“So, you’ve always blamed me. If I die, will you forgive me?”
“I’ll think about it after you’re dead.”
Sophia scooped up the papers and turned to leave without a backward glance.
I watched her walk away, my chest tightening sharply. Darkness closed in around me.
When I woke up, I was already in the hospital.
Lily was sitting by my bedside. She was Sophia’s closest friend, my friend too and the one who had introduced me to Sophia.
It was thanks to her that we met. But we hadn’t turned out the way she’d hoped: a couple walking hand-in-hand through life.
When she saw me wake up, Lily rushed to ask, “How are you feeling?”
Her eyes were filled with concern.
Warmth flickered in my chest and I smiled faintly. “I’m fine. Just a little tired lately.”
Her eyes instantly reddened.
“How long are you planning to keep lying to me? The doctor already told me everything.”
I fell silent.
Lily pressed on, “Does Sophia know?”
I shook my head.
“Why won’t you tell her? She deserves to know. I’ll tell her right now.”
Lily pulled out her phone. I stopped her.
“There’s no need!”
If this had been any day before yesterday, I might not have stopped Lily. But after everything that happened yesterday—every word Sophia said—I couldn’t bear it.
I was terrified that if she knew I was dying, she would stand before me and spit venomously, “Why couldn’t you have died sooner? You destroyed the happiness Ethan and I could have had!”
If she said that, I would crumble.
“Why won’t you tell her? Does she still misunderstand what happened back then? Let me explain it to her.”
Once again, I stopped Lily and waved her off.
“It’s not necessary. Let the truth of what happened back then stay buried with me.”
Sophia believed that it was I who pressured her parents to stop her from going abroad to find Ethan and forced her to stay and marry me.
But the truth was, it was her parents who disapproved of her relationship with Ethan. They came to me and begged me to help them stage a charade.
Of course, I agreed. Because I loved Sophia.
I thought that as time passed, she would forget Ethan and I could slowly tell her the truth. But no matter how much warmth I offered, it couldn’t thaw her frozen heart.
For years, we lived as a couple in name only. In reality, she saw me as an enemy, blaming me for interfering and ruining her happiness with Ethan.