Startled, she struggled desperately and dragged me into the swimming pool with her.
Water splashed everywhere and the crowd quickly gathered around.
"I think that’s Mrs. Jennings! She came here with President Jennings; I recognize her!"
Blake rushed over in panic, leaping into the pool without a second thought.
Underwater, when our gazes met, I saw the shock flicker across his face.
But in the next instant, his expression hardened. He grabbed Alison’s hand and swam toward the shore.
Seizing the opportunity, Alison kicked me down deeper into the water, then wrapped her arms around Blake’s neck.
Alison had been a member of the university swimming team; Blake knew that all too well.
Yet, he still chose to abandon me, the one who couldn't swim.
I fought against the suffocating pressure in my chest, struggling to inch my way toward the edge of the pool.
Just as I felt myself slipping into darkness, I was pulled into a warm, firm embrace.
I caught a fleeting glimpse of Blake diving back into the water.
But even if he drained the entire pool, he would never find me again.
When I woke up at Maximilian Ludwig’s estate, my first instinct was to reach for my phone.
There were countless messages, all from Blake.
[Delilah, you pushed Alison into the water. This isn’t over!]
[Bitch! Get back here and apologize to Alison!]
[What? Water got into your brain and you forgot where you belonged.]
With that, I deleted every message, blocking his number, uprooted everything we had built over the last five years.
Blake stared at his phone, frowning tightly when no reply came for a long time.
I had never been out of contact like this, disappearing for days without any news.
In the past, even if I ran away from home, I would obediently return within three days.
But this time, ten whole days had passed.
A vague unease gnawed at Blake’s heart and he even began to guess wildly. Could something really have happened to me that day?
In the days that followed, even when he accompanied Alison, Blake remained distracted.
Even in bed, he found himself absent-minded.
Until the day before his birthday, unable to bear it any longer, he called my number.
"Tomorrow is my birthday. If you don’t come, then—"
But the continuous cold, busy tone on the other end made him swallow the threat he was about to say.
He had never felt so defeated before. Slamming his fist heavily onto the table, he gritted his teeth.