Chapter 3
Down the hallway, a couple of nurses were chatting about Ryan's condition.
One said, "Poor guy. He had a guaranteed spot at the sports academy, and now look at him..."
Another said, "Yeah, let alone playing sports, even walking might be a problem for him now."
I looked out the window. Sunlight poured in, spilling warm light across the floor.
The comments: [Plot deviation: 30%]
[The male lead's sports career is over for good.]
[The female lead is about to face an investigation.]
The comments scrolled by, and I smiled to myself.
This time, I wouldn't let myself be anyone's stepping stone ever again.
Ryan's leg was barely recovering, and the doctors finally told him he'd never be able to pursue a professional sports career again.
The news crushed him. He spent an entire week holed up in his hospital room, not wanting to see or talk to anyone.
Joanna showed up every single day, but the nurses always stopped her from going in.
She didn't seem to mind Ryan's rejection at all. Every day, she'd show up with all kinds of supplements and fruit, lingering outside his room for ages before finally leaving.
The police weren't getting anywhere. Joanna had been called in for questioning a few times, but she got off scot-free every single time.
I knew it was all thanks to her uncle, the police chief, working his connections behind the scenes.
In the original storyline, her uncle was her ultimate backer. He swept all the messes under the rug for her, making sure she never had to face the consequences she deserved.
That afternoon, I went to the hospital to visit Ryan as a student representative.
I wasn't fond of them, but as a class officer, it was my job.
When I got to the entrance of the building, I caught sight of Joanna chatting with a middle-aged guy in the corner.
The man was rocking a suit, looking slick.
Without thinking, I froze and slipped behind a tree.
The man said, "The visa's all set. You can leave next month."
The man's voice was low, but I still caught every word. "Your mom sold the house to scrape together some money for you.
"Once you're abroad, just keep your head down and don't get yourself into any more trouble."
Joanna nodded, her face blank. "What about Ryan?"
"You're still worried about him at a time like this?" The man frowned. "If you don't want to end up in jail, you need to leave here as soon as possible.
"That fire didn't kill anyone, but it was a serious crime. If they really start digging, no one can protect you!"
Joanna bit her lip. "But if I leave, Ryan will be heartbroken."
"Once you're overseas, he'll move on eventually," the man said, impatience clear in his voice. "We can't drag this out any longer. Go home and start packing. I'll arrange for someone to drive you to the airport."
With that, the man turned and walked away.
Joanna stood there, watching him leave, her expression conflicted.
The comments: [Joanna's really about to bail? No way, that's not cool.]
[Ryan's still waiting for her, totally clueless. Man, that's just tragic.]
[Edith heard that, right? Quick, stop her!]
The comments were flooding, but I just stared at them coldly, unmoved.
Stop her? Why should I? I didn't go through it myself, but just reading those comments about living paralyzed was suffocating.
They were the ones who brought this on themselves. This was just karma doing its thing.
All of a sudden, Joanna turned and glanced in my direction sharply.
My heart skipped a beat. Did she catch me spying? But she just took a cold glance and turned on her heel, striding away.
When I got to Ryan's room, Megan was pacing anxiously outside the door.
When she saw me, she looked at me like I was her last hope. "Edith, please, talk some sense into him. The doctor said if he keeps this up, his leg might end up useless for good!"
I knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
I called out, "Ryan, it's me. I'm here on behalf of the class to visit you."
Still nothing.
I raised my voice, "Joanna's leaving the country. She's leaving next month."
The door clicked open, and Ryan stood there, looking like he hadn't slept in days, his eyes bloodshot. "What did you just say?"
I said, "I overheard it downstairs."
I walked into the room and set the fruit on the table. "Her uncle pulled some strings and got her a visa. She's leaving next month."
Ryan swayed on his feet, disbelief written all over his face. "No way... She said just yesterday she'd never leave me..."
"If you don't believe me, just call her and see for yourself," I said, meeting his eyes. "Ryan, it's time to wake up."
Ryan's hands shook as he pulled out his phone and dialed Joanna's number.
The phone kept ringing, but no one picked up.
He called again, but this time, she rejected it instantly.
The comments: [Is Ryan finally waking up to what Joanna's really like?]
[Man, I feel bad for Ryan. Joanna really messed him up.]
[Plot deviation: 50%]
Ryan's phone slipped from his hand and smashed onto the floor, the screen shattered.
He buried his face in his hands, letting out a muffled sob, like a wounded beast.
I silently stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaving his pain behind closed doors.
Sunlight filled the hallway. I looked up at the sky with a small smile. Things were finally starting to look up.