Chapter 3
That night, Abby's fever spiked again.
In her delirium, she dreamed of Luke.
She found herself reliving their first meeting in her dream, when Luke got hit in the head by one of her relatives while trying to save her.
Her parents had both passed away, and their funeral wasn't over yet.
But her relatives swarmed in, demanding a piece of the huge inheritance.
Abby knew that for families like theirs, they'd be satisfied if she casually handed over ten thousand dollars.
But she clung tightly to her mother's words, refusing to let go of a single cent.
When talking didn't get them anywhere, her relatives started showing up at her school and hospital every day to harass her.
That day, her relatives finally snapped and decided to tie her up and dump her in the ocean, so the inheritance would be theirs.
But Luke happened to be passing by late at night and rescued her, and got injured in the process, all because of her.
Ever since then, Luke never stopped chasing after her.
Abby always knew there was a massive gap between her and the wealthy and powerful Scott family, so she never gave Luke a real chance.
It wasn't until Luke pushed himself to the edge, chasing her car for 15 miles like his life depended on it, that Abby finally let her defenses fall.
When they tied the knot, Abby really thought she'd finally gotten lucky, like she'd found her redemption at last.
She never dreamed that the man who'd treated her with such care, who never even brought up the inheritance, would turn out to be after that same fortune, too.
Back then, Luke promised her he'd stick by her side no matter what, through every high and low, no matter how sick or healthy she was.
But this time, even as the sky started to lighten, Luke still hadn't come back, not even sending a text.
Abby blinked awake, still groggy, and when she saw that her hospital room was empty, she felt all her hope drained away, leaving behind nothing but cold emptiness.
She couldn't sleep at all, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone until she suddenly stopped at Flora's social media post.
[Luke said that stargazing with me is more important than Abby's fever. I just knew it. Even if he's married, I'm still his favorite. P.S. His lips are so soft.]
There was a video underneath, nothing but a dark screen. As if bewitched, Abby tapped play without thinking.
As soon as she did, their voices came through the speaker.
"Luke, who do you love more, me or Abby?" Flora pouted, her voice sweet and playful.
"Don't put yourself on the same level as Abby. She's not even worthy of being mentioned next to you," Luke said coldly.
"Hmph, then I'll just keep sneaking into your bed. I like it that way," Flora teased, a mischievous note in her voice.
Luke let out a soft chuckle. "Fine, whatever you want. Next time, want to try my hand?"
Flora's voice sounded pouty, but in the next moment, the video was filled with the sound of slurping and messy kisses.
Abby's breath caught in her throat, and nausea crashed over her. She couldn't watch another second, so she just slammed her phone shut.
She closed her eyes. The tears rolling down her cheeks soaked her pillow in seconds.
So Luke had known about all those sick things Flora did from the very beginning, and hell, he even allowed it.
And there she was, running to confront him like some crazy person. It turned out she was just the idiot those two loved to mess with the whole time.
Right then, Abby could only call herself a fool for hoping. She knew Luke didn't love her. She always knew it. But hearing him say she didn't deserve him still stabbed her right in the heart.
He swore he'd love her for a lifetime, who got her name inked across his chest and said he'd never look back, who chased her car at all costs just to beg her not to leave.
Two years of marriage, and in the end, it all boiled down to the words, "not worth." It was finally clear to her that the truth hit hard. All of it had been a lie.
Abby's mind was a mess, and the sound of their sloppy kisses kept echoing in her ears.
Flora's sultry voice mixed with Luke's raspy one pushed her to the edge. She couldn't take it anymore. She turned her head and vomited, the wave of disgust ripping her heart straight out of her chest.
She hadn't eaten in days, so all that came up was dry heaving and the metallic taste of blood in her throat.
Abby never managed to sleep. By the time the sun was up, Luke finally sent her a message.
Luke: [Abby, the meeting ran late last night, so I didn't want to bother you at the hospital. You're not mad, are you?]
Abby stared at that sad excuse, her lips twisting into a bitter smile. She nearly shot back, asking if he'd really been at a meeting or just out chasing something else.
But it didn't matter. Asking wouldn't change a thing. She was leaving, and she wasn't about to make things complicated.
She typed and erased, but in the end, she sent only one word, [No.]
She set her phone down, not even caring about his reply. She pulled out her IV and went back to her unit like nothing happened
She really loved what she did, but she had no choice but to let it go.
She'd just handed in her resignation to the director when Luke showed up in her office.
"Abby, why are you quitting all of a sudden? Don't you like working here anymore? Or did someone mess with you?" Luke said, his voice dripping with worry, eyes fixed on her.
There was a hint of worry in his eyes, and his hand gently brushed her cheek, as if he cared.
Abby turned her head, ducking away from his touch. Deep down, she knew his so-called concern was all about her inheritance, never about her.
And those hickeys on his neck were an eyesore, hitting her so hard that it made her eyes burn.
She couldn't even look at Luke's face and just threw out a careless excuse. "There's a better gig over at St. Paul Hospital. I should give it a try."
As soon as she said it, she saw Luke visibly relax.
She knew he'd rushed over not out of concern for her, but because he was terrified she might leave, and if she did, that one billion would be out of his reach forever.
Abby couldn't help but wonder if Luke would lose his mind when she finally disappeared with the inheritance.
But honestly, whether he went crazy or not, none of it had anything to do with her anymore.