Chapter 3

Everyone was in on the act.

Only I was a complete and utter joke.

"Enough! I know what I'm doing."

Donald's voice went cold, with a hardness I rarely heard from him.

The hallway and private room suddenly fell silent.

His next words, each one crystal clear, pierced through my eardrums and stabbed into my heart.

"Now's not the time yet. Corinna's dad hasn't fully handed over power. Her dad is smart."

"From her, I still can't get anything more substantial for now."

"Next quarter's collaboration—my family's company is still counting on her family to help us out. Just wait a bit longer."

Moore interrupted him with a sob in her voice.

"Wait, wait, wait! Always waiting!"

"What about me? What am I? Your underground lover? Or the backup you can't acknowledge?"

"Donald, I didn't get together with you to suffer this kind of humiliation!"

Donald's voice immediately softened.

Using that gentle, coaxing tone I loved most.

"Alright, baby, don't cry. You know I love you most."

"Corinna—she's just a psycho. Once I get what I want, I'll come clean with her immediately."

"Then I'll introduce you to everyone properly, with full fanfare. Okay?"

Moore's voice was muffled, but her anger had clearly subsided considerably.

"You just say nice things."

"Then you're not allowed to go see her this week. Not allowed to be so gentle with her!"

But Donald said:

"Not this week. I've worked so hard to keep this up. If I don't commit fully to the act, how can I fool her father?"

"Baby, you don't know—every time she has an episode, I feel so disgusted I want to throw up, but I still have to hold her and comfort her."

"Only with you do I feel like a human being."

Moore immediately broke into laughter, that laugh coquettish and smug.

"You're terrible. Fine, I forgive you. So when are you breaking up with her?"

"I can't stand her for another day. Especially today—she used to transfer money so quickly, but this time she's talking about taking me skiing in Switzerland."

"As if I can't go without her. Who's she insulting?!"

Donald immediately replied:

"Soon, soon. Once the project funds come through, I'll come clean right away..."

The voices in the private room gradually blurred.

The hallway wall lamps cast warm yellow light that fell on me, yet I felt even colder.

The bag in my hand was clenched so tight, my nails digging deep into my palm.

Every word, every sentence they spoke.

Was like a red-hot branding iron, searing my heart with a sizzling sound.

So all that tenderness I'd treated as my lifeline was a performance that disgusted him so much he wanted to vomit but had to endure.

So that friendship I'd carefully treasured was also an utterly false scam.

The laughter and cheerful voices inside the door seemed to tell me again and again.

This world doesn't welcome you.

Thoughts of destroying everything began screaming wildly in my mind.

The watch monitoring my physical data in real-time began sending alerts.

My body temperature and heart rate were both rapidly spiking.

The hospital had apparently already received the signal.

Just as I was about to lose control, a special phone ringtone suddenly rang.

My emotions were like a balloon with a sudden leak—before they could explode, they came pouring out.

The doctor's voice was urgent, no longer as gentle as usual.

"Corinna, where are you right now?! Promise me, no matter what happens, don't hurt yourself, okay?!"

I paused, said okay.

Then directly pushed open the door in front of me.