Chapter 1
At 10 PM, I suddenly came down with a nasty stomach bug.
The cramps in my lower belly were so bad I curled up in a ball on the couch, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Half out of it, I nudged Alex, who was busy gaming next to me.
He gave my forehead a quick, careless touch, then went right back to his game, muttering without even looking at me.
"Just go to the bathroom, you'll be fine," he said.
Feeling helpless, I forced myself to get up and look for some medicine.
Just then, Alex's phone rang with that special ringtone he'd set just for Emmy.
He quickly got dressed and was ready to head out.
I called out to him, told him how bad I was feeling, and asked if he could take me to the hospital first.
He hesitated for a couple of seconds as he walked past me, but ended up walking out anyway.
He just threw a careless line over his shoulder without even looking back.
"Something's up with Emmy, I need to go check on her. Just take some medicine," he said.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut, leaving the room in a dead silence.
It was like my heart had a gaping hole, and the cold wind was howling right through the emptiness inside me.
When I was sprawled over the toilet, puking and feeling completely drained, I mindlessly scrolled through my phone and saw Emily's latest post.
She wrote: [Just a minor burn, but someone was so worried they rushed me to the hospital right away.]
The photo was just Alex's back.
*****
One of Alex's buddies joked: [Man, Alex, you're treating her like a princess. If you keep waiting, that burn's gonna heal itself before you even get a chance to help.]
As I stumbled into the cab, barely able to stand, my phone buzzed with a message from my mom.
She messaged: [Lily, don't put off that blind date next weekend again.]
[You're 30 now, honey. I don't want to nag, but you really need to think about your future. Just add them on WhatsApp and chat a little, okay?]
I lowered my gaze, my heart stinging with bitterness.
We'd been together for six years. I left my hometown behind and moved to his city for him.
He said he didn't want to get married too soon, that meeting the parents was too much pressure, so I never told my parents a thing.
But every single time, whenever it was between me and Emily, he always chose her.
I swallowed the wave of hurt and exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me.
This time, I didn't even bother to say no—I just replied: [Okay.]
After sending the message, I curled up in the corner of the taxi's back seat.
My face was ghostly pale from the waves of stomach cramps, and cold sweat soaked my forehead.
The driver, a kind older woman, looked at me with concern and started talking.
"Aw, sweetie, what's a young girl like you doing heading to the hospital all alone this late at night? Being in a strange city by yourself, that's gotta be tough," she said.
"I've got some plastic bags in the car. If you feel like you're gonna puke, just grab one, okay?"
I managed a weak smile.
When we got to the hospital, the driver saw me clutching my stomach, my legs shaking with every step. She went out of her way to support me, walking me right into the emergency room.
After I checked in, I looked up and saw Alex and Emily walking out of the ER, arms linked, chatting and laughing together.
My gaze lingered on their intertwined hands, but honestly, I didn't feel a thing—not even a ripple inside me.
When he saw me, Alex awkwardly let go of Serena's hand, his tone gentle.
"Lily, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Are you feeling any better?"
When the driver saw I had a friend here, she smiled and gently patted my hand.
"What luck, bumping into your friend! Now I can stop worrying about you," she said.
"It's not easy being in the hospital all by yourself. Good thing you've got someone to take care of you now," she added.
She waved Alex over, telling him to give me a hand.
Alex walked over and helped me up, gently supporting my shoulder.
The driver looked at me with concern, then gave Alex a heartfelt reminder.
"She looks really sick. Please look after her," she said.
Alex smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry, ma'am. I'm her boyfriend—I'll look after her," he replied.
The driver shot him a curious glance, then slowly walked away.
I leaned into Alex's arms, and a faint citrus scent drifted up to my nose.
It was the fragrance I used to love most, but Alex said he didn't like it, so I hadn't worn it for a long time.
Emily walked over, bringing with her a strong citrus aroma.
Turns out, Alex just didn't like the scent when it was on me.
"Lily, please don't misunderstand. Alex just came with me because he was worried about my burn," Emily said.
Instead of making a scene like I used to, I just replied with a casual "Mm."
Alex shot me a surprised glance, genuinely taken aback by how chill I was.
Back then, whenever it had anything to do with Emily, it always turned into a huge fight between us.
Last time, I was in the middle of a frantic move, completely worn out, but as soon as Emily called him about cockroaches in her place, he bailed on me to go help her.
The time before, I was stuck working overtime until midnight, caught in a torrential rain, and couldn't get a ride home. I called him for help, but he told me Emily had a nightmare and he couldn't leave her.
Every single time, we'd fight like crazy, then give each other the silent treatment for days, until he finally showed up with flowers trying to win me back.
This time, I just didn't have it in me to argue anymore.
After I told the doctor what was wrong, Alex helped me sit down outside the exam room. He reached for my hand without thinking, but I gently pulled away.
He paused for a moment, then gently ruffled my hair.
Emily saw this and, with a playful smile, said, "Lily, don't be jealous. Alex and I have been friends since we were kids. If there was ever anything between us, you wouldn't even stand a chance."
Alex cut her off, kneeling down in front of me, his eyes soft and full of affection.
"Just stay here for a bit, I'll go pay the bill," he said.
"Is your stomach still hurting? Are you hungry? I'll bring you some food when I come back, okay?"
I kept my head down, my eyes stinging with tears, as a tiny spark of hope began to rise in my chest.