze, lost in a daze. In sophomore year, Esther loved playing badminton, and every time she won a trophy, she would insist on giving it to me. Every day, she would drag me to the badminton court, sit with me in the stands, and explain the rules. All she ever said was, "Just keep watching. You'll get it one day."I suddenly realized that it wasn't that we didn't have anything to talk about. Whenever she was willing to explain things to me, I understood her perfectly. But now, I wasn't

Chapter 4

Gabriel's POVI locked myself in my dorm for three days. Whenever I ordered food, I waited until the hallway was empty before slipping out to pick it up.I took the time to make sense of everything I was feeling. As the departure date drew closer, I found myself slowly letting go of the negative thoughts in my head. The next afternoon, I had a fitness class. After lying in bed for three days, I was starting to feel restless. It would be nice to get out and move around for a bit. The sunlight over the field was glaring. I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the gathering point. Esther and Lionel were already standing next to the volleyball net. The teacher blew her whistle and said she needed someone to head to the equipment room to grab some volleyballs and mats. Then she called my name. I nodded and got up. Esther stood nearby and didn't budge an inch. She scrolled through her phone, as if she hadn't heard a thing. Lionel glanced at me before raising his hand. "G

Chapter 5

Gabriel's POVThe teacher took me to the nurse's office. The strong smell of disinfectant hung in the air. The doctor bandaged my wounds and left. I lay there all afternoon. Since no one came to change my bandages, I struggled to sit up and carefully removed them myself before dressing my wounds again. Just then, the door opened. Three guys walked into the nurse's office to treat their scrapes, and the one in front had a buzz cut. The moment he saw me, he turned and gave the other two a knowing look. "Isn't this the guy everyone's been talking about lately? I can't believe he's into that sort of thing."His eyes were filled with contempt. "How much do you charge? Do you need me to hook you up with someone?"All three of them immediately burst into laughter. "Watch your mouth and get lost!" I shot them a warning glare. The guy with the buzz cut looked furious. "Who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like that? Get him!"He grabbed me by the wrists and held me do

Chapter 6

Gabriel's POVI lay alone in the nurse's office all day. No one took care of me or helped dress my wounds. When I got up that evening, I had to brace myself against the wall for a while before I felt steady enough to stand. Once I was back in my dorm, I absentmindedly opened Instagram. The moment I saw the first post, I paused. Esther had posted a close-up of her and Lionel clinking glasses. She had tagged a trendy new restaurant downtown. The caption was, "Just checked out another trendy spot. So good!"Last night, she left me alone at the nurse's office and said, "I think you need some time to cool off."Then she went downtown and had dinner with Lionel for three hours. They took pictures and posted them on Instagram, laughing as they clinked glasses together.But I didn't care about that anymore. Someone knocked on the dorm room door before opening it. Lionel poked his head into the room and grinned at me as if nothing had ever happened. "Come on, Gabriel! Let me tr

Chapter 7

Third-Person POVThe fluorescent lights bathed the hospital hallway in a white glow. By the time Esther returned with a breakfast tray, Lionel was already awake. He was leaning against the bed frame, scrolling through his phone. The moment she opened the door, her phone suddenly buzzed. She checked her phone and realized it was a group chat notification. "Gabriel has left the group chat."Esther froze for a moment before the tension in her expression faded. So, Gabriel finally figured things out on his own. He knew there was no point staying in a group chat he didn't even belong to. She decided to send him a message. "You finally get it, don't you?"But she realized she had been blocked. She stared at Gabriel's chat for a few seconds before sending another message. "What is it now? Are you mad again?"Gabriel had really blocked her. Esther rested her phone on her knee, holding the half-peeled orange in one hand, its juice staining her fingers. "He just blocked me,"

Chapter 8

Third-Person POVBy the time Esther stepped out of the restaurant, it was already pretty chilly outside. She locked her phone and walked back to the dorm. As she walked past the dorm Gabriel used to stay in, she slowed down for a moment and looked up at a particular window on the fourth floor. The curtains were drawn tight. The following night, the group chat blew up again. Lionel sent over ten messages in a row, starting with several funny videos, followed by a few "HAHAHAHAHA", with some voice messages mixed in.Esther's phone kept buzzing on the desk, making it vibrate against the tabletop. She put it on silent and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Only one thing kept running through her mind. Was he serious about breaking up with her?Esther and Gabriel had been together for three years, from high school all the way to college. They had fought so often and even given each other the silent treatment. The longest they had ever gone without talking to each othe

Chapter 9

Third-Person POVEsther took hold of Lionel's arm, and he leaned against her, letting her support some of his weight. His head hung low, the ends of his hair grazing the back of her hand. She hesitated for a moment before pulling him a little closer."I'll take you to the nurse's office."Esther settled Lionel onto a bed before getting him some medicine and warm water. The doctor had already told them that a little rest was all he needed. Esther sat beside his bed for about three minutes before finally getting up to leave. Lionel's eyes widened. "Where are you going?""You should stay here and rest." Esther didn't look back. She went to the security office. The guard recognized her, so he told her to be quick about it before letting her review the surveillance footage.Esther pulled up the surveillance footage outside Gabriel's dorm and worked her way back through the dates. The moment something caught her eye, she stopped scrolling.Esther watched Gabriel wheel his suitcas

Chapter 10

Third-Person POVEsther was still crouched in the hallway. She leaned against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her hands hung limp in front of her, too weak to hold anything.After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally got up and walked into the school office. "Which school did Gabriel transfer to?" Esther's voice was hoarse. The professor shook her head. "All it says on the withdrawal form is that he's going overseas. It didn't say where. His parents came to pick him up, and the paperwork was sorted out pretty quickly.""Is there any way to contact Gabriel? What about his parents' phone numbers…""I can't give those to you." The professor glanced at Esther. She wasn't exactly unfriendly, but there was no warmth in her tone either. "Before Gabriel left, he specifically asked the school not to share any of his information with anyone."Esther stood rooted to the same spot, her nails digging into her palms. The professor walked her to the door before closing i

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