"It's okay. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. No need to worry about me, Colin. I'll let you know if there's anything." I didn't want Colin to feel guilty, so I replied to his message.Colin replied to me instantly as if he had been staring at his phone and waiting for my response. "Take good care of yourself. Once I handle everything here, I'll find a way to make it up to you. I miss you and love you. Many kisses.""Okay, Colin. I'll wait for you."After I sent the text message, I placed my phone against my chest and closed my eyes.Colin didn't text me that afternoon. I didn't send him anything to bother him either.At night, Mom had a video call with me and asked if Felix was doing okay. I told her what happened during the day and asked, "Mom, if I had to pick either Colin or Felix one day, who should I pick?"Mom tried to console me with her affectionate gaze. "Oh, my baby girl. We want you to live a happy life. A life that owes nothing to anyone. As a mom, I want you to foll
I worked hard every day. I scoured the internet for medical journals and consulted specialists on various platforms.Yet life was often very cruel. Not all hard work would pay off.A surprising turn of events could lead to disastrous results.That day, I was queuing up at the cafeteria to get my lunch. I then heard people saying that someone was trying to jump off the building in the neighborhood across the campus. A lot of students in the queue went to check out the scene.My heart began pounding erratically. Fear seized me.I grabbed a student rushing there and asked what happened. He told me that he didn't have the details either. He only asked me to check the school's forum.I opened my phone frantically. There were a lot of comments on the forum thread. There was a photo on the pinned comment, the content of which almost made me faint.I had no time to think. Despite my fear, I ran as fast as I could. Howling wind traveled to my ears.I had never run as fast as I was runni
The crisis negotiator sent in was a female police officer. She had a pair of dimples that made her look extra cute. She comforted Felix with her soothing voice while approaching him silently like a leopard. Her small frame was taut with tension, waiting for the right opportunity.As the female officer coddled to Felix, he slowly became quieter. He stopped yelling, but he still refused to step down from the ledge.Blindness rendered his auditory senses to be extra sensitive. When the officer was less than five steps away from him, his neck jerked suddenly. He stared at where the officer was at. He threatened angrily, "Come any closer and I'll jump."The negotiator was forced to remain on the spot. She shrugged sorrily, telling us that the first attempt was a failure.Staying alive was our first instinct. I couldn't believe that Felix would go this far.Colin rubbed his face. The powerlessness to change the situation and the fear of losing his younger brother pushed him to the brink
To deliver Colin from suffering, to save the tough man in my heart from his moral dilemma, I made a shocking decision.The decision was sudden and hurtful, but it wasn't selfish.He told me that he could handle the situation. It wasn't that I did not trust him or think that I had a better solution.I merely felt bad for him. I didn't want him to go through so much pain and woe for me. I did not want my existence to be his burden.The defeated look on his face filled my mind. It broke my heart. I told myself that I'd bring light and joy to his life, even if it meant I had to suffer in hell for eternity.Was I mad? No, I wasn't. I just didn't want him to be sad.When I recalled this incident many years later, I realized how thoughtless I was.Colin imprisoned me in his arms, refusing to let me leave. He was searching for my lips, trying to seal it before I said the words he'd hate to hear.But for some reason, an incredible strength burst out from me. I shoved Colin away, and he
I fumbled my words because I was trying to suppress the overwhelming heartache.At that moment, I realized that Colin was my soul. Without Colin, I'd become a zombie. My love for him had taken root beyond my imagination before I knew it.Colin held me tightly. His broad hands almost squeezed the life out of me. With reddened eyes, he uttered, "I don't resent you, babe. I know you did everything for me. Forgive me. I wasn't strong enough. I failed to give you a sense of security."I'm sorry, Lulu. But things weren't that bad. You should've trusted me when I said that I could handle it. What you did shattered my heart."He kissed me, and I returned his kiss passionately. The wounds in our mouths reopened, and warm blood rolled down the corners of our lips. The bystanders gasped in horror, but we paid them no mind.At that precise moment, we only had each other. We lived in our own world.He hugged me, creating a corner that blocked out the universe. I snuggled into him as if he wer
The nurse said that Felix would be asleep for a long time. To stabilize his mood, she gave him sedatives.Lights were switched off at nine at the wards. Colin and I sat silently in the darkness.I looked outside while Colin stared at me with cold eyes. I knew he resented me, but I let him be. There weren't many things I could do for him. But by sacrificing myself, it showed that our love wasn't in vain.I didn't dare to look at him or meet his eyes. I was afraid that once I turned around, my resolution would vanish.My heart ached. It probably would hurt for the entirety of my life. But perhaps that was the only way to know that I still breathed.When it was almost dawn break, I couldn't hang in there anymore and fell asleep.The noises from the corridor woke me up. I realized that Colin's jacket was on top of me, but he was nowhere to be found.Did he leave? A world without him felt so lonely.I heard shuffling from the bed, and Felix opened his eyes. There was no light in his
Colin was wearing a suit and a tie. Despite his bony cheeks, he looked dapper and walked in broad strides.Behind him was a meek woman carrying a stack of documents in her hands. She was chatting with him shyly. She looked to be around 18 or 19 years old—the age when one felt fearless. Colin's maturity and dependability attracted women around that age.Colin was expressionless, but he didn't quicken his pace either. He maintained the delicate balance where he was just slightly ahead of her.I didn't know if he saw me or not. But when he turned around, he had this condescending look on his face. The grin he wore was taunting me.Why was he taunting me? Because I made the selfish decision to agree to Felix's nonsensical demand?But I did it for him. Couldn't he see that?I froze on the spot. My heart felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. It hurt.Had he found a new love this soon? Were all his sweet promises empty and fake? I had expected this to happen one day, but I
"Lulu, are you sure you want to compromise?""No, I don't want to. But I don't want to give up either." Thanks to Professor King's and Colin's reminders, I decided to stop playing the hero.People might call me fickle-minded or toxic, but come what may, I would endure it.I was forced to promise Felix that to save him. I told him that as long as he saved his life, I'd stay with him. I didn't specify what we'd do or how long we would be together. Even if we only stayed together for a month, I still delivered my promise, right?Criticize me all they wanted. Felix never took care of me. In fact, I was the one taking care of him."Good." Dad gave a content smile and clasped my hand. "That's my baby girl. When facing adversities, we must think positively. Let's work hard together. There must be a solution.""I know. Thanks, Mom, Dad."I booked them a room in the hotel near my campus. After they settled down, I went back to Felix's place.I was away from him longer than usual today.