Chapter 3
That day, Julian just sat there, motionless, after I finished speaking.
He just kept staring at me, not saying a word.
"Nina, there's no one more heartless than you," he said.
His anger must've done it. The bandage on his forehead split open, and blood started seeping through.
I parted my lips and was about to say something.
Then I hesitated. If I said too much, I'd just make things worse.
I always thought that if I asked for a divorce, he'd finally be relieved.
"I'll call the doctor," I said.
He didn't say a word.
The silence in the room was so thick that I could hear a pin drop.
Then Wendy's call came in. She said she was in trouble.
Julian shot up from his bed and bolted out the door.
Thinking about it all, I stepped out onto the balcony. My mouth tasted bitter.
"I can't do this anymore," I replied.
I was just worn out after all these years.
I didn't want to keep this up anymore.
Not like Julian ever really listened to me anyway.
I couldn't get through to him anymore.
"You can't do it?" Melinda echoed.
She seemed stunned for a moment, disbelief in her voice.
After a long pause, her voice finally came, trembling slightly.
She said, "I've already lost Maya.
"Are you really going to let me and my last son drift further and further apart?"
I stayed silent.
Melinda's voice grew heated. "Nina, haven't we treated you well enough?
"You've been married for five years. When have you ever truly cared about Julian? If you had, would he be out there messing around all the time?
"You really are heartless!"
I kept my lips pressed together, silently taking Melinda's scolding.
I dropped my gaze, leaned on the balcony railing, and looked down.
Thirty-four stories up. It was really high.
The people below looked like ants.
Just like my world, shrinking ever since that day.
I was boxed in my own little world.
No escape, nowhere to run.
Maya was Julian's little sister, the apple of the Carter family's eye.
She was six years younger than me.
After my parents passed away, I moved in with the Carters.
So I watched Maya grow up over the years.
Maya was raised with so much love. She was lively, radiant, and pure.
We could use every good word in the book to describe her, and it still wouldn't be enough.
Julian wasn't nearly as serious back then.
He loved to bicker with me.
Maya would always squeeze in between us, ganging up with me against Julian.
She'd always finish with a jab, "Julian, if it weren't for the engagement, with how mean you are, you'd never have a shot with Nina."
"Who... Who says I'm into her?" Julian stammered, flustered.
"Shut up, Maya!" he shot back.
That one comment had both Julian and me, at eighteen, blushing bright red.
But all that happiness came crashing down during one trip.
A bunch of young people were hanging out, glasses clinking, music thundering. It should've been a night to remember.
I was curled up in bed, dealing with killer cramps, so I didn't join in.
I was half-asleep when Maya burst into my room.
When she saw I was awake, she shot me a mischievous smile.
"Nina, Julian and the others went down to the river to set off fireworks. I finally get a chance to catch my breath," she said.
She flopped down on the bed next to me.
She started chattering away, talking nonstop about everything.
As I listened, the pain meds finally kicked in, and I drifted back to sleep.
When I woke up, choking on smoke, the fire had already surrounded us.
I frantically shook Maya awake.
We tried to rush out a few times, but the flames blocked every exit.
Maya had always been frail, and she was barely conscious.
In the depths of despair, I suddenly heard Julian's voice.
Summoning the last bit of strength I had, I shouted his name.
He must've heard me. Rushed footsteps echoed through the chaos, getting closer.
I dragged Maya with me, taking the brunt of the heat to shield her as we moved toward the nearest exit.
"Maya, wake up. Julian's here!" I shouted, desperate to keep her conscious.
The fire kept getting worse, and suddenly a beam crashed down. I couldn't get out of the way.
I just covered Maya with my body, trying to protect her from the flames.
But out of nowhere, Maya suddenly woke up and, with all the strength she had left, pushed me away.
In that split second, we were separated.
I ended up by the doorway, while she was left behind, trapped in the burning room.
My eyes turned red with desperation, and I didn't think twice. I just threw myself toward her, determined to save her.
"Don't come any closer!" Maya yelled, her voice raw and commanding.
She was trapped under a fallen beam, her gaze locked onto mine, refusing to look away.
Every time I tried to move toward her, she forced herself to inch closer to the flames, making it impossible for me to reach her.
"Nina, you have to survive," she said, her voice trembling but resolute.
Flames started licking at her pant leg.
She'd always been spoiled, and now she was shaking with fear, but she just bit her lip, trying to hold it together.
She said, "Julian's actually pretty soft-hearted. If you're gone, he'll be devastated.
"Julian's definitely gonna brag about how I saved you, Nina."
But in the end, she just couldn't help it. She started crying, scared out of her mind.
"Nina, it's such a shame that I won't get to see you marry Julian," she sobbed.
Afraid I'd throw my life away trying to save her, she suddenly started crawling desperately, putting more distance between us.
My hand could no longer reach her.
"Tell Mom, Julian, Grandma and Grandpa not to cry," she choked out.
The flames were closing in, mercilessly engulfing her.
I was drowning in grief, my head spinning so hard.
Then everything went black.