Chapter 7

During the days I was hospitalized, my parents never came to see me. They didn't even bother to call or text.

Jonathan, on the other hand, spent his days with Lucy and Henry and his nights at the hospital with me. On the hospital bed, he held me tightly, like I might disappear if he loosened his grip. "Anna, I can't lose you. Just give me a little more time. Soon, I'll be with you forever."

I said nothing. When I first learned the truth, I had a thousand questions burning in my chest. Love made people hysterical, and hatred made people fight back at every turn.

But now, when it came to Jonathan, I felt neither love nor hate.

During my hospital stay, I was like a puppet. I ate when they told me to and took my meds on schedule. Then I would sit there, staring at my wrist for hours.

Every day felt like a mountain pressing on my chest. I could barely breathe under the weight of it. At night, sleep only came with pills.

On the day I was discharged, my father called. "Anna, your mom's having chest pain. Can you come over and take a look?"

I took a cab to their house and ran a full check on her. But she was perfectly fine.

I couldn't figure out why they had called me back until my father handed me a glass of milk. "Anna, have some milk. You've lost so much weight lately."

My mother added, "That's right. Stay home tonight and rest up. We'll cook your favorite foods. You need to build yourself back up."

The urgency in their eyes almost made me laugh. They really wanted me to drink the milk that had sleeping pills in it.

Right in front of them, I finished it in one go. What they didn't know was that this dosage did nothing to me anymore.

After they left, I lay down and pretended to fall asleep.

A while later, they pushed the door open quietly. My mother tucked me in and whispered, "Anna, don't be mad at us. We're just afraid you might get in the way of Lucy and Jonathan's date."

My father sighed. "They were young and reckless. If they hadn't been so stubborn, Jonathan wouldn't have pursued Anna out of spite."

"Anna's already had it rough—her wrist is messed up, and now she can't even have kids. Guess it's not so bad she can't get pregnant—it means Henry gets to be the Rivers family's sole heir," he added.

Then my mother asked softly, "Do you ever think maybe we never should've brought Anna back?"

I forced myself not to cry. Only after they left the room did I let the tears come, muffling my sobs in the darkness.

The truth was, if they had never taken me back, I wouldn't have been sad. Because at least I still had someone who truly cared about me.

After they left the house, I put on my shoes and walked out. I wandered until I reached the bridge. The river below was pitch black, heavy, and silent. Inside me, there was nothing left but emptiness.

I didn't hesitate. I climbed over the railing and let my body fall into the dark water.

The freezing river swallowed my mouth and nose instantly. The shock and cold crashed over me at once, and my consciousness began to fade.

Somewhere in the blur, I heard someone shouting my name. "Anna!"

Was it Jonathan? Or my brother?

*****

On the luxury cruise ship, everything glittered. Music swelled, champagne flowed, and diamonds flashed beneath crystal lights.

Jonathan was raising his auction paddle when, out of nowhere, a sharp pain squeezed his chest, making him catch his breath. He felt like something important to him was slipping away.

Lucy, sitting beside him, noticed the change in his expression. She said with concern, "Jonathan, are you not feeling well? We can go back."

He waved her off. "Don't worry about me. You like that bracelet, right? I'll get it for you."