Chapter 2

However, she never anticipated that halfway through her journey, her car would be hijacked by criminals who viciously stabbed her hundreds of times.

Donavan, in his fancy suit, was so terrified he pissed his pants and ran away without looking back.

Only I, with the strength I'd built from coal mining, managed to rescue Callie, my hands bleeding from countless cuts.

Callie's legs were crushed, and the doctors regretfully informed her that she might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

When the news broke, all the guys who had been fawning over her scattered like roaches, avoiding her like the plague.

I was the only one who stayed by her side, carrying her on my back to every hospital, begging on my knees for the best doctors to heal her.

When she was wheelchair-bound and unable to care for herself, I wiped her ass and held her bedpan.

Despite all this, I couldn't earn her gratitude. She would always glare at me coldly, cursing me to go to hell.

"If it weren't for you, Donavan would still be coming to see me!"

What she didn't know was that the day after her accident, Donavan had already moved on to a new flame.

Finally, one deep night, filled with rage, she smothered me to death with a pillow.

When I opened my eyes again, I swore I wouldn't get tangled up with her anymore. I was determined to live my own life.

Just as I was about to explain myself, a chorus of surprised voices interrupted me:

"Eames, is that really you?"

Everyone turned to look as Callie, dressed in an exquisite gown, walked down arm in arm with Donavan. I can see the glint of triumph in her eyes, but she still feigns shock, covering her mouth:

"So you're still alive! You left without a word back then, I thought something terrible had happened to you..."

Her voice grew more pitiful as she spoke, even reaching up to wipe away non-existent tears.

Her words instantly drew sympathetic murmurs from the onlookers.

"Look how loyal and devoted our goddess Callie is, and some scumbags have the nerve to come crawling back!"

"Yeah, Callie even filed a police report back then, worried he might be in danger. And here he is, crawling back now that he can't make it out there!"

Everyone rushed to defend Callie, seemingly forgetting how they used to belittle me.

When Callie first joined the dance troupe, she couldn't afford a training partner, so I would help her stretch and work on her flexibility.

But the troupe members despised my sweaty odor and collectively barred me from the studio.

It got so bad that whenever I approached the studio, toilet water would seemingly fall from the sky, drenching me.

At first, I thought it was just rich kids playing cruel tricks on the poor.

It wasn't until later, when I accidentally overheard Callie's confession to Donavan outside the studio, that I understood.

"Didn't you say you hated the smell on me? That's not my scent. It's from that clingy Eames who won't leave me alone!"

"If you're willing to be with me, I promise I'll make him disappear for good. He'll never show his face around us again!"

It was only then that I belatedly realized all the humiliation I'd endured from those people was secretly orchestrated by Callie.

In our tender youth, they had worked together to subject me to a grand and prolonged campaign of bullying.

And now, it had transformed into what they called care and concern.

But I've been given a second chance at life, and I don't want to endure the scars from my previous one.

Without offering much explanation, I turned to leave.

Seeing me about to go, Donavan moved to block my path, his eyes full of mockery:

"What's the rush, Mr. Lincoln? You've come back suddenly. Why not sit down and catch up properly?"

With that, he grabbed my hand, refusing to let me leave.

In the scuffle, he managed to pull off my coat, revealing the sweater underneath still bearing its price tag.

Seeing this, Donavan burst into thunderous laughter, nodding eagerly:

"Oh, I see. You're in a hurry to return your purchase?"