Matthew opened his eyes to see Lucy by his side, fast asleep with her right hand supporting her head. Matthew suddenly jumped…Matthew cried out in pain as he sat on the floor, hugging his knees. His hands were still shackled to an iron chain, the other end connected to the bed, limiting his movement to just one meter.The noise woke Lucy. She quickly got up, and when she saw Matthew's pitiful state, she could not help but burst into laughter."How on earth did you manage to fall off?" Lucy said, clutching her stomach in laughter. When she was done, she hurried over to help him up.Matthew ignored her, convinced that this woman could not be the real Lucy Quinn. How could she be so ridiculous? Besides, how could Lucy ever treat him like this? He swatted away her hand, turning his face away like a sulking child. “Do they think I’m a dog, chaining me up like this?” he grumbled to himself.“Matthew, I know you’ve been in a coma for a while. Though it seemed like you were just in a d
Matthew withdrew 500 dollars, and he was astonished that the money was actually dispensed! The screen showed a balance of over a million. It seemed that Lucy really did intend to let him go. Matthew headed to KFC and ordered a large meal.His mind was not on the food, though. He looked around at everything, and it all felt so real. Lucy felt real, the burgers felt real, and even he felt real. He took a bite of his burger, accidentally biting into the wrapper as well. The people around him looked at him as if he were crazy. Only then did Matthew realize and quickly spat it out.After eating, he wandered into an unfamiliar neighborhood. Nearby, many elderly couples were out for a leisurely walk, and they would rest on benches when they grew tired. Matthew sat down alone on a bench, watching these couples with envy. His mind conjured up images of Lucy. If only all this were real, then he could take a walk with Lucy too.Suddenly, an elderly man who had just finished jogging approac
Matthew did not know what to say. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Did he want to believe? Of course, he did not want to!"Many times, it’s all been false. I don’t dare to trust that it’s real this time," Matthew said, speaking from the heart. He felt as if a burden had been lifted from his chest after he said it. He relaxed a little. The old man was right, but Matthew also felt he was not entirely wrong. Yet another doubt crept into his mind—could this old man also be fake, sent here just to deceive him?Once again, Matthew was lost in doubt. Everything and everyone seemed so real, but he could not quite grasp how it was all real."If you’re so conflicted, why not set this matter aside for now? Take a trip, go out, and see the world. Maybe then the answer will come to you. Sometimes rushing won’t get you anywhere—calming down might be the only way to find what you’re looking for," the old man said kindly. His wife soon arrived to take him away.Matthew stayed behind, watch
[Day 14: Today, Samantha came to our house again. At first, I was really scared, but I knew I couldn’t let fear control me. As long as I stay firm, she won’t be able to push me around, right? She said it was your mom who sent her and that she wanted to help take care of the babies. I didn’t agree and didn’t let her in. My brother’s been helping me. Without him, I don’t know what I’d do.]…[Day 23: Mark said your condition has improved, and all we had to do was sign for the surgery. Of course, we agreed right away, and the operation was done. The next day, you actually woke up, but then you fell into a deep sleep again shortly after. The doctor said you were just too weak, so we had to wait some more. But today, I’m truly happy—you finally woke up.]…As Matthew read the words that filled his phone screen, he felt tormented. This was clearly Lucy! What had he been doing these past few days? Determined, Matthew decided to go back and find Lucy. His heart surged with a burning desi
"Lucy, don't joke about things like this in the future. Spades is ruthless. What would we do if you were really taken away?" Matthew held Lucy tightly, seriously advising her.Lucy closed her eyes, quietly listening to Matthew’s words, nodding from time to time."Why do you suddenly believe me now? It’s a bit unsettling," Lucy teased as she gently pushed Matthew away, studying his face earnestly.Matthew did not reply. He looked at his wife, weathered by life, and felt as if his heart was being cut to pieces."Let’s not talk about it now. I’ll tell you more slowly over time. Right now, I just want to look at you," Matthew said, his eyes full of Lucy. He did not want to talk about anything else.Lucy smiled and nodded, linking arms with Matthew as they got into the car to head home.Matthew looked at his home—it was still the same, nothing had changed. He held Lucy’s hand as they went to their children. Each of them cradled a child in their arms.Their Golden Retriever, upon seei
After dinner, Lucy was still busy putting the children to sleep. Just as she laid little Lila down, Matthew came up from behind and lifted her into his arms."You're always holding others—perhaps you'd like someone to hold you too?" Matthew teased with a mischievous smile. Before Lucy could respond, he kissed her and carried her princess-style straight to the bedroom.…Meanwhile, Koven did not have it so easy. Alone at home, he sat in the empty house, staring at a picture of Selena. He felt utterly lonely."Matthew should be doing better by now," he muttered to himself, his heart feeling empty.That day, he was sure he heard Selena’s voice, and the person who took him to the hospital never left their name. The nurse said it was a beautiful woman who brought him. Koven was convinced it had been Selena, but he could not find her.His cough still had not improved, and he continued to cough sporadically. He was too stubborn to take his medication.Nights were always unbearably lone
"Hey, Mark!" Selena had been ready to sleep; she felt a bit weak today as she had not gotten any sunlight."Hello! What’s up?" Selena repeated herself after hearing nothing from the other end of the call.Mark was usually straightforward. Whenever something came up, he would get right to the point without any hesitation. His silence this time suggested that the topic was not easy to talk about.Selena lay tired on her bed, staring at the ceiling as the silence on the phone dragged on, boring her. Just as she was about to hang up, Mark finally spoke."Do you have enough medicine? I’ll be back tomorrow!" Mark's voice was low. "And make sure to be careful by yourself. Don’t go wandering around!"Selena paused for a moment. She did not respond right away, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her shirt as she thought about what to say next.Mark did not wait for her reply before hanging up. Selena knew that he had found out she had gone outside. Guilt gnawed at her because Mark had
Lucy knew that Mark did not care much about money, so she was not particularly surprised.“Mark, in that case, we truly owe you a big thanks! I hope our late-night visit hasn’t disturbed your rest,” Lucy said as she linked arms with Matthew. It was already quite late, and the two were preparing to head home.Winter had arrived, and the night was cold and biting. The usual hustle and bustle of the city quickly quieted down, and even the busy streets were starting to feel heavy with stillness.Walking side by side down the street, Lucy and Matthew had little to say to each other. To some people, money might seem all-powerful, while to others, it held no more value than dirt. Mark had once thought money was important, but over time, he realized it was not all that significant after all.In the south, winter always came with overcast skies. There were no stars, no moon, no sun, no blue skies. Even the chirping birds at the treetops had gone silent, preparing themselves for the cold sea