I was an orphan. I met Jason Miller and Emily Brooks after graduating from Columbia University.
They treated me so well that I gradually came to see them as the two most important people in my life.
I dreamed of walking into the wedding hall hand in hand with Jason, with Emily in her bridesmaid’s dress by my side, witnessing my happiest moment.
But that dream was torn to pieces by cruel reality.
Last night, Jason had dinner with a client and called me to pick him up.
Not long after I drove out of my house, a dump truck came barreling toward me.
The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.
I took a deep breath and told the caretaker Jason had hired,
“Leave me alone for now. I want some peace and quiet.”
She looked at me worriedly and said cautiously,
“Please don’t do anything reckless. Miss Brooks already promised to find the best plastic surgeon for you. And Mr. Miller said he’ll marry you after you’re discharged…”
I cut her off,
“Don’t worry. I won’t be foolish. I’ve already died once—I know what death feels like. I won’t make that mistake again.”
The caretaker misunderstood me, thinking my “died once” referred to last night’s accident.
After she left, I picked up my phone from the bedside table and dialed a number.
When the call connected, I whispered,
“Jason Miller and Emily Brooks just left the hospital. Follow them.”
“Emily’s twenty-fifth birthday is coming up soon. The surprise I prepared for her and Jason—it’s ready, isn’t it?”
A respectful voice answered from the other end,
“Everything is arranged. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have promised that the two of them will be utterly disgraced that day.”
…
I stayed in the hospital for three days. During those days, Jason and Emily came often, patiently comforting me.
But on Emily’s birthday, neither of them showed up.
Emily called to say she had family matters to handle, and Jason claimed a relative in his hometown had passed away and he had to attend the funeral.
After hanging up, I got out of bed and began unwrapping the bandages around my body.
The caretaker was stunned and rushed to stop me.
“Miss Evans, you can’t! Your injuries aren’t healed yet—”
Before she could finish, a group of men stormed into the room. Leading them was my attending physician, followed by several burly bodyguards.
Seeing me take off the bandages, the doctor didn’t seem shocked. Instead, he quickly helped remove the rest.
The caretaker grew more frantic.
“Dr. Harris, what are you doing? Mr. Miller and Miss Brooks strictly ordered that Miss Evans must stay in bed. If they find out, do you realize what will happen?”
She instinctively pulled out her phone, trying to call Jason and Emily.
In the next second, the bodyguards pinned her down and snatched her phone away.
She panicked, struggling and shouting,
“Who are you people? Let me go or I’ll call the police!”
I looked at her coldly and said flatly,
“These past few days, you’ve been watching me and reporting my every move to Jason Miller and Emily Brooks. Were you worried I might run away?”
