"No need."
I glanced at him coldly, peeling his fingers off my hand one by one, with the same decisiveness and without hesitation, just like when I had jumped off a building.
I limped down the long street, more determined than ever to continue this way, to move away from that person.
I thought the three years of therapy had healed me, but seeing him again, my heart still ached. The pain spread with each breath, and I didn’t know when it would end.
I drained the glass of red wine in one gulp, my eyes, heavy with intoxication, gazed at the stars. Once upon a time,when asked how much I loved Evan, I said as much as the stars in the night sky. Now, if asked how much I hurt, the answer would be just as vast.
A self-mocking smile spread across my lips. Loving him was too painful; I had already lost too much. There was nothing left to lose.
The next day, I composed myself and went to the hospital to visit my grandfather.
Seeing the frail old man on the hospital bed, my eyes moistened. I grasped his hand, which rested outside the blanket, feeling terrified. I had already lost my parents; my grandfather was my only relative left in this world.
Grandfather opened his eyes and gently held my hand, his smile warm, "Silly girl, don’t cry."
"I won’t cry," I replied, but tears kept flowing.
"Don't cry, I'm okay. I need to be your solid backing, Avery. I won’t let anyone bully you," Grandfather raised his hand to wipe my tears. "You shouldn't have come back. If Evan finds out, he won't let it go easily."
"Nothing is more important than you."
I dared not tell Grandfather that I had run into Evan as soon as I returned. I didn't want him to worry about me while he was ill.
Wrapped in deep sorrow, I felt somewhat dazed. I bumped into someone and kept apologizing without seeing who it was.
Just as I was about to leave, a strong hand clutched my wrist tightly. I frowned, annoyance on my face, and as I looked up, I saw a familiar handsome face.
"What are you doing here in the hospital?" Evan's gaze was intense as he tightened his grip on my hand, his voice cold.
Already upset because of my grandfather's illness and now seeing him, my mood worsened. I scoffed, "That's none of your business," and pulled my hand away.
"Visiting a patient," Evan said confidently, as if he knew my every move.
But his certainty meant he must know about my grandfather's illness.
"It's none of your business."
I brushed past him, but his voice followed, "I have something you want. You will come to me eventually. Whatever I owe you, I will repay your lost."
Facing away from him, my expression was icy, my steps unhesitating. Evan, you can never repay what you owe me, not in this lifetime!
Submerged in the bathtub, I scrubbed my skin fiercely, turning it red, some areas even showing blood. No one knew what she had endured in those few days in prison three years ago, but she failed to forget it in the last three years.
Those humiliations, those unforgettable nightmares were all gifts from the man I loved!
Standing up, water cascaded off my gleaming skin. No one knew the immense pain I had to endure to recover to whom I was.The pain that felt like needles in my bones, making me wish I was dead.
