Chapter 1

The day the doctor said I'd never wake up, Alex Carter brought his new girlfriend home.

He had no idea that after spending two years in a coma, I regained consciousness that night.

I listened to them laughing and joking around until the night they started discussing where to hold their wedding after winning the divorce lawsuit against me.

I opened my eyes.

Alex cast a sidelong glance, and in that instant, he unexpectedly met my eyes.

Our eyes met, and he practically jumped, tumbling off the couch.

I watched as his face went from shock to panic to utter despair in a heartbeat.

*****

When I briefly came to, I could barely make out Alex's raspy voice. "Since she's not waking up, I'll take her out of the hospital and bring her home."

My mind was foggy.

I could vaguely sense I was still lying in the hospital room.

Two years ago, I fell off a cliff trying to save Alex.

His desperate, gut-wrenching cries still felt like they happened yesterday.

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

Then I heard the doctor's hesitant voice. "Mr. Carter, the hospital still thinks your wife should stay here and rest. It would help her recover better."

Alex sounded worn out. "Didn't you say she'd never wake up? What's the point of recovery?"

The room fell silent for a long moment.

After a while, the doctor finally spoke up. "She can go home, too.

"But I suggest you rent or buy the necessary medical equipment, and it'd be best to hire a private doctor."

Alex, a little impatient, interrupted the doctor. "I'll handle the paperwork and get her discharged."

My consciousness faded quickly, and I slipped back into a coma.

When I woke up again, I was lying on a soft bed, surrounded by the scent of gardenia I'd missed for so long.

I was home, back in the place Alex and I once built together.

I heard footsteps coming closer, stopping right beside my bed.

Alex took my hand and pressed my palm against his face.

His voice was slurred, and his breath reeked of alcohol. He was definitely drunk.

"Is this really how it's going to be for you from now on?" he asked.

I knew he must be feeling awful.

I was desperate to comfort him, to let him know I was awake.

But even though I was conscious and could feel everything, I couldn't speak or open my eyes.

I heard a soft sound, like Alex was choking back tears.

My heart twisted with pain, and I desperately wanted to speak, but then I suddenly heard the door swing open.

This was the bedroom Alex and I shared. Who would barge in like that, without so much as a knock? That was rude.

I was still puzzling over it when a woman's soft, familiar voice called out, "Alex, I'm here."

I vaguely recognized the voice. It was Emily Shaw.

Emily was the doctor I'd introduced to Alex three years ago to treat his headaches.

Back then, she was always a proper young lady, only ever calling him "Mr. Carter."

But now, hearing her call him "Alex" so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world, left me completely puzzled.

I had no idea what was going on, and I was desperate to open my eyes.

But I couldn't. I couldn't see a thing.

Emily hurried over to the bed, and I could hear the rustle of clothes.

Her voice came out muffled. "Don't be sad, okay? Maybe this is a blessing in disguise."

I hoped I was imagining it, or maybe I was overthinking.

But now my hearing was so sharp that I couldn't help but piece together what was happening beside me from those tiny sounds.

The sound of fabric brushing together told me Emily and Alex were wrapped in an embrace.

She was soothing him, probably gently patting his back.

And her muffled voice meant she must have buried her face against him.

Whether it was his chest, his shoulder, or his neck, it was all the same.

A sudden chill swept through me, slow at first, then all at once, until it filled every inch of my body.

The doctor had already said I'd never wake up.

Maybe Alex would move on, and I couldn't exactly hold it against him.

But the uncontrollable pain and bitterness was about to swallow me whole.