Lory’s POV
Being with him every day felt like a new kind of joy.
Whenever he teased me, even my darkest moods seemed to lighten.
But then, my mind jolted back to that night.
My leg had been crushed beyond recognition, twisted and bloodied.
Gasoline mixed with my blood, its sharp stench spreading beneath me.
I remembered praying, ‘I don’t want to die. God, someone, please—save me…’
I woke from the nightmare with a gasp, as though an invisible hand was clamped around my throat, suffocating me.
Breathless and unsettled, I decided I needed a break—a day to step outside, walk a little, and clear my head.
I wandered without realizing where my feet were taking me. Only when I lifted my gaze did I see it—the same mountain road where the accident had happened years ago.
The dark tunnel loomed ahead. I froze, unable to step further.
Suddenly, the sound of brisk footsteps echoed from inside.
To my shock, Frayne emerged from the shadows.
Seven years had passed, and time had reshaped him.
His once unruly hair was now cropped short, a soft flaxen brown. His frame looked leaner. But through the thin cotton of his shirt, I could still make out the faint lines of a well-trained body.
As soon as he saw me retreat, his hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
I twisted, tried to break free twice, but his grip held firm.
Anger flared, and I turned on him, meeting his eyes as I bit out each word.
“Let me go!”
His jawline tightened. A flicker of struggle passed through his brown eyes.
Only after what felt like an eternity did he finally release me, his fingers sliding away.
“Lory,” he said softly, voice tight, “I didn’t mean anything else. I just… I only wanted to know if you’re doing well.”
“I’m doing perfectly fine,” I shot back coldly. “Satisfied? Can I leave now?”
His shoulders stiffened. He lowered his gaze, his voice quiet.
“I know you’re still angry. That day… I shouldn’t have left you behind,” he muttered. “Bettina was just a mistake of my youth. The truth is, the only one I’ve ever really loved is you.”
I drew in a sharp breath. Fury burned through me, and I gave a bitter laugh.
“Do you even know?” My voice trembled with rage. “When the accident happened, I was calling your name. I was begging you to save me.”
I scoffed. “If it hadn’t been for a passerby, I’d have died there alone.”
“And now,” I continued, “you dare to ask me to forgive you? Frayne, how shameless can you be?”
My words hit him like a blow. His tall frame swayed, the color draining from his handsome face.
I coldly pulled up the corners of my lips and turned to leave.
He had made his choice back then.
Now, he could live with the consequences.
At the corner, while I was waiting for a cab, a long-haired woman lifted her cap nearby. A mask hid most of her face, but her voice was exaggeratedly sweet.
“Long time no see, my old friend.”
I frowned and stayed silent. She pulled off her mask.
“You really are forgetful, aren’t you? It’s me—Bettina.”
Later, at a business partner’s birthday party, I drank more than usual.
I slipped out to the garden path and sat on a bench, letting the night air cool my flushed cheeks. From near the fountain, laughter and voices drifted over.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed the sound with my eyes.
And there she was. Bettina was dressed in a black evening gown, clinging to Frayne’s neck with mock sweetness.
“Darling,” she cooed, “after all these years, have you ever thought of me?”
My eyes narrowed. Even from a distance, her downfall was plain.
The gown was creased and ill-fitted. Her exposed back was marred with scratches and blotches.
Her once plump, collagen-rich face had sunken into sharpness.
The thick hair she used to flaunt was now thinning, streaked with white.
By all rights, no one should have been able to enter without an invitation.
For her to sneak into the manor at such risk, she must have been after something.
I remembered the past vividly.
When I left town all those years ago, my close friends had stood up for me.
They publicly exposed Bettina as the “other woman,” beating her on the street until she was black and blue.
The video was uploaded online, fueled with bought traffic and endless reposts. It became one of the most searched scandals of that year.
The school, afraid of its reputation being tarnished by her disgrace, expelled Bettina soon after.
