Chapter 3
Emily woke up in the hospital. The overpowering smell of disinfectant stung her nose and made her frown.
With all the strength she could muster, she forced her heavy eyelids open. She was in a deluxe private hospital room, and two nurses, backs turned, were chatting quietly to each other.
"The guy in the room next door, Mr. Carter, is handsome. He's so sweet to his girlfriend," one of the nurses gushed.
"I heard his girlfriend was in a coma for years, but he never gave up on her. His devotion was so profound that the heavens could not ignore it. In response, she was brought back to consciousness," the other nurse whispered.
"Good people do get what they deserve. If only I could find someone who's that hot, rich, and loyal," the first nurse added.
Emily lay there, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling as if all hope had vanished from her heart.
The door to the room next door was left slightly open.
Emily stood right at the door, peering through the narrow gap and taking in every detail of what was happening inside.
Her hand pressed against the wall for balance, but the moment she saw Ryan wrap his arms around Olivia's slender back and kiss her with deep passion, Emily clenched her fists tight.
She thought she was ready, but seeing it for herself made her understand the kind of pain that felt like her whole chest was being ripped apart from the inside.
"Ryan, even though I couldn't move for these three years, I heard every single word you said to me," Olivia said softly.
Ryan let out a gentle laugh, his hand cradling the back of Olivia's head with such tenderness as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.
His voice sounded clear, overflowing with pain and longing, as he whispered, "Olivia, you have no idea how I've prayed for you every single moment. If only you could wake up, I'd give up everything I have, even my whole world."
Emily's head felt like it was about to explode. She dragged the corners of her lips into a broken, bitter smile. The words were achingly familiar.
Not long ago, she and Ryan had celebrated their third anniversary as a couple.
She still remembered that night, surrounded by friends and family at the party, when Ryan gazed at her with the same unwavering tenderness and promised, "Emily, all I want is for you to be safe and happy. I'd give up everything to keep you smiling."
At that moment, Emily realized that perhaps everything Ryan had told her over the past three years had been nothing but lies. Not a single word was ever real.
All his heart, all his love, had always belonged to someone else.
All that affection and gentle care he showed her was nothing more than a performance, a mask he had worn since the start.
"Ms. Summers, why are you out of bed? You had a serious head injury. The doctor insisted you need to stay in bed and rest," the nurse exclaimed, surprised.
The nurse's sudden outburst made Emily freeze in place. From inside the room, Ryan and Olivia heard the commotion, too.
Ryan opened the door and stepped out. When his eyes met Emily's, panic flashed across his face for a split second, but he recovered instantly.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing, and he said softly, "Emily, I'm sorry. My assistant told me you fell. I was so worried. Are you okay now?"
Emily could feel the weight of Ryan's hand on her shoulder, so unbearably heavy that it was almost crushing. She forced herself to pretend like she didn't care at all.
"I'm fine. Is Olivia alright? Is she doing okay?" Emily asked.
"She's fine. You should get more rest. Once you're feeling better, you can go visit her," Ryan answered gently.
"Okay," Emily replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't say anything more and let the nurse help her as she headed back to her own room.
She'd already made up her mind to get herself out of this phony romance. There was no need to reveal her pain and let her enemies see how much she was hurting.
That would only make her seem more pathetic, but the ones who hurt her would never care about her pain.
In the days that followed, Ryan didn't bother to visit her even once. She only heard from the nurses that Ryan had arranged for Olivia to switch hospitals.
He whisked Olivia off to a better hospital, tracked down the best specialists money could buy, and made sure she underwent a full battery of top-level tests.
To him, Olivia was everything, his whole world, and his very reason for living.
Given everything that was happening, it made sense he wouldn't spare Emily a single thought.
But what caught Emily off guard was that Olivia showed up in her room the night before she was discharged. Olivia stood there like she'd never been sick, her makeup perfectly done.
The bright hospital lights lit up Olivia's features, and for the first time, Emily found herself watching her as clearly as possible, taking in every detail.
Olivia looked stunning, radiant yet understated, sweet but never gaudy. Just one glance made Emily stop in quiet awe. No wonder Ryan was so hopelessly in love with her.
"Ms. Summers, hi. Guess this is the first time we're meeting, isn't it?" Olivia said.
A faint trace of arrogance lingered in her gaze, and her tone had a slight lift to it, as though every word was meant to show her off.
Emily glanced away, fighting to look relaxed. "Hello, Ms. Grant," she said, trying not to let anything show.
"Wait, you still think I'm Ryan's aunt?" Olivia asked.
Emily was thrown off by Olivia bringing it up first. She froze for a second, all words stuck in her throat.
Olivia's voice turned downright gloating, and she sneered, "While I was in a coma, I could hear every word you and Ryan said to each other.
"The truth is that he's been playing you for a fool. I'm the one he loves. You're nothing but my replacement."
Every word out of Olivia's mouth was like a razor-sharp blade, cutting deep into Emily's heart and leaving her gasping for air.
Emily had told herself time and time again that she'd never let herself care about Ryan ever again.
But when someone peeled those old scars open, the hurt was so raw that it felt like her heart was being torn apart, and she couldn't breathe at all.
After a long moment, Emily finally looked up. There was sadness in her eyes, but what shone through more was a quiet, unwavering resolve.
Emily said steadily, "Ms. Grant, whatever happens between you and Ryan is between the two of you. It has nothing to do with me.
"If you want explanations, go ask him directly. There's no need to come here and unload all of this nonsense on me."
"All this nonsense?" Olivia sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
"Emily, I've already given you the truth. Don't tell me you still plan to shamelessly cling to Ryan after you know the truth," she added.
Emily felt like her heart had been torn apart, but she still put on her bravest poker face for everyone watching, refusing to let anyone see how broken she was inside.
"If you want me out of the picture, have Ryan say it to my face himself," Emily replied calmly.