Chapter 20
Hallie’s eyes widened in disbelief, her head shaking. “No way! Eli, you’re lying to me.”
“We were so in love in high school.”
“You promised you would marry me. If it weren’t for that accident, I would have been your wife!”
“You’ve taken care of Ashley for six years, made up for her for six years. The guilt should be paid off by now.”
“You came to my performance, you brought me roses–wasn’t that because you couldn’t let go of me?”
He was silent for a long time before answering, “No.”
That single word made Hallie’s pupils contract sharply, disbelief flooding her face. “What did you say?”
Elijah continued, “I thought I would still love you.”
“But after six years of living with Ashie, I fell in love with her.”
“The things I said to you on the phone… I only said them to provoke you.”
Hallie didn’t respond, instead, she suddenly threw her arms around Elijah.
He was just about to push her away.
“Don’t push me away!” Hallie cried out.
His hands paused mid–air.
“I just want to hug you, like in high school!”
“I’ve been dreaming about us in high school these past few days.”
She lifted her head, looking up at him with tearful eyes, her voice filled with hurt. “I just can’t stand it, that my boy has become someone else’s!”
“Elijah, I love you… I can’t forget you!”
Before he could respond, she pressed her lips against his.
Elijah froze for a moment, and I realized I had overestimated him.
I thought he would push her away without hesitation.
But he didn’t. Instead, he returned her kiss in front of everyone.
That sight truly made me feel sick.
Elijah, I never thought your love… could be so cheap…
So utterly worthless.
Hallie smiled triumphantly, wrapping her arms around Elijah’s neck, and whispered coyly, “Eli, will you stay with me tonight?”
Her words seemed to fracture in my mind, and after that, I could hear nothing else.
My cochlear implant was gone. I turned around to see Liam standing there.
He signed to me, “Shall we go somewhere?”All content is © N0velDrama.Org.
I paused, surprised that he knew sign language.
“Where to?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, just smiled and took my hand, leading me out of the café. As I glanced back, my eyes locked with Elijah’s. The joy on his face had vanished, and he was shouting something, panic in his eyes.
But none of that mattered to me anymore.
The sunset painted the entire city in shades of crimson, unusually beautiful. Liam ushered me into the car, and we sped away, escaping the city, leaving behind the high–rises that had swallowed my soul.
That night, under the darkened sky, I saw the fields stretching endlessly. The wind rippled through the lavender, catching the glow of the setting sun.
It was a beautiful sight…
He brought me to a farm, alive with animals. Inside a small house, there were rows of white
cocoons. One of them was just beginning to crack, and out came a butterfly, shedding its last remnants of confinement.
Liam looked at me intently and said, “Ashley, maybe it’s time for you to break free and become the butterfly you were meant to be.”