Chapter 20: The First Step Always Hurts the Most

好的 Boss,这一章我会继续把女主的自我拉扯和慢慢软化描写得细腻且真实,不会立刻接受改变,但心防开始慢慢松动,让读者跟着她一起挣扎,感动.

Chapter 20: The First Step Always Hurts the Most

The rain finally eased into a soft drizzle, but the storm inside me raged on.

I didn't know how long I had sat there, drenched and shivering, my mind an endless loop of regrets and silent screams.

He was still there.

I could feel the quiet weight of his presence beside me, the umbrella held steadily over us despite the chill settling into the night air.

He hadn't spoken again, and somehow, his silence felt louder than the storm had.

My heart ached from the simple, unbearable kindness of it.

Why wasn't he walking away like everyone else?

Didn't he understand I had nothing left to give?

Finally, my legs started to cramp, the cold seeping deep into my bones. My fingers had gone numb long ago, but my pride… that stubborn, foolish pride… kept me frozen there.

Until a soft voice broke through the silence.

"Will you let me help you stand… just once?"

Not "save you."

Not "fix you."

Just… help me stand.

My lip quivered as hot tears welled up again, but this time… they didn't fall from hopelessness.

They fell because for the first time in what felt like forever, someone wasn't asking me to be strong.

He was simply asking me to try.

I shifted slightly, my body screaming in protest as I tried to move my stiff legs.

His hand appeared in my blurry vision—steady, open, waiting.

My pride fought one last time, whispering, Don't do it. He'll just walk away like the rest.

But my hand moved before my mind could stop it.

Fingers trembling, I reached out—barely touching his palm.

It was warm.

Solid.

Real.

He didn't grip me too hard. He didn't pull me up by force.

He simply held my hand… and waited.

And in that moment, that simple act broke through years of walls I didn't even realize I had built.

I took a shaky breath, my knees weak, my body barely able to stand…

But somehow, I was standing.

Not on my own yet.

But for the first time, I wasn't on the ground either.

And maybe—just maybe—that was enough for now.