I shut the door to my room and gently traced the edges of my parents' photo. Perhaps it was the cool night breeze, but tears began to fall. "Mom, Dad, I don't want anything. I just … I just want a home, I whispered."

I sat on the floor the entire night, waiting. Unfortunately, Keith didn't come back. Instead, I woke up to see the paparazzi's photo of Keith kissing a woman.

When he returned in the morning, his explanation was casual. "A kiss? Zoey, you believe such things? I was merely helping a woman who had fallen."

His excuse was weak, but I forced myself to believe it. After all, Keith had been kind to me for six years. He wouldn't betray me, would he?

Looking back now, the fact that he didn't love me was so obvious, yet I had never seen it.

I ran out of the restaurant and wandered through the pouring rain for what felt like forever. The cold raindrops on my skin couldn't compare to the chill in my heart.

So, all these years—was I the one who mistook gratitude for love? Was it all just my wishful thinking?

There were so many ways to repay a debt of gratitude. Why did Keith have to get engaged to me, needlessly causing me to lose myself for six years?

I returned to Keith's house soaking wet, ignoring Camilla's usual sneers. After so many years, I had grown used to their disapproval. They never liked me, believing I wasn't good enough for Keith, but Elizabeth had always shown me kindness. With Keith's protection, I foolishly believed I could one day win them over.

Now, I realized how ridiculous that was. How could Keith's parents not know his true feelings?

In a daze, I dreamt of my parents. They waved at me, telling me to take care of myself and to take care of Keith. I screamed back at them, "No! I don't want to be with Keith anymore. I want to leave!"

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. It took me a few seconds to realize I was in a hospital.

Turning my head, I saw Keith leaning against my bed, holding my hand as he slept. He looked so handsome—his high nose bridge, thin lips and delicate features exuded a cold, distant charm. Even in his dreams, the grip on my hand didn't lessen.

If this had been before, my heart would've melted at his tenderness, but now, all I felt was bitterness.