Chapter 1

When the landslide hit, Chloe and I fell down the mountain together.

My boyfriend grabbed Chloe, put her on his back, and walked away right in front of me.

He left me there all alone.

Everyone rushed to get Chloe to the hospital, completely ignoring me.

When someone finally saved me and brought me to the hospital, my boyfriend didn't visit me even once.

But when I finally stopped loving him, he cried with red eyes and told me he loved me.

Chapter 1

When the landslide happened, I was standing perfectly still.

Suddenly, Chloe Bennett yanked me hard, and I lost my balance and tumbled down the steep slope.

Our fall was finally stopped by a large tree.

I was unlucky. I crashed hard into the trunk, and a sharp branch pierced right through my leg, causing blood to pour out everywhere.

Chloe, on the other hand, only suffered a few shallow scratches because I had shielded her from the worst of the impact.

When Desmond Hayes finally arrived, my tears were already falling uncontrollably.

But before I could even open my mouth to speak, he walked straight past me.

He put Chloe on his back and walked away without looking back.

From beginning to end, he didn't even spare me a single glance.

I had to wait there bleeding until my best friend Piper brought the national park rangers to rescue me.

When I woke up from my dizzy spell, my vision was blurry.

Through the haze, I saw Desmond sitting in the chair next to my hospital bed.

The sunlight spilled through the window, highlighting the familiar side of his face.

I froze for a second, feeling a sudden rush of joy in my heart.

My voice was weak, but I called out to him with a hint of hope. "Desmond…"

Desmond turned his head to look at me, a slight frown of worry on his face. "You are awake?"

I nodded and licked my dry, cracked lips. "Water…"

He was about to reach for a cup when he looked down at his phone.

His fingers swiped quickly across the screen. He seemed to be replying to a very important message.

"Hold on, I need to handle this text."

I endured the dull throbbing pain in my leg and stared at him.

Seeing him so busy with his phone gave me a really weird feeling in my chest.

I tested the waters and asked him. "Who are you texting? Is it that important?"

Desmond didn't even look up at me. "Chloe says she is coming to visit you in a bit."

Hearing her name made my heart tighten.

I frowned, and my voice instantly turned cold. "Why is she coming here?"

Desmond frowned back at me and finally put his phone down.

"She is coming to apologize. What happened was not intentional."

"Not intentional?"

Desmond looked upset, and his tone grew cold. "Hazel, she didn't do it on purpose! Do you really have to hold a grudge?"

I took a deep breath. The dull ache in my heart slowly turned into a sharp, stabbing pain.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the pillows.

My voice was calm but totally distant. "Whatever. Let her come."

Not long after, there was a knock on the door, and a figure walking with crutches slowly came inside.

Chloe wore a careful, apologetic look on her face.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was weak.

"Hazel, I am so sorry. It is really all my fault. If I hadn't pulled you, things wouldn't have turned out this way…"

I gave her a freezing cold look.

Chloe lowered her head, her voice choking with fake tears.

"I was just so scared that day. I didn't know what to do. I never meant to get you hurt…"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" I asked coldly, my eyes completely dead.

Hearing this, Desmond frowned even deeper. He sounded clearly annoyed.

"Hazel, look at her state. Do you really have to be so aggressive? She is a victim too!"

"A victim?" I could not help but laugh bitterly.

The pain in my chest flared up along with my burning anger.

"She only got a few scratches, while my leg was completely pierced through!"

"But you are fine now, aren't you?"

I was instantly left speechless.

It felt like a heavy rock was crushing my chest, making it hard to even breathe.

Just as I was about to say something else, Chloe suddenly grabbed her chest.

Her body swayed like she was about to pass out.

"I am sorry… maybe I shouldn't have come. I…" Chloe whispered.

Her face turned pale instantly, and her hand shook on her crutch.

"Chloe!" Desmond stood up in a panic and rushed over to hold her. "What is wrong?"

Chloe gasped for air and leaned weakly against his shoulder. "I feel… a little dizzy…"

Desmond looked frantic. He bent down and picked her up in his arms without a second thought.

"I am taking you to the doctor right now. Don't speak."

I looked at his back, gritted my teeth, and tried to push myself out of bed.

The moment my leg moved, it pulled the bloody bandages.

A bone-piercing pain hit me instantly, making cold sweat break out on my forehead.

I bit my lip to bear the pain, my voice trembling. "Desmond, I…"

But he didn't look back. He hurried away with Chloe in his arms.

It was as if he didn't hear my voice at all.

He also didn't see the fresh blood dripping onto the floor by my bed.

The hospital room fell dead silent again.

I leaned back against the bed and stared at the closed door.

My chest hurt so much it felt like a sharp knife had stabbed through it.

I looked down at my bleeding bandages and gave a bitter smile.

There was not a single tear left in my eyes.

This was the second time.

Desmond's back right now perfectly overlapped with the day of the accident.

He was carrying her away and leaving me behind without looking back.

The man who used to always put me first was now using all his strength to run toward someone else.