Explosion
Everyone said I was Liam Reed's simp.
He suffered from congenital hyperalgesia—a condition that made even the slightest bump send waves of unbearable pain through his body. So when his enemies attacked him, I took a knife meant for him.
When his family subjected him to brutal punishment, I endured ninety-nine lashes in his place. Each time I suffered for him, Liam would hand me a point card.
"Mathilde, every time you take the pain for me, you earn 0.1 points. Once you reach 100 points, we'll get married."
For five years, I accumulated points, nearly dying more than once.
Finally, my score reached 99.9 points.
One day, I went to the hospital for a follow-up appointment. Years ago, I'd shoved Liam out of the way of a speeding car and taken the full impact with my legs.
My injuries had never fully healed, and lately, the pain had grown worse. While waiting for my appointment, I happened to see him accompanying his first love, Victoria Adams, who had disappeared years ago, to a prenatal checkup.
As I waited, I overheard Victoria say she wanted Liam to experience labor pains for himself.
I knew Liam better than anyone. Even a routine injection made him clench his fists and grit his teeth. There was no way he'd agree to something like that.
Yet, without a moment's hesitation, he lay down in the simulator chair and let them turn up the intensity. I stood frozen behind the glass partition, watching him writhe in agony.
He was in so much pain that he nearly lost consciousness, yet he never once asked them to stop. By the time he came out, my old injuries had flared up so badly that my legs had gone completely numb.
"Victoria just came back after all these years. I can't abandon her now. If you keep making a scene, I'll wipe out every point you've earned," he told me, his face pale from the pain.
I smiled faintly. "Forget it. I don't want that final 0.1 point anymore."