Chapter 2

Outside, the heavy rain continued.

I didn't carry an umbrella, letting the icy rain pour over me.

My body, exhausted from three days of non-stop work, was wracked with painful stomach cramps.

As I passed a flooded intersection, a delivery scooter ran a red light and skidded violently.

The handlebars slammed hard into my side.

I was thrown through the air, crashing hard onto the asphalt road.

Excruciating pain swept through my entire body.

The delivery guy was terrified and repeatedly apologized.

I was in too much pain to speak, only able to tremble and wave my hand, signaling him to go.

Rainwater mixed with mud seeped into my wounds, making me shiver uncontrollably.

I lay in a puddle, my vision blurred.

Instinctively, I fumbled for my phone and dialed the pinned number.

Seven years. It was my reflex.

When in danger, when wronged, Liam was the first person I'd call.

The phone rang for a long time.

Just as it was about to go to voicemail, it connected.

"Liam, I was hit by a car..."

"Alice Linwood, haven't you caused enough trouble?"

Liam's voice was low, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Did you time this perfectly to ruin the mood?"

"Do you have any idea the movie just got to the most touching part? Chloe was crying because it was so moving!"

"Do you seriously have to use this pathetic stunt to guilt-trip me right now?"

I opened my mouth.

Rainwater poured into my mouth, bitter and acrid.

The severe pain in my side made it almost impossible for me to make a sound.

But I could still faintly hear the end credits rolling on the big screen from his end of the call.

That was the Easter egg I'd shamelessly begged the organizers to add, just to get the tickets.

At the very end of the acknowledgments, there would be a small line of text:

[To Liam Walker: Our seventh year. May you always swim free like a fish in the deep blue sea. – Alice]

I had imagined that when that line appeared, I'd be leaning on his shoulder, listening to him tell me he loved me.

Instead, he was sitting in that very seat, with another girl by his side.

He didn't even have the patience to glance at the screen, only caring about wiping away someone else's tears.

"Speak up! Are you mute?"

Liam's patience completely ran out.

"I'm warning you one last time, drop the spoiled princess act."

"When I get home, I expect you to apologize to Chloe. You really scared her today."

The call was mercilessly cut.

I looked at the black screen and suddenly laughed.

A raw, gut-wrenching sound, tears mixing with the rain as they streamed down my face.

It pulled at my wounds, making me gasp from the pain, but I couldn't stop.

It felt like a ball of cotton was lodged in my throat.

I painfully dragged myself out of the muddy water, limping back home.

But the Alice Linwood who always carefully tried to please him.

She had died in that downpour.