Chapter 2

Two hours later, a neighbor who didn't know anything saw the blood splattered across my window and called the police.

I told them everything. They took me to the hospital to verify my story.

By the time I got there, Ellen had just come out of surgery.

Ned was sitting outside the operating room. He looked exhausted, just like he had five years ago after my surgery.

The police finished their questions and left. The hallway fell quiet. It was just Ned and me.

Suddenly, Ned dropped to his knees in front of me. "Amber, I'm sorry. I know I stayed in touch with Ellen, but I swear, when I married you, I really meant to end things with her.

"You know we grew up together. I couldn't just stand there and watch her die."

He looked up at me, his eyes red.

It was the same look he had years ago in the orphanage, when the director told me I had found a family and asked if I wanted to leave. He had begged me to stay back then.

"This is the ring I was going to give you today," he said, pulling it out. "It's the one we saw when we were kids. You loved it so much. Amber, can you give me one more chance?"

He reached for my hand, trying to slide the ring onto my finger.

Right then, Ellen's voice drifted out from her hospital room.

Ned's hand trembled. The ring slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor. I didn't even see where it landed.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "Go. What if she tries to kill herself again?"

The ring was gone. And honestly, I didn't want it anymore.

The door to her room was open. Ellen called my name and asked me to come in.

She pushed herself up in bed. The movement tore her wound open again, and blood started seeping through.

Ned saw it and panicked, rushing out to find a doctor.

I stayed by the window. Looking at her pale face, I felt a dull ache in my chest.

I never would have imagined that after more than twenty years of growing up together, she would end up having an affair with Ned.

"Amber, I'm begging you. Let him go, okay?" she said, her voice weak. "If you had just died in that fire, Ned and I would have been together a long time ago."

I froze. My voice shook. "What are you talking about?"

She gave a faint, broken smile. "That fire happened because Ned was about to confess to me. He set off fireworks, but something went wrong. He was going to save me, but he got trapped himself.

"Then you ran in. You got burned all over. Do you know why he married you?

"It was because you were the only one who got hurt. If he married you, he wouldn't have to deal with any legal trouble."

I stood there, completely still. My mind went blank.

Ellen continued, "Amber, Ned has been with me just as long as he's been with you. He loves me. He doesn't love you at all."

Every word she said felt slow and cruel, like a knife cutting deeper and deeper into my chest.

"Amber, do you still not believe me? Fine. I'll prove it to you." She picked up the knife and stabbed herself again, right into the same wound.

Ned had gone to call the doctor. Now he was standing at the door.

"Ned, Amber told me that if I almost died again, she would let us be together," Ellen said weakly.

Ned rushed to the bed and shoved me aside without a second thought.

The force sent me crashing into a medical cart behind me. I felt the impact in my bones, and within seconds, blood soaked through the back of my clothes.

His eyes were red, wild. When he looked at me, it was like he had lost all control. "Amber, I promised you I would cut things off with Ellen. And this is what you do, huh? Using my promise to threaten her? That's just pathetic."

I let out a cold laugh. The pain made sweat bead across my forehead. "Ned, the knife was in her hand. How could I have done anything?"

Ellen tugged at his sleeve. "Ned, I did this to myself. It has nothing to do with Amber."

He looked at her, his voice sharp. "Did she make you say that?"

That single question hit harder than anything else. It washed away every bit of hope I had held onto for the past five years.

Ellen was still bleeding. The doctor rushed over to treat her. "The blood bank just ran out. Miss Titterington has AB blood. Does anyone here match her type?"

Ned did not hesitate. He grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the doctor. "Her."

He looked at me. "Amber, I never thought you'd hurt Ellen. Go donate blood. If you do, I'll act as if none of this happened."

That was the only thing he said to me before the nurse led me away.

The nurse took me into the next room to draw blood. Almost the second I stepped out, Ned frowned and said, "Do not stop drawing until she passes out."

He probably did not know the doctors' walkie-talkies were all connected.

His voice came through clearly. The nurse froze for a moment and gave me an awkward look.

A second later, the door opened. Several doctors came in and surrounded my bed.

They said Ned was worried about me and had sent them to check on me. In reality, he was afraid I might try to leave.