The night before my wedding, Christian’s charity student, Stella, was in trouble again. “Stella overdosed on sleeping pills. She just got rescued.” “Her parents are claiming that by taking her away, I ruined her reputation.” “If I don’t marry her, those monsters will marry her off to some local eccentric.” Christian leaned against my doorframe, lighting a cigarette. “You’re not very mobile, so having her stand in for you at the wedding would be good for you too.” “To avoid any suspicion, you can go abroad for a while. Think of it as a vacation.” The sharp pain of my nails digging into my palm jolted me back to reality. “Okay,” I whispered. The room was thick with cigarette smoke, making me cough. It had been a long time since I last saw Christian Hayes, my fiancé. The last time was a month ago, on my birthday. He was unusually happy, inviting a bunch of friends from his circle to celebrate with me. As I blew out my candles and made a wish, Stella accidentally knocked over my cake. The lit candles caught the blanket covering my legs on fire. My legs were burned, but it was Stella who looked terrified. She immediately dropped to her knees, her face contorted with fear. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Vance. It’s all my fault. I deserve to die. I shouldn’t even be here!” With that, she bowed her head repeatedly towards me, practically knocking it on the floor. “Ms. Vance, please forgive me! I truly have nowhere else to go if I leave the Hayes family. Please don’t kick me out, please…” Stella sobbed, her whole body trembling, looking utterly terrified. My friends, who were rushing to check my injury, were instantly distracted by her. “What’s going on?” “I heard Mr. Hayes’ fiancée doesn’t like this charity student. Looks like she’s been giving her a hard time.” “If you ask me, Ms. Vance should’ve taught her a lesson long ago. Always hovering around Christian, who knows what she’s really after.” … Christian, who had been kneeling beside me, worriedly checking my burns, looked up at me, bewildered. Then he stood up and walked decisively towards Stella. “Stella, no one blames you,” Christian gently comforted her. “I’m here. No one can make you leave.” He pulled Stella into a hug, and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. The guests exchanged glances, wanting to say something but holding back. Finally, someone whispered a reminder. “Christian, Eleanor is still hurt.” Stella heard that and immediately lifted her head, her eyes wide with fresh panic. She pulled away from Christian’s embrace and stumbled back to kneel before me again. “Ms. Vance, it’s all my fault. Please don’t make things difficult for Christian.” “Whatever it takes to calm your anger, I’ll do it!” “I know you’ve always hated me, hated that I have normal legs…” “If it makes you feel better, I’m willing to burn my legs too!” Stella put on a pitiful display, looking at me, but I ignored her. She gritted her teeth and reached for a lighter on the table, as if to ignite it. “Enough!” Christian slapped the lighter out of Stella’s hand and pulled her back into his arms. “Eleanor Vance, do you have to drive her to her death to be satisfied?!” I, who had been startled and frozen in place, finally snapped back. “What?” “You know she’s studying dance, why would you want to burn her legs?!” “Stella has it hard enough already. It wasn’t on purpose. Is it really fun for you to target her like this?” “The accident back then wasn’t her fault, so how long are you going to hold a grudge?” Christian’s angry accusations felt alien to me. “I didn’t…” My defense was cut off before I could even utter it. “Ha, you just can’t dance anymore, so you can’t stand to see anyone else succeed.” “Eleanor Vance, you’re taking advantage of Stella’s dependent position, bullying her when I’m not around.” “But don’t forget, you’re not much better off than her.” I stared at Christian in disbelief. “I was the one who insisted on sponsoring Stella. If you have a problem, take it out on me, but don’t resort to such low tactics. It makes me sick.” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance, turning and carrying Stella upstairs. “Christian! Eleanor’s leg is still injured, and you’re just going to leave her like that?!” A friend jumped in to defend me, but Christian didn’t even turn his head. “What’s the act? How could a cripple’s leg have any feeling?” “Maria, take Ms. Vance back to her room. She’s not allowed to leave until Stella says she forgives her!”
My friends’ sympathetic glances didn’t linger for long. The second Maria took my wheelchair, Christian dismissed all the guests. Maria pushed me to my room, knelt down, and carefully treated my wound. “Ms. Vance, are you in pain?” she asked, tears splashing onto my leg. I shook my head. A cripple’s leg has no feeling, so even if it’s burned, what’s the big deal? But strangely, my numb legs were now throbbing with piercing pain. I lay in bed, tears soaking my pillow again and again. After what felt like an eternity, the accident from years ago resurfaced in my dreams. The country estate abroad held almost all my childhood joys. There, my parents didn’t have to work all day, and they had plenty of time to spend with me. We’d go on boat rides, fly kites, read books, and play the piano together. Before bed, I used to wish upon the brightest star in the night sky for our family to be happy forever. But the forest fire came so fast. So fast that I didn’t even get to see my parents one last time. The acrid smoke choked me, making it impossible to open my eyes, and the pain of the wooden beam crashing onto my legs made me pass out. When I woke up again, only those fake relatives stood by my side, along with a lawyer holding a will, waiting to read it. The memory of that day gradually blurred… I only remember the relatives getting furious and arguing when they realized they couldn’t get any benefits from me. “I’m his actual uncle! How dare that brat cut me out!” “All of it to just one little girl? We’re her true family! Why let someone named Hayes manage all this for her?” “They’re only giving us this much money to raise her?” “What a family disgrace! A true disgrace!” They argued, pushed each other, and shirked the responsibility of raising me. Until Christian pushed open the door. He roared, chasing away those greedy relatives, and held me tightly in his arms. “Don’t be scared, Ellie. If they won’t raise you, I will.” Tears slowly filled my empty eyes, and my fingers clenched tightly onto the hem of his shirt. Finally, I buried my face in his embrace, letting all my sadness and resentment pour out in tears. I could feel Christian’s body trembling. But he just choked out, repeating, “Don’t be scared, I’m here.”
Christian misunderstood. I should explain things clearly to him. That’s what I thought. But I waited in my room for one day, two days, a week, two weeks… He never showed up. “Dependent,” “cripple”—my mind started to wander. Christian had changed. He no longer cared about my pain. He no longer trusted me. In the constant anxiety that filled my days, something inside me slowly began to fade away. Finally, he came that day. But it was to replace me as his bride. “The wedding, I’ll make it up to you later. I’ll explain things to Mom and Dad.” “I’ll rent a nice place for you abroad and arrange for someone to take care of you.” “Stella’s life is already hard enough. Can’t you just try to understand…” Christian frowned, as if my refusal would be an unforgivable sin. “Okay,” I nodded, my calmness surprising even myself. Christian froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting me to agree so readily. His prepared lecture went unused. The acrid smoke made me cough again. Christian seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly snuffed out his cigarette. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little stressed.” For Stella, he’d been constantly stressed for Stella these past few years. Seeing no reaction from me, he explained again. “Ellie, since I decided to sponsor Stella, I have to be responsible for her life.” “Mhm.” “Living in an environment like that, she’s just so insecure.” “I swear, this is the last time I’ll help her. As soon as her family stops bothering her, I’ll cut ties with her immediately.” “Mhm.” “Once this is settled, we’ll get our marriage license.” “…” I didn’t respond to Christian’s words, just pressed a hand to my forehead. “I’m tired. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” I turned my wheelchair around and pressed the call button by my bed. Maria walked in. “Mr. Hayes, please leave. Ms. Vance needs to rest.” Christian opened his mouth, a somewhat crestfallen expression on his face. “Okay, get some rest.” With that, he turned and left.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were my parents’ long-time best friends. They handled my parents’ funeral arrangements and took me in to live with them. From then on, they treated me like their own daughter. Mrs. Hayes once held my hand, smiling, and asked if I’d be willing to be her goddaughter. But Christian interrupted her, so flustered he could barely speak. From that moment, I knew clearly that my relationship with Christian was no longer ordinary. The Christian of the past was flamboyant, carefree, and never took anything seriously. But ever since my accident, he seemed to have become a different person. He voluntarily took on the responsibility of caring for my daily needs, even asking Mr. and Mrs. Hayes to let him drop a grade to study with me. Every morning, he would carry me to the car, and at school, he’d carry me into the classroom. He would carefully blow on my hot soup to cool it down, meticulously choose blankets to cover my legs, and push me around the track every evening to feel the breeze… Of course, he would also argue, even fight, with others who gossiped about me. He started learning how to take care of people, and he also started sitting alone, silent and withdrawn. I once saw him, in the early hours of the morning, secretly crying alone in his room. His love for me was known to everyone. So, how could I not love him? I couldn’t *not* love him. But ever since Stella came to this house, everything seemed to change. I still remember the first time I met Stella. That year, it was our senior year of high school, and everyone was under a lot of pressure. Christian and his friends planned a hiking trip. When he came back, he had Stella with him. The simply dressed girl shyly hid behind Christian, greeting me. “Hello, big sister.” Christian patiently explained Stella’s plight to me. She lived in a rural area, her father was an alcoholic and abusive, and her mother was passive. She’d only received compulsory education because the village insisted. In her teens, her parents planned to marry her off to a stranger to get money for her brother. Christian couldn’t bear it. He gave her parents a sum of money. He promised to sponsor Stella through college and then brought her home. “Ellie, I failed to protect you back then. Now, I can’t bear to see her fall into despair too.” Christian was wrong. I wasn’t the only one still holding a grudge about that accident.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were very busy, constantly traveling for work all over the world, so they rarely stayed at the house. Thinking that one more person might make the house feel livelier, I smiled and welcomed Stella in. At first, Stella was always cautious around the house. Christian kept her by his side every day, buying her new clothes, teaching her how to interact with people. Slowly, Stella’s smile grew, and Christian seemed happier too. So she would laugh and twirl, showing Christian her new dresses. She would pull Christian out for a run every morning. They’d meet up for walks on the track, their hands brushing casually. Though I was neglected more and more often, seeing Christian’s radiant smile, I didn’t feel much resentment. After all, I loved him. Despite all this, Stella’s daily clinging to Christian still drew dissatisfaction from those around us. “Who’s that freshman girl?” “I heard she’s Christian’s charity student.” “Why is she always glued to him? Doesn’t she know Christian has a girlfriend? No sense of boundaries at all!” “Exactly! Christian and Eleanor have been engaged since childhood. I heard their wedding date is set; they’re getting their marriage license right after college.” “She’s from a small town, what does she know? She probably just wants to latch onto Christian and skyrocket her life…” Everyone knew about my relationship with Christian, so naturally, they disliked Stella’s behavior and targeted her, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. Then, one bright morning, Stella ran into my classroom with red eyes and dropped to her knees in front of me. “Ms. Vance, I know I was wrong. Please stop spreading rumors that I’m a homewrecker.” “I won’t bother Christian anymore, please, please don’t let those people bully me anymore…” Before I could even process her nonsensical words, Christian, who was beside me, shot up. I rarely saw him get that angry, even angrier than the day he heard some delinquents jokingly call me a ‘cripple.’ He harshly warned everyone around us to stop spreading rumors, and even his gaze towards me held a chill. Stella’s crying grew even more heartbroken. “After being talked about like this, I can’t bear to stay here anymore!” With that, she ran out, crying. “Stella!” Christian immediately chased after her, frantic. As he left, he bumped my wheelchair, and I inexplicably felt a sharp pain. It turned out the pen he’d dropped had scratched my lower leg, and a string of bright red blood trickled down. For a moment, it wasn’t just my heart that ached. Christian no longer belonged to me. This thought crossed my mind for the first time.
That day, Christian and Stella didn’t show up until school let out. In the evening, a drizzle began to fall. Did Christian make it home? Did he get caught in the rain? I instinctively started to worry. I picked up my phone and called him, but it rang for a long time with no answer. Classmates gradually started heading home, their gazes towards me filled with a hint of pity. “Ellie, do you need a ride home?” Chloe, a girl I was usually friendly with, walked over and asked cautiously. It was a kind gesture, but I inexplicably twisted up inside. “No, thank you. My driver will pick me up.” I wore a polite smile. As if doing so could protect my ridiculous pride. As if doing so could hide the fact that Christian had abandoned me. But I was wrong. “Ms. Vance, I’m on my way to pick up Mr. Hayes now. Aren’t you two together?” “I’m sorry, it seems Stella had an accident. Mr. Hayes is in a hurry, so please wait at school for now.” The sky gradually darkened, and the school lights went out. The blanket on my legs couldn’t ward off the damp chill, and my body began to shiver slightly. The darkness made me uneasy. I started trying to push my wheelchair. Cold rainwater splashed on me, and a biting cold swept through. But I didn’t want to wait anymore. Was I so reliant on Christian that I couldn’t even get home without him? The wheelchair, slick with water, became incredibly difficult to move. The blanket on me, soaked through, felt heavy. I wanted to pick it up and throw it away. But the wheelchair suddenly slid, and I fell clumsily to the ground. “Ah!” I cried out in pain, trying to stand up, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. “Eleanor Vance!” The girl I had refused returned and found me fallen in the schoolyard. I could no longer tell if it was tears or rain on my face… In the end, it was Chloe who took me home. “Oh, dear! Ms. Vance, what happened to you? Quick, get some hot water ready for Ms. Vance!” Maria anxiously picked me up and thanked the girl who had brought me home. But I just turned my head away, unable to utter a single word the entire time. By the time I had cleaned up the scrapes on my arms and face and was lying in bed, Christian and Stella finally came home. “Christian, I’m scared. Can you stay with me a little longer?” Stella’s tearful plea reached my ears, and I suddenly felt utterly disgusted. Maria spoke up to remind him, “Mr. Hayes, Ms. Vance is injured.” “Christian…” “If you’re hurt, rest up. I’m not a doctor.” Christian dropped that sentence and didn’t linger outside my door for another step. Even when it was later confirmed that those rumors about Stella hadn’t been spread by me, I never received an apology from Christian or Stella. “Didn’t I tell you to wait at school? Why did you have to act tough? You fell and hurt yourself like this…” “Stella is just a bit insecure. Her way of handling things is inappropriate, but try to understand her.” “Besides, if you were more tolerant towards her, would she have suspected you?” “Ellie, Stella has it hard enough. Do you really have to be so petty with her?” It felt like from that day on, I slowly lost all my emotions regarding Christian. No desire to question, no more jealousy.
A relationship bound by so-called gratitude felt utterly meaningless. Christian finally allowed me to leave my room. Maria was even happier than usual as she pushed me to get ready. “Mr. Hayes was just throwing a tantrum. How could he bear to keep you locked up in here every day?” “They’re about to get married, but he still acts like such a child.” “Today I told the kitchen to make several of Ms. Vance’s favorite dishes. You’ve gotten a bit thin these past few days…” When Maria pushed me into the dining room, Stella first looked at Christian in surprise. Seeing no reaction from him, she then stood up and intimately took my wheelchair from Maria. “I haven’t seen you in days, big sister. I missed you so much! Are you feeling better?” Truth be told, Stella and I weren’t very close. Her forced intimacy now just repulsed me. “Eat more, big sister. Look how thin you’ve gotten.” As she spoke, Stella kept putting food on my plate. Christian seemed pleased to see us getting along, teasing, “Why don’t I ever see you put food on my plate?” Stella feigned shyness. “Can’t you ever eat without talking?” I wasn’t in the mood to watch them flirt. I just wanted to finish my meal and leave. “Um, big sister.” Seeing me ignore her, Stella fidgeted and looked at me again. “Even though what happened last time wasn’t intentional on your part, I still don’t really want to see you.” I felt as if I’d heard the biggest joke. “So? You want to keep me locked in my room?” “Stella!” Christian snapped, his voice sharp. Stella’s eyes immediately welled up. “No, big sister, it’s just that it hurt me so much. Is it true that you still don’t like me? Christian, I’m scared…” “Ms. Reed.” I truly had no more strength to argue. “All the common areas in this house have cameras. Everyone knows how I usually treat you, whether I’ve ever mistreated or bullied you. You don’t need to put on an act for me.” Stella took a deep breath, looking at Christian in disbelief. Christian, too, frowned impatiently. Of course, he knew everything. He just didn’t want to explain for me, choosing to side with Stella unconditionally.
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