I was about to marry the man I grew up with, the one I called Uncle, even though we weren’t related by blood. That night, I was too excited to sleep, so I booked a flight home for the wedding. But the moment I stepped through the door, I saw him, Julian Harrison, kneeling with his girlfriend, Cassie Monroe, begging Grandpa Harrison for his blessing. The scars on Julian’s back were horrifying. “Grandpa, this is my fault. I have to take responsibility. I’ll talk to Sera.” Grandpa Harrison looked at me, seeking my opinion. My face was a mask. “Fine. The wedding is off.” Everyone froze, surprised by how quickly I agreed. After all, everyone knew how possessive I was of my uncle figure. The truth was, I had been reborn. In my past life, because I’d said no. Cassie had run out, distraught, and was tragically hit by a truck, dying instantly, along with the baby she was carrying. After that, Julian became a shell of a man. He married me, kissed me, slept with me. Once, when I was hemorrhaging badly during childbirth, Julian refused to sign my critical condition notice. Yet, he sat by Cassie’s grave all night. Lying on that cold operating table, feeling my life slip away, I finally understood everything. Julian truly didn’t love me. So this life, I was determined to let go. “Sera, don’t feel sorry for him because he got beaten, don’t talk nonsense. The Harrison family has never had a shotgun wedding. Even if it wasn’t for you, I’d still beat him half to death!” Seeing Grandpa Harrison raise his whip to strike again, I quickly intervened. “Grandpa, I’m serious. I’ve realized my feelings for Julian were just gratitude and a child’s dependence, not love.” I said the words, my face blank, though they were a lie. I knew, deep down, that my feelings for Julian were indeed love. From the moment I’d seen him, kneeling in his sharp suit, his back still straight despite the whip marks, my heart had fluttered. His tie was loose, two buttons of his shirt undone. This mature charm was something I never saw in men my age. Grandpa Harrison lowered his hand, sighing. “Sera, if you’ve truly made up your mind, then so be it.” I nodded obediently and helped Grandpa Harrison to his study. Before entering, I glanced back at the two of them. Julian was carefully checking Cassie for injuries, his gaze never once falling on me. He had knelt like that before, been beaten by Grandpa before. Only last time, it was for me. This time, it was for his pregnant girlfriend, begging Grandpa for his blessing. Inside the study, Grandpa Harrison prepared his calligraphy supplies, using the brush to express his troubled mood. I sat quietly beside him. After a long while, Grandpa Harrison finally spoke to me. “Do you really not like Julian anymore? You used to make him feed you every meal, even water. You’d throw a fit if he wasn’t the first person you saw when you woke up. If you change your mind, I’ll tie him up and bring him to you for the wedding next week, even if I have to do it myself.” My family had been kind to the Harrisons, and our engagement had been set since childhood. But a sudden car accident had left me an orphan, my family vanished. Though Grandpa Harrison had treated me like his own granddaughter since I was little, it was really out of respect for my parents. Losing my loved ones, could I still find someone truly devoted to me? Even Julian, the man I once thought would be with me forever, now had a girlfriend. I pulled at my lips, then forced a smile. “Grandpa, you’re talking about things from three years ago. I’m not a child anymore. I know what I’m doing, and I hope you’ll trust me.” Grandpa Harrison’s hand paused in his writing, then he chuckled a few seconds later. “I’m getting old and confused. I forgot you’d been studying abroad for three years. It’s good to have you back.” Back then, I had refused to leave Julian and go abroad alone, to a place without him. Julian had finally promised that if I came back after my studies, he would marry me. Only then did I agree. But as soon as I arrived abroad, Julian blocked all my contact information, disappearing completely from my life. I just assumed he’d done it so I would focus on my studies, and for three years, I hadn’t cried or made a fuss, keeping my distance. Now, though, I understood. Julian had been trying to get rid of me. I stayed with Grandpa Harrison for several hours, practicing calligraphy and chatting about interesting things from abroad. When I finally emerged, Julian was waiting at the door. I ignored him, walking straight to my room. Julian followed silently. The moment I opened my door, he blocked it, pushing his way in and pinning me against it. “Three years, and you don’t recognize me?” Only then did I call out, “Uncle.” Julian looked displeased, his handsome brows furrowing. Though calling him Uncle wasn’t wrong, ever since I’d confessed my feelings, I’d always called him by his first name. That ‘Uncle’ made him feel like I was deliberately keeping my distance. Julian felt a surge of irritation. Just as he was about to speak, a woman’s voice suddenly came from outside the door. “Julian, did you tell Sera about the wedding? I’m feeling some morning sickness, but I don’t know where the restroom is.” Julian snapped back to reality, opened the door, and pulled Cassie into his arms, his eyes filled with doting affection. “Not yet. I was just talking to Sera.” He turned, his gaze instantly becoming distant. “Our wedding next week, yours and mine, is being changed to me and Cassie. Cassie doesn’t have many friends here, so you can be her bridesmaid.” Cassie smiled triumphantly, nestled in Julian’s arms. “Sera, please. I’ll treat you to wedding candy next week.” I agreed, my face still blank. I was determined to have no further relationship with Julian. What did it matter if I helped him a little? Consider it repaying his kindness for raising me. Once I fulfilled the three requests I’d promised him, I would leave, no matter what. To live my own life. After Julian left with Cassie, I opened my suitcase. The first thing I saw was the photo frame I’d carefully protected in a box. It held the only picture of Julian and me together. In the photo, I was smiling brightly, and Julian had made bunny ears above my head with his hand. Julian, usually so serious and stern, had given in to my persistent begging and worn a bunny headband. Back then, I always thought Julian and I would live like that forever. I never imagined he would get married. When I was fifteen, I first heard Julian was going to have an arranged marriage.
I cried all night, locked myself in my room, and refused to eat for three days, all to make Julian feel guilty and concerned. I knew Julian, who usually worried if I even lost a single strand of hair, wouldn’t be able to bear it. This method of hurting myself only worked on him. And just as I expected. I starved myself for three days, and Julian coaxed me gently outside my door for three days. He talked until his voice was hoarse and his eyes were red, yet he still wouldn’t give up. Finally, after he promised he would never marry and would only stay with me forever, I opened the door. That day, the man who had just been rejected from an engagement was happier than if he’d won the world. The moment I opened the door, Julian rushed in and hugged me tightly. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and he kept repeating, terrified, “As long as you’re okay, as long as you’re okay.” I looked at the two people in the photo, tears welling up in my eyes, uncontrollably falling onto the picture. At that moment, an urgent knocking suddenly sounded outside my door. Julian’s anxious voice filled the air. “Sera, what are you doing in there? Open the door!” “Sera, don’t scare me, okay? Sera!” Lost in my memories, I hadn’t heard the knocking. By the time I stood up to open the door, it was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Caught off guard, my forehead was struck, and I cried out in pain. Julian stood there, holding the broken lock, his face dark. But when he saw me clutching my forehead, my face streaked with tears. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, unable to breathe. Julian rushed forward to examine my wound. Before he could even speak, his mouth was already blowing on the spot. “You’ve been in there so long, I was really worried about you.” Hearing his familiar words, tears welled up in my eyes again. Just then, Cassie gasped downstairs. Julian immediately stopped, turning to rush downstairs. When I went out, I saw Julian holding Cassie’s hand, gently placing it on his face. “Let the maid do things like serving dishes. You’re pregnant, you need to be careful with everything.” He pulled out a chair for Cassie, then blew on the hot soup in his hand, cooling it, before personally feeding it to her. I stood upstairs for a long time, watching this tenderness that once belonged only to me, my heart a tangle of emotions. I’d only been abroad for three years, and Julian already had a child. His promise to never marry and stay with me forever, it was all a lie. Perhaps I was always meant to live in this world alone. Unconsciously, large tears rolled down onto my hands clutching the banister. I’d lost count of how many times I’d cried today, but it didn’t matter. From now on, I wouldn’t shed another tear for Julian. After composing myself, I calmly went downstairs for dinner. At that moment, all I wanted was to finish this meal, then go upstairs and adjust to the time difference. But Julian didn’t want to let me go, displaying his adoration for Cassie at the dining table. Cassie had a poor appetite and wanted Julian’s sweet and sour fish, so he rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen. If Cassie had a grain of rice on her lip, he pulled out sanitizing wipes designed for pregnant women and gently cleaned her mouth. When Cassie complained of a sore back midway through the meal, he pulled her chair closer and massaged her waist with one hand. I watched silently, simply eating my dinner. Cassie blushed, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally falling on me. “Julian, you spoil me too much. I’m only a little over a month pregnant, and you’re making such a fuss. You’ll make me even more dependent on you.” Julian stared at me for a few seconds. Seeing no sign of impatience in me, his eyes held a complex expression. He didn’t respond to Cassie, just fed her the last spoonful of soup in her bowl. “You must have been scared today. Get a good night’s sleep tonight, you still have to go wedding dress shopping tomorrow.” Julian put down the bowl, his face expressionless as he looked at me. “We won’t need you as a bridesmaid anymore. This is my first wedding, everything needs to be auspicious. Tomorrow, you’ll accompany Cassie to pick out her wedding dress.” I, who had kept my head down, finally looked up. Was Julian saying I was unlucky? Just because I was the one who got called off? I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Okay.” Hearing my reply, Julian’s back, as he was leaving with Cassie, suddenly froze. “Sera, you’ve grown up in three years. I’m relieved you can think this way.” He said, then continued to walk away. The food in my mouth tasted like ash. I looked at the bowl of soup Julian had specially cooled for me. This small bowl, decorated with my favorite cartoon character from my childhood, had been handmade by Julian when I was ten. Julian was good at everything, except drawing. The crooked, wobbly lines were from the best of the dozens he’d made. Only then did I realize. Julian had been by my side for fifteen years. He had almost completely taken over my past. I looked up and drank the soup from the small bowl. It was cold, but not as cold as my heart felt now. After finishing it, I tossed the small bowl into the trash. That night, I lay in bed, my mind replaying all my memories with Julian. Usually, at this hour, I would be lying obediently in bed, waiting for Julian to come tell me a bedtime story. But now, I listened to the sounds of heavy breathing coming from Julian’s room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The sounds of passion, one after another, were like sharp swords piercing my heart, making me wish I were dead. Because I was so exhausted, I finally fell into a deep sleep sometime after midnight. The next day, I was woken by the sound of things being smashed in Julian’s room. When I woke, dawn was just breaking.
Julian and Cassie were having a furious argument. Julian stormed out, and Cassie collapsed weakly on the balcony, crying. The next second, Cassie spotted me, peeking from outside the door. Cassie wiped away her tears and waved me over with a bright smile. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t refuse Cassie; after all, she was the beautiful senior I admired most. I eventually walked over and sat with Cassie on the balcony. Cassie was crying so beautifully, her face streaked with tears, it took my breath away. But even someone like her worried about love. Cassie raised her hand and touched my face, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. “They all say you look a lot like me, seven or eight parts, actually. At first, I didn’t believe it. Now it seems, you really do look a bit like my non-biological sister.” “When you went to study abroad, I threw his phone away so he couldn’t contact you. I’d fallen in love with him long before. For someone like me to become his friend, it was fate’s blessing.” I wasn’t sure what I was saying. Cassie had already pulled my hand to her stomach. “Sera, do you know? I got this child by drugging Julian; he doesn’t love me at all. I know what I did was wrong to you, but if I didn’t do it, I would never have been able to marry Julian. You know what happened to me, you’ll understand me, right?” Cassie bared her arm, holding it up to me. I looked at the shocking scars, my expression complex. Cassie’s ex-boyfriend, resentful that she broke up with him, had called a few thugs to assault her after they split. I knew, because I was the one who called Julian afterward, and we went to the police station together to report it. But because of that, Cassie and Julian had crossed paths. Cassie leaned weakly against the cold wall, her eyes vacant. “Last night, after he walked me to my room, he went out drinking. He came back late at night, climbed into my bed, and, hazy with alcohol, started kissing me and taking off my clothes. I was even a little happy, thinking he had feelings for me, but the name he kept mumbling was always someone else’s, even on our first night.” At this, Cassie’s eyes turned hateful as she looked at me. Seeing me still silent, showing no reaction, Cassie’s breathing grew rapid, a hint of desperation in her eyes. She suddenly sat up, gripping my hand. “Sera, you won’t steal him from me, will you? I’m already carrying his child. The baby is innocent and can’t be without a father.” Feeling Cassie’s hopeful gaze, I said blandly, “I don’t like Julian anymore. You don’t need to worry.” I didn’t know what Julian’s feelings for me were. I only knew that in my past life, when I had cried and screamed, refusing Julian’s marriage to Cassie, Cassie had broken down and died. From that moment, Julian had lost his soul, becoming like a puppet on strings. Later, when I was hemorrhaging during childbirth, clinging to life, he had unhesitatingly abandoned both my life and our child’s. This life, no matter what, I didn’t want to repeat that tragedy. When the two of them came out, Julian was leaning against the car, smoking thoughtfully. Today he wore a black shirt and dress pants, his sleeves rolled up, revealing toned muscles and the sexy lines of his veins. My breath hitched involuntarily. As if remembering I disliked the smell of smoke, or perhaps seeing Cassie was pregnant, Julian put out his cigarette. He pulled a diamond necklace worth millions from his pocket and fastened it around Cassie’s neck. He glanced at me, then leaned down to whisper in Cassie’s ear. “Baby, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t raise my voice at you again. Can you forgive me?” Cassie nodded, seemingly surprised that Julian would apologize proactively. Julian smiled, satisfied, and kissed Cassie’s brow. “Pick any wedding dress today, darling. Husband’s paying.” He leaned in to kiss Cassie’s lips, but she pushed him away. “Mmm, didn’t you get enough last night? Sera’s still here.” Julian seemed to notice me then, his brows furrowed, annoyed at being interrupted. “It’s fine. I just have to learn to accept the fact that I’m an outsider.” Yes, I was an outsider. The person closest to me in this world was gone. Julian coldly ordered me into the car. I obediently sat in the backseat. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the two outside the car, kissing passionately, as if deliberately demonstrating their affection. This time, Julian kissed her much longer than usual. Ten minutes later, the car door opened. Julian, while helping Cassie buckle her seatbelt, stole another kiss. Cassie’s face instantly flushed, and she playfully accused Julian of being insatiable. Julian, however, was unfazed. He looked up at me in the rearview mirror. “Cassie will be marrying into the family next week. You need to get used to our dynamic. Remember, *I* am the lady of this house.” I seriously watched the scenery passing by outside the window, my face expressionless. “I understand, Uncle.” Julian heard the answer he wanted, but he wasn’t as happy as he’d expected. Instead, the words sounded incredibly grating, stirring an inexplicable irritation within him. Cassie softly chastised Julian. “Don’t be so serious with Sera. If she hadn’t talked to me so much just now, I wouldn’t have forgiven you so quickly.” Julian dotingly stroked Cassie’s head. “Whatever you say.” Throughout the ride, I maintained my role as an “outsider,” not disturbing their romantic discussion of wedding plans. The car soon arrived at the bridal shop, and I, relieved, was the first to get out. Cassie, however, tugged at me, insisting on getting ice cream from across the street.
Julian smiled indulgently at this, returning to the car to get his phone. I didn’t want to play the role of “close sisters” with Cassie, and I tried to wriggle my hand free from her grasp. But Cassie, using the momentum, stumbled backward. Just then, a car passed by, crashing directly into Cassie. By the time I reached out to pull her, it was too late. I watched in horror as Cassie was thrown to the ground, blood pooling around her. The next second, I heard Julian’s furious roar. “Sera, you want to die!” I didn’t know how I ended up at the hospital. When I regained consciousness, Julian was having his bodyguards escort me to donate blood for Cassie. I instinctively tried to pull away, but Julian fiercely yanked my hand, pinning it before the nurse. “Sera, you’ll pay for what you did! Cassie is lying in the operating room, fighting for her life. If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll never let you, her killer, off the hook!” I stood there, stunned. The adoration Julian once held for me was gone, replaced by a raging hatred in his eyes. I refused to yield, struggling constantly. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t push her. Julian, please believe me.” I shook my head repeatedly, my eyes filled with desperate pleas. But Julian acted as if he hadn’t heard, coldly commanding the nurse. “Take as much blood as Cassie needs! Do whatever it takes to save her life!” I knew there was nothing I could do, and I gave a self-deprecating laugh. In my past life, Julian hadn’t been willing to save me. This life, to save Cassie’s life, he was again disregarding my well-being. I was wrong. Neither in my past life nor this one had Julian ever loved me. Why should I humiliate myself further? As the blood was slowly drawn from my body, I felt incredibly thirsty and couldn’t stop shivering. When the nurse finished drawing the last bag of blood, I was already drifting into a daze, my body utterly drained, devoid of life. Just before I lost consciousness. I weakly uttered three words. “That’s number two.” This was the second request I’d promised Julian. Just one more, and I could escape this place forever, to somewhere Julian wasn’t. I woke up again in the middle of the night. I’d been on an IV drip all day. The moment I opened my eyes, the nurse who had been guarding me rushed out. “Mr. Harrison, Ms. Sterling is awake.” A few minutes later, Julian brought in over a dozen top specialists to examine me. They filled the entire room. I scanned the room but didn’t see Julian. After the examination, the nurse accompanied me to the restroom. Passing by a luxurious VIP room, I saw Julian kneeling by Cassie’s bedside. “Cassie, even though we lost the baby, you still have me! We’ll get married next week and have another child, I’ll be with you forever, okay? While you were unconscious, I was terrified. I knelt outside your room, begging heaven for you to wake up. I’d do anything if you just woke up.” Julian frantically slapped himself. Cassie, lying in bed, turned her head away, unmoved. “Cassie, you can hit me or yell at me, but please don’t ignore me.” Cassie still showed no reaction. Julian knelt for half an hour, and I stood outside watching for half an hour. During the time I was unconscious, I thought Julian would regret it, that he would worry about my safety and wait for me to wake up. After all, when I had a high fever at twelve, Julian, to bring my fever down, had driven alone in the middle of the night to the most renowned mountain temple, miles away. Julian, who never believed in deities, had walked step by step, bowing, climbing a full 999 stairs, and knelt there for a day and a night, begging heaven for his beloved girl to recover. He would run countless red lights to rush back to the hospital before dawn, just so I would see him first when I woke up. At that time, the nurses all said. I was Julian’s life. The person he would protect with his entire life. I too once thought I was special to him. But now, Julian, who was once so proud, was humbly kneeling by Cassie’s bedside, begging for forgiveness, promising to be with Cassie forever. It wasn’t until the nurse beside me reminded me not to stand too long that I snapped back to reality. The moment I turned, Julian saw me outside the door. He didn’t understand how things had come to this. He thought, after his wedding with Cassie next week, he would explain everything to me. I would understand his difficulties. I returned to my room, only to see someone carrying away my bedding. Seeing me, the person grumbled. “Ms. Sterling, Mr. Harrison wants me to tell you that this room has been vacated. If you need to recover, please go home.” Before leaving, I heard the person mumble under their breath. “Thought she was so favored, but she’s just a jinx clinging to the Harrison family. And now she’s killed the Harrison family’s flesh and blood in Ms. Monroe’s womb. Just had a few bags of blood drawn and she wants to pretend to be pitiful and stay in the hospital.” I just listened to what they said in silence. Without Julian’s tacit approval, no one would dare speak to me like that. Living under someone else’s roof, I naturally understood that principle. But it was the middle of the night, and there were no cars on the road, so I could only walk home. By the time I arrived, dawn was just breaking.
My feet were covered in blisters, and my head felt dizzy. I looked at myself in the mirror, lips cracked, face pale, and suddenly smiled. I remembered the day I was brought to the Harrison family. Everyone had called me a jinx then, and no one wanted to adopt me. It was Julian, just starting his career, who stepped forward and said he would protect me for life. He didn’t just drive me everywhere; he had dozens of chefs just for my meals. I could barely remember the last time I had walked such a long distance. Just as I was about to go back to my room, Julian suddenly returned. The moment he saw me, Julian blurted out. “Hungry? I’ll make breakfast.” Only then did he realize I was no longer the clingy girl from three years ago. His smile froze, and he sank tiredly onto the sofa. I chose to ignore him, turning and heading upstairs. Whether from extreme exhaustion or fainting again, I slept for a day and a night. When I woke, no one was beside me. But there were signs someone had been sitting on the bed. I paid it no mind, opened my phone, and booked a flight ticket. Only one request left, then I could leave this place forever. But the moment I opened my phone, I received countless abusive DMs on social media. “Vampire, jinx, get out of the Harrison family!” “Being adopted by the Harrison family wasn’t enough, you even dared to dream of marrying into it! Ms. Monroe is so pitiful, and you even killed her baby!” “Why weren’t you the one who died in the car accident! A malicious person like you doesn’t deserve to live!” Message after message flooded in, overwhelming me. For the entire next day, I received packages from different places and different people every hour. There were black and white photos of me and my parents; blood-stained knives; all sorts of strange spiders and centipedes; and creepy prank toys. Eventually, the packages piled up into a mountain, and I didn’t even dare to approach the front door. I didn’t know what I had done wrong. On the day of the car accident, I clearly hadn’t meant to harm Cassie, only to save her. Even if she had taken the thing I cherished most. If only there was a video to prove my innocence. Right! The bridal shop had surveillance cameras. With that thought, I immediately got up and rushed to the bridal shop. But when I arrived, the owner just said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Ms. Sterling, the surveillance camera was indeed broken that day.” I didn’t give up, turning to run to other stores. It didn’t matter, even a tiny bit of footage would help. But after asking everyone on the street, every owner gave me the same excuse. The entire street, over a dozen stores, and not a single one had surveillance footage! At that moment, someone on the street recognized me. “Isn’t that the adopted daughter who killed the Harrison family’s flesh and blood? How dare you show your face!” The person said, then threw a freshly bought egg at me. It hit me squarely on the head. The egg cracked, shell mixed with yolk, staining my carefully styled hair, sticky and running down my neck into my dress. The crowd gathered quickly, like sharks smelling blood. “She looks pretty and sweet, but her heart is so malicious!” “The Harrison family showed her kindness, but she didn’t even feel grateful, instead harming a Harrison family member! She’s truly the modern version of ‘The Farmer and the Snake’!” “Let’s all unite and drive her out of Northwood!” With that, the crowd surged towards me. I turned and ran, all the way home. Once home, I piled all the packages outside and set them on fire. As the flames ignited, growing higher, I could no longer hold back my tears and sobbed loudly. I had never meant to hurt anyone, so why did everyone treat me like an enemy? Suddenly, I received a message from Cassie. “Sera, you promised to give Julian to me. Why are you still checking the surveillance footage? Do you want him to hate me! If you have any conscience, I hope you’ll stop. Only then will Julian believe, and completely stop loving you.” So, this was all her doing. But now, it wasn’t a question of whether I wanted to give up, but that I couldn’t find any evidence to prove my innocence. The flames continued to rise, burning higher and higher. The next second, someone embraced me. Julian held me tenderly, stroking my head gently, reaching up to wipe away the tears from my eyes. “Sera, don’t cry.” When I cried, Julian felt his heart breaking. Smelling his familiar scent, I instinctively wanted to burrow into his arms, to find the long-lost sense of security. But when I caught the faint smell of hospital disinfectant clinging to Julian, I unhesitatingly pulled away from his embrace. No amount of cologne could cover that pungent antiseptic smell. From yesterday until now, I had been under continuous cyberbullying. Julian, who dealt with the internet daily, couldn’t possibly be unaware. Yet, he had never once shown concern for me, always staying at the hospital with his fiancée, Cassie. Julian looked utterly surprised when I pushed him away. Since returning home, I had pushed him away more than once. But this time, he felt more frantic than ever before. As if something was slipping away from him, something he could no longer grasp. He hugged me tighter, filled with a deep fear. This time, no matter how much I struggled, Julian wouldn’t let go. “Sera, don’t leave me, I’m begging you. Just give me a little more time, wait for me, okay?” Julian’s panic was clear in his eyes. I couldn’t understand how he, who was getting married next week, could shamelessly say such a thing. But strangely, a flicker of hope ignited within me. If Julian didn’t make a third request, could I perhaps stay by his side forever? I knew it was impossible, and sure enough. The next second, Julian whispered his final request in my ear. “Sera, will you apologize to Cassie, please?” At his words, it felt like a bolt from the blue, leaving me stunned.
He wanted me, the victim, to apologize to the perpetrator? Was this his third request? I looked up, incredulous, seeking confirmation. “Are you sure you want me to apologize to Cassie? Julian, I didn’t push her.” But Julian just nodded, again and again, looking somewhat helpless. “Sera. Cassie lost her child, a pain I can’t bear for her. One last time, I promise, one last time.” Seeing Julian’s humbled expression, I closed my eyes and nodded. He was no longer the man I once loved. “Okay. That’s three.” One last time. Julian didn’t understand what I meant by “second time” or “third time.” He only knew that once I apologized, he could tell me everything and we could go back to how we were. Little did he know, things wouldn’t go as planned. I had thought I would simply be taken to the hospital to say a quick apology to Cassie. But to my surprise, Julian had called a press conference, intending to publicly support Cassie in front of the whole world. When the bodyguards brought me to the stage like a criminal, Julian was elegantly ascending with Cassie in his arms. After two days, Cassie looked much better. She was vibrant, her eyes full of trust and anticipation for love. In a place unseen by others, Cassie mouthed a sentence to me. “I’m sorry, I won again this time. Julian truly cares for me.” After Julian gave a distorted account of events, I was brought before the flashing cameras. In the hall filled with a hundred people, I, the innocent, bowed in apology to the culprit. Just when I thought it was all over, Julian had someone bring a cup of “forgiveness tea.” If Cassie accepted it and took a sip, it meant she was willing to forgive me. I resignedly took the steaming tea, holding it out to Cassie. But as I waited, minute after minute, Cassie remained nestled in Julian’s arms. “Julian, I’m still so dizzy.” Finally, just as my hands were thoroughly scalded red, Cassie took the cup. “Julian, the tea’s too hot, I won’t drink it. I don’t feel well, I want to go home.” Julian nodded, ending the press conference. Afterward, I declined Julian’s offer to drive me home. I walked back to the Harrison estate alone. Julian stood by the open car door, watching my retreating back. He couldn’t wait another second. No one knew how much he wanted to run over, embrace this stubborn, heartbreaking girl tightly, and soothe all her past grievances. He remembered the first time he saw me. A little girl barely reaching his waist, her face full of fear, standing behind him, tugging at his shirt, whispering, “Thank you for adopting me, I’ll be very obedient.” It wasn’t until Cassie called out to him that he snapped back to reality. Julian thought, soon, very soon. After he took Cassie to the hospital for a check-up, he would immediately turn the car around and go home. But he didn’t know that the moment he arrived at the hospital, I had already packed my bags and left for the airport. I sat in the taxi, watching the familiar car beside me run several red lights. In my heart, I quietly said, “Julian, goodbye. And good riddance.” The two cars sped past each other. Julian anxiously pressed the accelerator, only one thought in his mind. To explain everything to Sera, to give her a long-overdue hug.
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