Chapter 2

I never planned to compromise.

But Emily had always valued freedom over comfort, and Jonathan would eventually find someone better—someone more obedient to replace me. He was the one in control of this relationship.

But then he pressed his forehead against my shoulder like a lost child and said in that rough voice, "Emily, these twelve years have been borrowed time. I won't tie you down, but don't treat me like a stranger."

It felt like my rejection would shatter his entire world.

That moment broke something in me.

I stayed.

So I became the most unusual presence in the company—earning the highest salary, enjoying Jonathan's shameless favoritism, playing the role of his sharpest blade and strongest shield.

He indulged me completely for a year, right up until that girl appeared. She looked seventy percent like me, but she was bright and energetic and decisive, like a little sun.

And I gradually lost my value and stopped being a matter of concern.

He didn't know that I only existed to prove how successful his redemption had been.

He also didn't know that Emily craved freedom, but I only craved his approval.

*****

The day I'd been dreading finally arrived.

Sophia returned from overseas, and suddenly, the Sterling family and the Summers family were collaborating on everything.

I continued to do my job as always, scheduling his meetings and managing his calendar.

I knew exactly where he went and what he did, including his dates with her.

She was well-mannered and polite. I'd picked her up several times and driven her to meet him. Both families approved of the match.

After that, I kept my distance. Work was work, and that was it. He let it happen without saying a word. He even started erasing what we'd had, bit by bit, like it never existed.

Then the accident happened.

The truck came out of nowhere, barreling straight toward us and entirely out of control.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him pull her close, shielding her with his whole body.

My hands tightened on the wheel, and I yanked it hard to the right. If I took the hit on my side, they'd be safer.

The car swerved away from the truck, but I slammed into the guardrail, and a sharp piece of metal went straight through my right hand.

When I woke up, I was in a VIP hospital room. Two broken ribs, a fractured leg, and my right hand wrapped in so many bandages I couldn't even see the skin.

The doctor told me the nerve damage was severe—I might not even be able to hold a fork again, and they couldn't promise how much I'd recover even with physical therapy.

Sophia and Jonathan only had minor injuries.

When I heard that, I actually felt relieved.

If I couldn't stop this from happening, at least I'd kept the damage minimal.

In the original timeline, Jonathan would've been the one with the broken leg, and he would've spent three years in a wheelchair.

I stayed in the hospital for over two months, and Jonathan came to see me every single day. He hired a nurse for me, but I barely spoke during that whole time.

One day, he finally couldn't take it anymore and stopped me outside my room while I was in the wheelchair.

His eyes were red, and he dropped to his knees in front of me, grabbing onto my clothes. "Emily, don't look at me like that. Please don't shut me out like this, please."

This was only the second time I'd ever seen him lose control. The first time was when I handed in my resignation to study abroad—he'd smashed his favorite vase.

That was when it hit me. He was the one who'd been trapped in the past all along, not me.

He thought I was throwing a tantrum, that I was blaming him.

But I wasn't.

I just knew the story wouldn't stop, and the day I'd have to leave was coming closer.

I'd already accepted it.