It was John Langley, my classmate from sophomore year, the one who had the car accident.His mother, Victoria Hayes, spoke carefully but with barely contained eagerness. "Lia, I'm so sorry to bother you. I really don't mean to intrude, but I just have to ask. How's your research on that AI chip coming along? The one that could help people walk again… Is there hope?"When John was still in school, he would always come home and talk about you. He said you were the most brilliant person in the world. He believed nothing was too difficult for you. He was certain you'd find a way to develop that chip and help him stand up again."Look, I've been massaging John's legs every single day over the years. His muscles are still in great condition, no signs of atrophy at all. If you need anyone for testing, John is ready anytime."Her face was filled with hope, so earnest and desperate.My hands clenched tightly at my sides without me realizing it.I didn't know how to respond. I didn't know
"Good luck!" Victoria said.…Once we got in the car, Cordelia looked at me with excitement. "Darling, are you thinking about going back to the lab?"She really knew me so well. I hadn't said a word, yet she understood everything, just from the decision I'd made in my heart.When I heard Mr. Holland mentioned that it wasn't too late for me to return to the lab, I couldn't stop thinking about it.I couldn't help but wonder if I could really go back to the lab.Should I go back? Should I return to what I truly want to do?I had always loved what I studied, and I really wanted to continue striving in the field I was passionate about. However, I had been away from academics, away from the lab for so long, and I wasn't sure if I still had what it takes.So, even though I had been thinking about it constantly, I just couldn't make up my mind.When I saw Victoria earlier, something in me clicked. I finally made the decision.I wanted to fight for what I love, for the people who were
Seeing my expression change, Cordelia instinctively leaned over to check my phone. The moment she read Irvin's message, she burst out cursing."That worthless piece of shit!"I didn't say anything, staring at the screen. I felt a deep ache for my past self and couldn't help but scold that version of me in my head.How could I have been so foolish to love a man like that?Without a word, I blocked his number again and turned off my phone.I didn't care about him anymore and had no intention of wasting energy on his nonsense. Apparently, he wasn't ready to let it go. He showed up with his people, blocking our way.Maybe it was because I hadn't answered his calls or messages, and he'd spent a long time searching for me. His frustration mixed with uncontrollable arrogance fueled his simmering anger.He instinctively wanted to scold me in a cold tone, but when his eyes met my indifferent, impatient gaze, the arrogance and anger he carried suddenly faded."Emi, this is urgent. Please
After whispering a few words in her ear, she stopped insisting.Still, she couldn't help but look at me with worry as I got into the car. She didn't look away until our car had driven off.I was touched.I had such good friends, a passion for my studies, and things I wanted to do. My future was filled with endless possibilities. I had to escape this muddy, miserable life as soon as possible.I wasn't sure if Irvin was trying to make conversation or what, but he asked, "What did you say to her that made her stop following us?"I gave him a sideways glance. "What's it to you?"He clenched his hand that was resting on his lap, as if trying to suppress his anger. It must be difficult for someone who was always so high and mighty.He seemed like he wanted to say more, but I had already turned my attention to the window, clearly not wanting to engage with him anymore.However, he still didn't take the hint. He grabbed my hand and placed it in his, gently caressing it.I was disguste
"Millicent! You've become so cruel! Lianne is in the emergency room fighting for her life, and you still dared to hang up on our calls!"Aside from Irvin's repeated calls, my parents also took turns calling me, but I didn't answer any of them.Before I could step away, Irvin moved in front of me, blocking my mom from hitting me."Mom, don't be angry. Emi is here now."The tall and sturdy Irvin blocked my mom completely, making sure she couldn't reach me at all.If this had been before, I would've been touched to see him protect me like that, but now, I just wanted to let out a cold snort."Irvin, stop protecting her! She clearly wants to kill Lianne! Lianne's in the emergency room, fighting for her life… Her life is clearly hanging by a thread!"My mom was so angry that her whole body was trembling.It seemed like Julianne was really on the brink of death. Being cold-hearted and ruthless, I still wanted to push her over the edge,If she were really dying, how could there still
Irvin was very furious, wearing a grim expression. He couldn't understand how I, who had always been obedient, considerate, and centered around him, had suddenly become like this.My parents looked like they were about to rush over and scold me, but I shot them a warning glance. It seemed to say, "You don't want me to divorce Irvin, do you?"They got the message instantly. Their steps faltered, and instead of berating me, they turned to Irvin with anxious expressions."Irvin, just agree to the divorce! Lianne doesn't have time to wait!""Yeah, Irvin, please! If you keep stalling, Lianne… she might not make it…"Irvin didn't say a word. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins bulged in a terrifying way.His silence was testing my patience. I couldn't help but push him."Come on, Mr. Sawyer! Hurry up! Lianne's still in the emergency room, barely holding on. She's waiting for you to save her. Do you know that we need to save her life? Don't you forget that she saved you bef
I knew that no matter how much Irvin didn't want to, he would eventually sign. After all, his precious Lianne was dying, and there was no time to waste.On the other hand, Mom was very anxious when she heard Julianne couldn't wait any longer. She clung to Irvin's arm, begging him desperately to save her. Honestly, she was just one step away from grovelling to his feet.Her performance was so convincing she could've won an award.Sometimes, I really have to hand it to Julianne. She managed to make Mom, who's usually cold and heartless even toward her own daughter, treat her like she was the most precious person in the world.That kind of talent wasn't something just anyone could have.As expected, even though Irvin didn't want to do it, he eventually signed the divorce papers.When he was done, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was enraged. It was a really terrifying sight.I had always been someone who appreciates money, so I could understand the pain he felt. Having to suddenly g
I looked at him seriously and said, "I'm not playing around. Everything I said is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can check."Irvin met my serious gaze, and at first, it seemed like he couldn't believe I was actually lying so confidently. Then, a surge of intense anger flashed in his eyes."Emilia, you made me sign the divorce papers when Lianne was in danger. I already signed it, and now you're still doing this? Do you want her to die that badly?"He thought I was lying. He believed that after I got him to sign the divorce papers, I was suddenly backing out and refusing to donate blood.He had always thought that the three months I spent in the hospital were just a tantrum, that I hadn't really been hurt.If someone didn't love you, how little must they care about you? We had known each other for eight years, been married for four, and even worked side by side on our careers with such great harmony.Yet, he firmly believed that I, someone who hated going to the hospita
"How could you take advantage of your position to seduce my husband! How could you knowingly become the other woman!" Grace accused.The photo she showed me on her phone was from when Irvin hugged me tightly after standing up from his wheelchair.When I first saw it, I was stunned. But then, it hit me—we had been watched this whole time!Based on the direction the photo was taken from, it could have only been taken from outside my work studio's window. And given that my studio was on the 10th floor, there was no way a random passerby snapped the photo by chance.Plus, the camera angle of the photo indicated it wasn't a coincidental shot. Someone had clearly been watching us from a floor above in the adjacent building.I also realized I had never closed the curtains in my studio. So, if someone had been watching us the entire time, they definitely knew Irvin had long since regained full use of his legs—which meant the Hardwells no longer needed my services.Thus, here came the poi
The young man's ability to stand again had filled his family with overwhelming joy. Coincidentally, it was also his 17th birthday, so they threw a grand birthday party and invited me to attend.I couldn't refuse. I was genuinely happy for him, so I went.Since his family was acquainted with William, they were undoubtedly influential figures in Lestoria. Therefore, the Hardwells were also invited.When I saw Grace pushing Irvin's wheelchair into the venue, attending the party as a married couple, I felt a sharp pain in my heart.I must really be a hopeless romantic.I had planned to use the time spent treating Irvin's legs to treat my withdrawal symptoms from him. I wanted my final decision to be cutting him out of my life completely.But instead of letting go—as I had hoped—the time we spent together only reminded me how good he once was to me.Even though I knew he had no choice, my heart still ached to see him with another woman.I truly…I really hated how I was. It made me
Because of Agatha's favoritism and stubbornness, Magnus had been growing increasingly impatient with her. "I think I've made myself very clear," he said, leaving no room for further discussion."Magnus, you can't do this! You can't just forget about Tim so soon! How could you treat him this way? Let me tell you—"Before she could finish, Magnus cut her off with a stern shout. "Enough! This is not up for discussion. I don't want to hear another word about it. Just leave!"Magnus' authority was absolute in the Hardwell family. Once he made a decision, Agatha had no power to change it no matter what.Though unwilling and displeased, she had no choice but to leave.As soon as Grace returned home, she was informed about the argument between Magnus and Agatha. She immediately rushed to find Agatha.The moment Agatha saw Grace, tears streamed down her face.Upon hearing that the argument had been about Irvin's hypnosis, Grace finally told her the truth, that Irvin had been faking it.
Grace had always wanted to stand at the pinnacle of power.The man beside her raised an eyebrow and suggested, "Then don't let her die. Force her into a dead-end and offer a hand, so she can be used by us."Grace chuckled but said nothing.Now that she had the picture she wanted, there was no need to continue watching. She withdrew her gaze and returned to the couch in the room.After taking a bottle of collagen, she finally looked at the man sitting across from her. "At the rate Irvin is recovering, he'll be fully healed in at most two to three weeks. Have you made all the preparations I asked for?" she asked."Of course! When have I ever failed to complete a task you gave me?" he replied confidently.Grace's lips curled into a smile. "Great."Seeing how she smiled so casually, completely without any hesitation or pain, the man couldn't help but comment. "Ms. Keller, you're ruthless indeed."Grace lowered her gaze and gently stroked her belly. She didn't respond.That night
Since Irvin had lost his memories, his behavior had regressed to that of his younger self.Although he had difficulty moving and had to avoid the Hardwells, he still prepared small surprises for me every time he came for treatment. Just like how he did when he was pursuing me.Just like when we were newlyweds.No matter how busy or exhausted he was, he always put in the effort to prepare something for me, whether it was a bouquet of flowers, a ticket to a movie I wanted to watch, or a dessert I loved.We were poor back then, and the things he gave me weren't worth much, but I was moved to tears every single time. After all, he was always thoughtful and affectionate. The eyes that were once cold and indifferent now burned with compassion and sincerity. Those naturally affectionate eyes gazed at me with so much love, as if I were his entire world.His one and only.That kind of love was irresistible, drawing me in.And I couldn't help but wonder, if none of it had happened, if
"I'm sorry, babe. Do you not like sunflowers? I… I saw online that…" Irvin stammered.He had searched for information about me online and discovered that I loved sunflowers, so he secretly hid one to give me. But I ended up crying instead of taking it with joy. Snapping out of it, I forced a smile and accepted the flower. "I do love it. Thank you."He stared at me, unsure if I was truly happy or just pretending."But don't call me 'babe' anymore. We're divorced." I couldn't bear to hear him say it in the same affectionate tone as before. That genuine, affectionate tone would only make me feel bad for him.And I didn't want to feel that way.Irvin, who was already anxious, panicked at my words. He grabbed my hands and said, "Babe, I couldn't find anything about what happened between us, but I know that it must have been my fault if we got divorced. "I'll make sure to be good from now on and listen to everything you say. Please, just give me another chance."Irvin had always
Adolescence was already a time when emotions are most unstable, making it easy to act impulsively and engage in risky behaviors. Being treated that way by my own family, I walked into the ocean, one step at a time.I wanted to die.I wanted them to regret, to suffer, to have everyone condemn them for killing their own daughter over an adopted one.I was so foolish back then, thinking I could punish them with my death. I completely forgot that they needed to actually care about me to feel remorse and pain for losing me. If they didn't care, it wouldn't matter if I died a thousand times.Using my own death to punish others is the most foolish thing in the world. I came to that realization when I was on the brink of death. I struggled, trying to make my way back to shore, desperate to survive. But then, a huge wave dragged me under, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stand up. I didn't know how to swim back then.Just when I thought I was going to die, a tall young man do
I comforted Mr. Holland for a long time before he finally felt better and ate some oatmeal.When I got home that night, I pulled out Irvin's medical records and the reports of his treatment with various devices. I analyzed his responses to the treatment to plan the next steps. I wasn't sure how I felt about Irvin, so I chose to ignore it completely and focus solely on treating his legs.If his legs could recover and function properly again, we would be even. No matter what happened in the future, I would take it one step at a time.Things would work out eventually.By the time I finished comparing all the data and finalized the device frequency settings for Irvin's treatment the next day, it was already past 1:00 am.I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep immediately.Ever since my injuries from falling off the cliff, I needed sleeping pills to fall asleep every night. When I lost my memory, I thought my insomnia was due to the pain. But after my memories returned, I realized
William recalled that at the time of his accident, Cordelia and I had also been vacationing on the island.Although he didn't think it was possible, he instinctively asked anyway.I had assumed that William's intimidating presence on the way here was because he was angry at me for not answering his question.I never expected him to suddenly ask such a thing.Although I didn't know why, my first instinct was to admit that I had saved someone while I was on the island.But before I could say anything, his phone rang. It seemed like an urgent call. After answering it, he hurriedly told me he would send someone else to pick me up before leaving in his car.Feeling bad for troubling him when he was so busy, I sent him a message. I told him that he didn't need to send anyone and that I would call my own driver instead.William didn't reply to my text.Instead, Noah called. "Emi, there's an emergency at home. I have to leave for a while. Wait for me, I'll be right back." he said.W