Chapter 5

I first met Shawn during my senior year of high school, when I was eighteen.

Back then, I was bullied by Anna, the privileged girl in our class, and completely shunned by my classmates.

I sat in the last row without a deskmate.

Shawn was the new transfer student. On his very first day, he took the seat next to mine—the one that had been empty for over two years.

From the very first day, Shawn showed me extraordinary kindness and concern.

Anna's bullying left me way behind in my studies.

Shawn eagerly offered to help—he'd tutor me after class, take over my classroom chores, and even copy notes for me.

Whenever Anna came after me with her gang, Shawn would always appear out of nowhere to stop them.

He said he'd protect me from being bullied again.

I'd never known what it felt like to be truly cared for—not once in my whole life.

I found his kindness utterly baffling and even frightening.

So I kept avoiding him, as if he were some terrifying beast.

I always assumed the worst about him, certain he must have even more ulterior motives than anyone else.

That summer, we took the SAT. I performed well and scored higher than Anna.

That night, Anna was behind the wheel of a flashy red sports car—a coming-of-age gift from her dad.

Under the streetlights, with everyone watching, she went berserk and drove the car straight at me on the crosswalk.

Screams erupted from every direction. By the time I turned to look, the car was already hurtling toward me.

I never thought Anna would go this crazy.

In that split second, I froze on the spot. My mind screamed to leave, but my legs refused to budge.

I was suddenly left with just one thought—clearer and more unshakable than ever before.

If I survived, I'd put Anna behind bars.

Even if my mother sobbed her heart out before my eyes, even if my future lay in ruins, I wouldn't care.

I wouldn't care if I lost everything—I'd take Anna down with me.

From fourteen to eighteen, I'd had enough. I couldn't take this anymore.

I braced myself for the crash and the searing pain I knew was coming, but it never happened.

In my blurred vision, the last thing I saw was a man charging out of nowhere.

He shoved me out of the way with all his strength. The next instant, he was the one sent flying by the impact.

I saw Shawn lying on the ground in a horrifying pool of crimson blood.

After hitting him with her car, Anna ran off right away.

My vision blurred crimson as I charged toward Shawn, a torrent of conflicting emotions surging inside me.

It was like a dam bursting, and those feelings swallowed me whole in an instant.

But in the end, all that came out was my hysterical screaming at him. "Are you out of your mind? What's it to you?"

Bystanders quickly gathered around, and someone called 911.

I crouched down, my eyes burning with anguish as I stared at the figure lying in a pool of blood.

My hand reached out but froze mid-air. I was shaking like a leaf.

At that moment, I just couldn't comprehend how I could possibly deserve his sacrifice.

How could someone risk his life to save someone like me, who'd received nothing but endless loathing since birth?

With great effort, Shawn opened his eyes to look at me, showing no anger at my scolding.

Instead, he tried to comfort me. "Relax, I won't die."

I'd never seen anything like this before, and my mind just went completely blank.

The more frantic I got, the more I couldn't help but lash out. "Are you actually insane? Do you really think you get to decide whether you live or die after being hit like that?"

Blood was gushing from Shawn's nose and mouth, the color visibly draining from his face at an alarming rate.

Yet he just looked at me, managing to twitch his lips into another weak smile. "I'm different. I won't die."

It was as if the impact had actually scrambled his brains.

The ambulance arrived within minutes.

I couldn't avoid him now. I climbed into the ambulance and accompanied him to the hospital.

After that, Shawn spent the entire night in the emergency room.

Then he was kept in the ICU for what felt like forever.

He was diagnosed with a concussion, intracranial hemorrhage, fractures in both legs and the right hand, and multiple broken ribs.

That collision nearly killed him.

I even heard the doctors say it was nothing short of a miracle that he survived without any permanent disabilities.

I looked at Shawn and asked, "Why?"

Shawn met my gaze, his voice steady. "I told you I'd protect you. No one will ever hurt you again."

I still didn't understand him. I couldn't help but ask, "What could you possibly see in me?"

Shawn's gaze was so intense and sincere, and it felt like a flame I'd never known.

He replied softly, "Everything. To me, you're perfect in every way."

He walked with me through the darkness.

Love blossomed, and then marriage followed.

All these years, Shawn had always kept his word.

With him by my side, Anna hardly ever hurt me again.

I'd grown accustomed to being alone. But then, I finally had a home and someone to love.

Shawn helped me break free from that isolated bubble.

I started making friends in college and met Jackson Reed, a guy a year older than me.

After graduation, I developed close relationships with my colleagues.

Finally, it felt like I was beginning to live a life like everyone else.

Everyone around me said Shawn loved me.

And it seemed he truly did.