Chapter 3

Lucas said with a straight face, "I can handle myself. I don't need either of you to take care of me." He had a scholarship now, plus stipends from his research projects.

He was only fourteen, but he didn't have to worry about food or clothes anymore.

After saying that, he just turned and walked away in the opposite direction, not even glancing at us.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Then, from not far away, a sweet, gentle woman's voice called out, "Professor Nash!"

I didn't even bother to turn around.

Just seeing how Edward's expression instantly softened, I knew exactly who had arrived.

Grace said softly, "I'm heading to the faculty housing to see Mr. Bennett. Since we're going the same way, why don't we go together?"

The bus finally arrived, and a sea of people surged toward it.

As Edward got on, he absentmindedly reached out and steadied Grace by her shoulder, guiding her onto the bus first.

But just as he was about to step onto the bus, it suddenly hit him.

He craned his neck, straining to look back at me—still stuck behind the crowd, struggling to make my way forward.

For a moment, he looked awkward and uncomfortable.

Instincts don't lie.

He made sure Grace got on safely, but totally forgot about me.

I kept pushing forward with the crowd and averted my gaze, not looking at him again.

Doesn't matter.

Almost there, almost there.

We're almost done for good.

The bus was packed so tight, you couldn't even move.

Maybe because he'd just gone out of his way to help Grace onto the bus, Edward was feeling a bit awkward and guilty.

He made a point of stepping away from Grace, keeping a noticeable distance.

Then, acting all stiff and unnatural, he awkwardly had me stand in front of him, pretending to be concerned—like he was suddenly worried about me.

The bus rumbled to life, and the packed crowd rocked back and forth.

Suddenly, someone next to me lost their footing and shoved me hard.

I stumbled, pitching forward, and instinctively reached out to grab onto something.

Before I could touch anyone in front of me, someone next to me quickly grabbed my arm, so I pulled my hand back.

In the chaos, I heard Grace's startled cry.

When I regained my senses, she was already on the ground, her face pale—she'd twisted her ankle and couldn't get up.

Edward's face darkened, and he immediately pushed his way through the crowd to help her to her feet.

Grace was so embarrassed she could barely look up, with everyone staring at her. Her pale face flushed bright red, and her eyes filled with tears.

She stood up and glanced in my direction. "Thank goodness you're okay, Claire."

Edward, after making sure Grace was fine, turned to me, his face burning with anger.

"Even if you couldn't stand still, you shouldn't have pushed her!" he snapped.

All eyes in the room turned to me in an instant.

I was certain I hadn't pushed Grace just now, and I was not taking the fall for something I didn't do.

I said coldly, "I didn't push her."

Grace's eyes turned even redder, and she looked like she was barely holding it together.

"It's fine, Professor Nash. The bus is just really crowded. Claire didn't do it on purpose," she said.

"I didn't push you!" I suddenly snapped, my anger flaring up out of nowhere.

My voice trembled as I raised it.

Even more people turned to look at me.

Edward looked at me with utter disappointment. "I saw you reach out!

"Grace already said it's fine. This isn't some backwater; why are you still throwing a tantrum and acting like a child?"

I was so angry I wanted to say something back.

But the person who had grabbed me spoke up.

"Someone behind her pushed her, that's why she fell forward.

"When I caught her, I saw her reach forward, but she really didn't push the person in front."

Edward froze, his anger instantly deflating.

Some of the passengers nearby spoke up.

"I saw it too. She didn't push the person in front."

Grace's face turned bright red in an instant.

"It was... it was my own fault. I just couldn't keep my footing.

"It was such a mess just now. I honestly couldn't tell what happened. Sorry, Claire."

One of the passengers glanced at Edward, who was holding Grace.

"Man, it's packed in here. You should keep your wife steady."

Edward froze.

After a moment, he quickly let go of Grace and blurted, "She's not—"

The crowd started moving, and the noise got louder.

Everyone was already looking somewhere else.

No one was listening to him anymore.

Edward walked back to my side, looking awkward, like he wanted to say something.

Maybe he wanted to explain, or maybe he wanted to apologize.

He'd never offered me an explanation or an apology before, and now, I didn't need them anymore.

Before he could say anything, I glanced away and looked out the window.

In the end, neither of us said a word.

The bus was noisy, but the silence between us felt even heavier.

Suddenly, I realized just how far apart Edward and I had become.

We were so close in space, yet worlds apart.

When did it all start?

I couldn't even remember.

Fifteen years together, and it wasn't always like this between us.

****

I met Edward when I was fifteen.

Back then, my parents were still alive.

My dad had been injured in the war, and his health was never good.

My mom was a traditional medicine doctor, running a small clinic in a back alley in Brighton.

It was tucked away, and without the latest modern medical techniques, barely anyone ever came to see her.

Edward was eighteen back then, wearing threadbare clothes, and he brought his mother to my mom's clinic.

My mom barely charged anything for consultations or medicine.

After that, he started bringing his mom over every now and then.

After that, it was just Edward and his mom, the two of them struggling to get by. Life was hard for them.

The first time Edward worked up the courage to ask my mom if he could put off paying for the medicine for a few days, his cheeks flushed all the way to his ears.

Even though my mom was barely scraping by herself, she agreed without hesitation.

Edward always felt bad about owing us for the medicine.

After that, whenever he saw me struggling with my studies, he'd tutor me for free whenever he got the chance.

And little by little, if he didn't have class, he'd come pick me up after school for my mom.

He was incredibly patient, really handsome, and spoke softly.

When I turned eighteen, my dad, who'd been sick for years, finally passed away.

My mom was so devastated, she had a heart attack right there in the hospital, coughed up blood, and passed away soon after.

No grandparents, either—they were all lost to the war.

With both my parents gone, I was left utterly alone overnight.

In the sprawling city of Brighton, I had no family, not a soul to lean on.

Back then, I even thought about just giving up on life.

Edward and his mom, May, rushed over.

May's heart ached for me. She wiped away her tears and pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay, dear. Don't be scared. You still have me and Edward—we're here for you," she said.

Edward wasn't the type to comfort people.

He stood next to me for ages, totally at a loss, before finally blurting out, "I'll handle your parents' funeral. No matter how tough things get, I'll take care of you—just like they would have wanted."

Later, I finished college, married him, and got pregnant with Lucas.

Because of my severe morning sickness, I couldn't work.

Life in Brighton was expensive, and Edward had just started working, barely making enough to get by.

One day, I went to his school to visit him and caught him hiding outside his office at noon, gnawing on a piece of cold, hard bread.

Then it hit me—his mom was always sick, often stuck in bed.