Chapter 4
"You're not feeling well, right? If that's true..."
"Then just go ahead and die out there."
Blaine's tone was as cold as ice, concealing a tidal wave of fury.
He cursed me without reservation.
It was as if some memory box had been triggered.
Suddenly, I was reminded of that winter years ago.
Back then, we were still in a long-distance relationship.
Blaine had secretly bought an 18-hour hard-seat train ticket, just to see me once.
And it all started because I casually complained: "Blaine, I've caught a cold. I feel awful."
Under the streetlight, Blaine appeared before me as if out of thin air.
He pulled me into his arms, wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes.
His voice was exceptionally gentle as he comforted me: "Who says a cold is just a minor illness?"
"Even if you'd just scraped your skin, I'd rush over."
Yet it was also him who uttered those words today.
So I silently wished him well in my heart.
Blaine, you're about to get your wish.
The moment the call ended, the little dog at my feet whimpered and whined.
I absent-mindedly grabbed a few tissues to cover my nose, freeing one hand to pat its head.
Pebbles was a stray dog I'd picked up on the street a few days ago.It looked at me adoringly, its round black eyes reflecting my image.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Suddenly, I realized I needed to buy dog food.
As I led Pebbles out the door, it seemed unusually excited.
A smile tugged at my lips as I slowly walked towards the pet store.
We hadn't gone far when a sudden, urgent honking came from behind.
I instinctively tugged on the leash.
A painfully familiar SUV appeared before my eyes, accompanied by a tremendous crash.
The leash was torn from my hand by the immense force.
When everything settled, Pebbles was already lying lifeless on the ground, its round eyes staring at me, its body twitching slightly.
In my dazed state, a familiar figure stepped out of the car.
Blaine gripped my wrist tightly, stopping me from moving forward.
He frowned, his tone somewhat gentle.
"Myra, are you hurt?"
All the surrounding sounds seemed unreal. I forcefully shook off the man's hand.
I lunged straight towards Pebbles.
Blaine followed.
"It's just a dog, is it really necessary?"
"If you like, I'll buy you a better one." I ignored him and hugged the puppy close to my chest, turning my gaze towards Stella sitting in the driver's seat.
While Blaine wasn't paying attention, she flashed me a provocative smile.
I knew she did it on purpose.
It felt like all the blood in my body rushed to my head.
I charged over and yanked Stella out of the car.
Stella started quietly sobbing, her face streaked with tears and eyes red-rimmed.
"Myra, I didn't mean to..."
"It's all my fault..."
Stella was well-practiced at this routine, which only Blaine would fall for.
Sure enough, Blaine pushed me aside and pulled Stella into his arms.
I stumbled and fell hard to the ground, my arm slamming against the concrete.
Searing pain shot through me as my vision blurred.
The nosebleed that had just stopped came gushing out again.
My head was pounding, but I still clutched Pebbles tightly to my chest.
Only then did Blaine realize something was seriously wrong.
He ignored Stella's pleas and crouched down beside me.
The man seemed to want to stop my bleeding, but found it was futile.
"What's wrong with you..."
"Hospital, we need to go to the hospital." His eyes instantly reddened as he scooped me up in his arms and strode towards the car.
The short distance was a bit bumpy.
Although the man's panicked expression clearly registered in my eyes.
Despite the intense pain coursing through my body, I inexplicably felt the urge to laugh.
At this point, I could no longer discern whether Blaine's show of concern was genuine or fake.
"Melody, don't fall asleep..." he pleaded softly, his face close to mine.
The car sped down the highway, and I could even see snowflakes blowing in through the window.
One after another.
I slowly turned my head, no longer wanting to see Blaine's familiar face.
My body grew increasingly weak.