That night, Allison couldn’t sleep.After her talk with Matthew earlier, he said that he’d like to get some fresh air tomorrow, so they would be visiting the Miracle Well that he mentioned to her last time. Allison still thought that it was childish to go all the way to some magical well that granted people’s desperate wishes, but she did know that she needed to go outside and feel the sun on her face.Her current condition was delicate, so they had to be careful. Matthew proposed that they come in the early hours of the morning so that there would barely be other people there.Allison agreed. Even though she would still be wearing a hat and a coat with a hood, she was still very self-conscious about her appearance. After all, people were curious creatures.Allison wasn’t very proud of her hair loss, but it was more because she was sick and in a precarious position between life and death instead of superficial reasons like her appearance. She hated being weak and vulnerable in front o
They arrived at the Garden of Livia in fifteen minutes. Allison had gotten so preoccupied with staring out the window that she didn’t realize they had already arrived at their destination.Blushing, she lowered her head as she exited the car, with the chauffeur graciously opening the door for her. “Sorry… I got distracted,” she said sheepishly.Matthew chuckled. “It’s nothing for you to apologize about,” he assured. He then looked around, a satisfied expression on his face. “The air is pretty nice here, right?”Allison stepped forward, fascinated by her surroundings. There was a large, silver gate ahead, indicating the entrance. There was a guard post at the side, presumably to take written logs of the visitors or tourists. Other than that, she felt like she was surrounded by nature itself.Flowers, shrubs, bushes, and trees were everywhere, making it seem like a magical place. The faint sunlight shone on the grass, the sky a bright blue.The two of them entered with a bodyguard follo
Matthew remembered it clearly back then.The time when Allison started to trust him.Years ago, when he first read that story in her notebook, she told him that she had written the story on a whim. When he expressed his interest in the plot, she asked if he would like to read the next part.So, during one of their tutoring sessions, she gingerly handed him the notebook when they took a ten-minute break.“What’s this?” he asked her. “A new study manual?”Allison didn’t say anything, which was a little odd. Nevertheless, Matthew took the notebook and opened it.It was then that he understood.She had written the continuation and wanted him to read it. She also probably wanted to hear his thoughts.So he read it without hesitation.-The sight of the gray cat on the bed where Mark was supposed to be startled Wendy so much that she almost fell off the bed.“What in the world?” she said, her fingers trembling as she picked up the pajamas that Mark had worn just now. There was no way that s
When they returned to the villa, Matthew’s phone rang with an incoming call. Allison left to go to her room, giving him some privacy. Though it was mostly because she didn’t want to hear him talking to Lily.Matthew stared at the screen of his phone, focused especially on the caller ID.It was Bryce.Matthew took a deep breath before accepting the call. “Hello?”“Matt,” Bryce said, his tone hushed. “The Chairman suddenly got an important call from Germany. It seems that the investor that Mr. Chairman has been persuading for a long time has finally considered his request. He hasn’t returned to the country yet and is currently on a plane flying straight to Germany.”Matthew felt the air escape his lungs, his shoulders sagging with relief. Good. His father didn’t know yet.“I’ve been doing my best to fill in for you. Thanks for at least responding to my emails quickly,” Bryce continued on, though his tone was clearly weary. “I know you’ve always been busy, but I never imagined that it wo
“How are you feeling?” Matthew asked while breakfast was being served on the table. Allison said she felt like eating oatmeal today, so that was what she was eating right now.“I’m feeling okay,” she answered. “It was nice to go outside.”“That’s good,” Matthew said, the relief evident in his words. Her body was delicate right now, and her immune system was weak as well. He needed to observe her condition carefully each day so that she would be healthy enough for the next treatment phase. “What about sleep? I forgot to ask if you slept well last night.”“I slept enough.” Allison didn’t bring up the fact that she slept two hours lesser than she was supposed to. She had been too worried thinking about her slip-up as well as the silliness of the Miracle Well’s concept.Not to mention that he knew about Abigail now…Matthew seemed satisfied with that answer and continued to eat. The two of them had breakfast in comfortable silence, with the only sound coming from using their utensils.“By
Of all the things that Matthew had expected this week, it had never been this one.After acquiring the results of the treatment, the doctor brought him and Allison some bad news. It seemed that the therapy didn’t have much of an effect on the remaining cancer cells.So they decided to try a new therapy on her tomorrow, hoping that it would bring positive results.“It’s still very experimental,” the doctor had explained. “We’ll have the result in a few days.”Later that night, Allison asked him to sit with her on the balcony. She looked more tired than usual, possibly because of the therapy that she went through a few days ago.There was no trace of glumness in her expression though, something that Matthew couldn’t help but notice.Then again, he also noticed that before her doctor’s appointment that day, Allison didn’t seem so anxious. Instead, she went forward with determination, as though believing that this was her last step to recovery.“How are you feeling?” Matthew asked as he t
“Is there something on your mind tonight, Lise?” Matthew asked carefully. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet. “I’m not sure about this, but I feel like there’s something you want to tell me. Is there?”Allison stilled for a second before eventually nodding. “I’ve been thinking a lot, Mattie,” she said slowly. “About what will happen once the treatment goes well. What I’ll do from then on.”“I see…” Matthew said, letting his voice drift off, silently encouraging her to continue.“I know you won’t be there for me anymore, that this is all just a temporary arrangement,” Allison said. “After going through treatment a number of times, my mind became clearer, and I think I’ve become well enough physically and mentally to come to a decision.”Matthew still had no idea where this was leading, but he kept silent, not wanting to interrupt her.“As I said earlier, I want to rekindle my passion for life. I used to immerse myself in working at the lab, right? Though I’m not sure I
“I should find a job or do freelance work online in the meantime,” Allison muttered as she scrolled through her phone. “I think I’m a little rusty when it comes to writing, so I’ll have to start working on that soon. For now, I’m fine with editing and proofreading. Maybe some popular sites are hiring right now…”A day had passed since the treatment. Allison was becoming chipper, and there was an inner glow to her that Matthew couldn’t deny. She even surprised him earlier after breakfast by claiming that she wanted to go shopping with him.“Shopping?” he had repeated when she brought it up. “You want to go outside? But you just finished with your new therapy yesterday…”“Then… can you do me a favor and buy me a new one instead? I’m fine with just one dress,” Allison told him with an imploring tone. “I’ll have to start looking for a new apartment afterwards. But first, I need a job.”A new apartment? A job?Matthew smiled wryly. It seemed that she was starting to plan her new life witho
Two days had passed since that night.After Allison had spotted the suspicious pair of men, she and Matthew decided to watch them for a while to see if they might do anything alarming.Fortunately, the men seemed to keep their distance and only whispered to each other. They followed Zoren and Jane for a while before the couple finally disappeared into a crowd in the town square, and that was the end of it.Allison had briefly considered telling Jane about it, but now that she thought about it, she hadn’t been able to get the woman’s contact number. Matthew had no details, either.‘It’s probably nothing,’ Allison thought to herself.Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but she wanted to believe that her mini-vacation with Matthew would not turn out badly in the end.Maybe it was just a coincidence that those two men were staring at Jane and Zoren and were merely walking in the same direction.Maybe she and Matthew were just making a big deal out of nothing…But despite her thoughts, she
Jane laughed. “Silly. You should call her Mrs. Laurier!” she scolded playfully. “They’re married.”“Oh.” But Zoren didn’t look apologetic at all. “Sorry about that.”“It’s fine.” It was Matthew who spoke, and his tone was polite.“So!” Jane said, smiling. It was weird for Allison to see her like this. She wasn’t usually this pleasant. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Why don’t the four of us go on a double date? You two must be here for a vacation too, right? Like we are?”“Well…” Allison began hesitantly.“That sounds good,” Matthew interjected with a smile. “How about dinner tomorrow? They don’t have any fancy restaurants here, but we could find someplace nice.”“Oh, you’re right.” Jane nodded. “My darling here made me go on a vacation in a small city like this. I refused at first, but he managed to persuade me. It was going to be romantic, he said. It was going to be just the two of us, he said! So I agreed. But I don’t know anyone in here and the places are too small and not very fa
Allison was caught off guard for several reasons.First, she did not expect to run into a former classmate in a city like this. Second, she did not expect to have a reunion with that same classmate with Matthew currently at her side.And third, she did not expect to run into Jane Winters, of all people.Back in high school, the popular girl was Reva Winters. She was a beautiful girl who came from a wealthy family, and she had it all: the beauty, the brains, and the talent. She was admired and envied by many.But while Reva was the popular one, her twin sister, Jane, was the opposite. The two were fraternal twins, with Reva having a soft, gentle beauty but an outspoken personality.Jane, however, had a fierce appearance compared to her sister, and she often exuded an intimidating aura. Although she looked ordinary at first glance, keeping her brown hair short and wearing glasses, she was known in school as a promising athlete. In fact, she had won several martial arts competitions in t
His words brought a smile to her face.The two of them were different in this way. At times, she preferred to be pragmatic and to stick to the cold, hard facts.Matthew, on the other hand, often preferred to think positively and see things in a different light. He knew that real life wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows, but he just believed that having a good mindset was a better way of navigating through life.He barely held any grudges towards anyone and rarely got angry. Although he had a tumultuous relationship with his parents, he was still polite towards them and made sure to fulfill his duties.“Remember when you used to read my stories?” she said softly. “I mentioned to you that I was going to pursue something that wasn’t my hobby or passion, but you encouraged me to write and enjoy what I liked. You also assured me that things would work out in the end.”Her gaze lowered.“I wonder, if I had decided to listen to you, would I have been happier in the past? But right now, even tho
Their little vacation went better than they had expected.Matthew took Allison’s hand as they walked down the main street of this small countryside town. They walked along the cobblestone sidewalks, seeing colorful storefronts and passing beautiful old buildings.They had been cooped up in the big city for so long that they enjoyed being in a much more peaceful area. They had already spent the morning wandering in and out of various shops, also stopping at a café for coffee and pastries.As the afternoon sun began to set, Matthew turned to Allison.“Do you want to hang out at Lake Mendel?” he offered. “We can relax and take in the surroundings.”Allison thought about it for a moment. “That sounds like a nice date, but isn’t it a little hot out for a picnic by the lake?”“Is it hot out?” Matthew looked up at the sun shining brightly on them. “I don’t think it’s that hot right now. But would you rather be indoors?”“Come to think of it, it is a nice day for a picnic,” Allison finally ag
Matthew sat down beside her on the grass. It was currently nighttime, and the garden was illuminated by the soft glowing outdoor lights, making it look like it came right out of a serene painting. The sky was beautiful, with a spray of stars across the dark expanse and the clouds drifting lazily across the bright crescent moon.He could feel Allison tensing beside him, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she continued to stare at the flowers as though they were the most fascinating thing in the world.She was pointedly not looking at him, which made him feel a bit sad. At this moment, even though they were physically close, it felt like there was an invisible wall between them, distancing them from each other.Finally, he heard her sigh softly before she turned to him with teary eyes. He didn’t say a word, just reached out and wiped the tears using his thumb, waiting for her to make the first move.Maybe she thought that he hated her now, but that was far from the truth. His love fo
When he opened his eyes, he felt much better. The headache was gone, and the unnatural tension in his chest faded into nothingness. His mind was clear as his vision slowly adjusted to his surroundings.He could hear Allison’s voice saying something to him, but he couldn’t hear it for a moment. Instead, he slowly turned his head to face her, unable to speak.Because what else could he say?This was such a strange phenomenon.It was as if he had awakened from a long dream, from a completely different life, and then suddenly jerked awake to realize that it was all a nightmare.Because it did seem like a nightmare. A terrible one, to be exact.“Why?” he finally spoke, his voice hoarse.Allison looked startled at this. “What?” She scooted closer to him, scrutinizing his expression. “Are you okay? Do you need some water?”He felt like his throat was a little dry, so he nodded. It would help if he could talk to her properly without any interruptions.She nodded and quickly took the pitcher f
[A rewind back to the original timeline…]-Matthew closed his eyes before Allison did. He took a deep breath, wondering why he was even doing this.But he was desperate. He wanted something at least, even a miracle. He couldn’t bear to see Allison suffer any longer. He just wanted to increase the possibility that she would be cured.So even if it was something ‘silly’ like this, it didn’t matter. At least he tried.Who knows, right?What if miracles really did exist?Matthew thought of it that way, but to his surprise, his real thoughts surfaced, and they were quite different from what he had expected.‘I wish… that I could turn back time.’He took a deep breath, still keeping his eyes closed.‘I wish I could go back to those days when we were in love. When she was still in love with me.’‘When things were still good between us.’He tried to suppress the emotions that surfaced in his heart.‘I wish I could have a second chance with her. I wish that we hadn’t wasted too much time.’‘B
Allison was devastated.How could she have let this happen? She had sworn to herself that she would look after Matthew, that she would make sure he didn’t suffer the way she had.But she failed. All she could do was stand there, frozen in shock, as he stumbled and fell to the ground. All she could do was scream and hold him in her arms, crying for him to wake up.She had never been so relieved to hear his heart beating steadily.She immediately called for help from passersby, who quickly entered the hospital and alerted the guards and nurses. In no time, Matthew was lifted from the ground and examined by the doctors.He just fainted, they said. A result of stress and mental exhaustion. Probably also from fatigue and hunger.Allison couldn’t bring herself to believe any of it. After all, Matthew’s symptoms were erratic. His headaches did not occur at reasonable times. He ate three times a day, exercised, and managed his stress. He was perfectly healthy.But even though she told the doc