"If either of you shows up in front of my brother again, I will fight her to death!"
"Ah... Tristan, my belly hurts so much... I'm so scared..." Hillary immediately curled into his arms and moaned. Tristan's face went tense; he scooped her up and hurried away. From the moment they left, he never once looked back at me.
Tristan's silhouette retreated with brutal finality, but I didn't have time to indulge in grief. I forced my emotions down and messaged Dad, telling him to contact the heart donor as soon as possible.
He called back within minutes. "Meredith, don't worry—I've reached them. I won't let anything happen to your brother."
There was a tremor of urgency in his voice, as if he waited for me to reassure him.
I answered coldly, "If my brother can't be saved, then that's the end between us."
Silence on the other end turned frantic; he kept promising everything. But promises were the last thing I trust now.
I decided to go home to collect a few important things and leave for good. At the front door, I discovered the lock had been changed, so I had to knock.
"Tristan—" Hillary's coquettish voice trailed off the instant she saw me. "Oh? It's you."
She acted surprised. "Why didn't you just open the door yourself?"
Her eyes shone with unabashed provocation. Then, as if remembering something, she tapped her forehead dramatically. "Oh dear—how forgetful of me. Tristan changed the code this morning ‘for safety.' Looks like you won't be getting in anymore."
I ignored her and walked straight to the master bedroom. I pushed the door open and was met with chaos. Our wedding photos—Tristan and I—were shattered on the floor, and even the custom gifts I once treasured lay ruined among the debris.
"Really sorry about the mess." Hillary leaned against the doorframe. "I didn't expect you back so soon. Haven't had time to tidy up. Maybe...you could make do in the utility room for now?"
I walked across the shards of glass to the wardrobe, dug out my documents from the back, and turned to leave. As I passed her, my foot caught on something and I fell backward, collapsing hard onto the broken glass.
A sharp, stabbing pain seared across my back. I gasped.
"Hillary!" I bit out through clenched teeth.