Semua Bab She Was Never the Real Reason: Bab 11 - Bab 20

After a two-hour flight, I finally arrived at Chrysalis. Emily had texted before takeoff, worried I wouldn't find the address, so she'd arranged a pickup. There were many people, but I couldn't find anyone with a sign bearing my name. I was about to call Emily when I heard someone shout, "Jane!" I turned to see a sunny young man approaching. "Excuse me, are you...?" He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. He feigned a pained sigh, but his joy was unconcealed. "Jane, five years apart, and you've forgotten your junior? Heartbreaking!" The gaunt face of a student who'd spent 24 hours in the lab five years ago began to merge with the figure before me. "You're Marcus!" Five years ago, just before my graduation, my professor had taken on a new student, Marcus Holloway. I'd been busy with graduation and hadn't interacted much with him. My only memory was of him struggling with experimental data, spending a night and day in the lab. I'd been there to collect so

Dominic was stunned for a moment after the call ended. It was the first time Jane had hung up on him. She hadn't explained anything. He didn't even know where she was. He tried calling again, only to hear the cold, automated message. He tried texting, but a red exclamation mark appeared: "Message sent, but not received." His mind went blank. She'd blocked him? She'd gotten angry before, but never blocked him. Panic mixed with anger. It was because of the child! He'd explained countless times: Beverly had cancer, she'd saved his life, and he was repaying her. Why couldn't Jane understand and support him? But anger gave way to panic. He'd never wanted to break up with Jane. He didn't know where she was, and he had no contact information. How would he find her? In desperation, he thought of Alexa, Jane's friend. He'd been to her house once with Jane. He found the address and went. Alexa opened the door to find a disheveled Dominic. She'd always felt Jane deserved b

Dominic closed his eyes, his heart shattered. "Beverly, you didn't save me six years ago." Beverly's pupils constricted; she was nervous. Dominic was bringing up the past and denying her role as his savior. She remained calm, smiling gently, and tried to take his hand. "Dominic, what are you saying?" The realization of Jane's departure, and his guilt, overwhelmed him. He finally exploded, throwing off Beverly's hand and shouting, "The person who saved me was the woman who's been by my side for twenty years! Stop lying; I have proof!" Seeing Dominic's distress, Beverly knew she couldn't hide the truth any longer. She'd been visiting a friend at the hospital and had lingered by Dominic's bed, captivated by his handsome face. He'd woken up and mistakenly identified her as his savior. Impulsively, Beverly didn't correct him. She planned to use this to get close to him. However, her family sent her abroad to study, severing their contact. Six months ago, she learned she had canc

Two years later, Concordia Airport. I pushed my luggage, occasionally glancing around at the changes. The lab's first experiment took two years, unexpectedly. But the results were perfect, and my professor gave us a two-month break. I was finally back in Concordia. For a moment, I felt a pang of emotion; it had been two years since I left this city. But things were different… My gaze softened as I saw Marcus's excited figure beside me. Two years ago, I left alone. Now, we were returning together. And this time, we had an important task to accomplish. Marcus checked his watch, grabbed my wrist, and started jogging. "Jane, we're going to be late!" When Alexa learned I was returning to Concordia, she immediately insisted on throwing a welcome party. Two years apart, we needed to catch up. I missed my old friends, so I agreed. The party was scheduled for the day we landed. We arrived at the restaurant just as the appointed time arrived. Marcus pulled me hurriedly inside.

I was utterly exasperated by his statement. Was I supposed to hire an actor to deceive him? I didn't care what he thought. But I was also puzzled. He'd always been aloof, no matter how much I did for him. I almost thought his heart was made of stone; it was impossible to warm him. Only Beverly's appearance revealed his capacity for tenderness. Two years ago, I chose to withdraw, to let them be. But now he acted as if he still deeply loved me? Even if Beverly had passed away from cancer, his attitude shouldn't be this way. "Excuse me, Marcus is my legitimate fiancé," I said. "Our wedding is on the 18th of this month—ten days from now." My words were like thunder in Dominic's ears. His eyes instantly reddened. He couldn't accept it, couldn't accept his beloved marrying another man! But I had lost interest in engaging with him. I didn't want an irrelevant person to ruin my welcome party. I gestured for everyone to move to another location. As we passed