Greenhelm Mountain was rugged and unpredictable. I had only been there a few times, so I wasn't confident leading the way. Alas, Mila insisted on exploring the undeveloped areas. "Miss Lenox, I'm not a professional guide. I can't predict the dangers ahead, so I can't take you there."

Mila's expression turned cold. "Sharon, do you still think you're the high-and-mighty Mrs. Hawthorne? Have you forgotten? You and Jace divorced a long time ago."

I could never forget. Even though I never wanted to leave Jace, I had no choice but to run away like a rat in the dark. "This has nothing to do with that."

I tried to explain the danger, but Mila turned away and walked forward. I had no choice but to chase after her, my backpack weighing me down. If we went any further, there would be no phone signal. I couldn't afford to take that risk, but she suddenly stopped. She turned around and gave me a strange, almost eerie smile. "Want to hear a secret? That note you left for Jace back then, I threw it in the trash. So, from beginning to end, he never knew you were forced to leave. In his eyes, you're nothing but a heartless traitor."

My fists clenched. "You're going too far!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then let me tell you something else. I teamed up with his mother and put on a whole show. Jace thinks you ran off with some rich old man and abandoned him. In his eyes, you're nothing but a pathetic loser."

Tears welled up in my eyes and the anger brewing in my chest exploded. I shoved her. "Shut up!"

The next second, a figure rushed over and shielded her. Jace held Mila protectively in his arms, towering over me with a cold, scornful gaze. "I must have been blind to ever give my heart to you."

"Jace, listen to me … " I didn't know how long he had been standing there or if he had heard what Mila just said.

But he didn't listen to my explanation and pushed me to the ground. "You have no right to say my name. Isn't money what you want? Here, take it. Consider it a tip. Ten thousand. Just don't even think about hurting the people I care about."

He threw a handful of cash at me, but it felt more like he had slapped me across the face. My palm scraped against the rough gravel, breaking the skin. Then, the blood seeped out.

I remembered how, once, when I accidentally cut my finger while chopping vegetables, he had panicked and insisted on taking me to the hospital. Meanwhile, now, he was speaking to Mila in a gentle, soothing voice. "Baby, are you okay? If you wanted to go hiking, why didn't you call me?"

"You were busy. I didn't want to bother you."

"But I'm your husband. How could that ever be a bother?"

***

I didn't dare to lift my head. Their affectionate words rang in my ears, stabbing into my heart like tiny needles. It hurt so much I could barely breathe. I couldn't believe that the man who once promised to protect me for a lifetime was now calling someone else his wife right in front of me.

I sat there for a long time. The couple's voices slowly faded into the wind. When I finally looked up, they were gone. The hike had drained me, but I still reached for my backpack, pulling out a first-aid kit to clean my wound.

It turned out that when a person was genuinely heartbroken, they couldn't even cry. My eyes burned, but not a single tear fell. I kept wondering, why couldn't Jace have just listened to me for one more second? We were so in love before. I could have accepted us becoming strangers again, but he clearly saw me as an enemy.

I was so useless. I couldn't even part ways peacefully with the person I loved the most. Later, when I couldn't find the alcohol wipes to disinfect my wound, that last bit of helplessness overwhelmed me. I slumped to the ground, whispering over and over again, "I lost it … I lost him … "

Finally, tears streamed down my face. In the vast, empty wilderness, my cries echoed, raw and unrestrained. I cried until I had no more strength left. I stared blankly at the sky, but even the blue sky and drifting white clouds couldn't bring me peace. It wasn't until the sun began to set that I forced myself to stand up and start making my way down the mountain.

Unexpectedly, my foot slipped and I accidentally fell to the cliff. At the moment of falling down, I even thought that it would be better to die like this. After all, there was nothing left in this world worth holding on to.

However, fate had other plans. Maybe this was my punishment for past mistakes. Instead of crashing straight to my death, I hit a tree branch on the way down, which slowed my fall. The pain was unbearable. My leg was severely broken, the bone almost visible through the torn flesh.

I had a small first-aid kit, some water and a bit of food. If it were daytime, I might've been able to hold on until rescue arrived. That was if someone even reported me missing. Still, the real problem was the mountain's unpredictable weather. Once the sun went down, the temperature would drop drastically.

I had only worn a thin jacket for convenience while hiking. I opened my bag, only to remember I'd given the food to Mila earlier when she said she was hungry. My phone's screen was shattered and there was no signal. I had no way of knowing which direction to go to find coverage.

I grabbed a dry branch, trying to prop myself up, but the moment I moved, I realized I couldn't feel anything below my waist. At that moment, I gave up. I dropped the branch and lay back wholly. Even if I died here, no one would care.

At the hotel where I worked, I was always alone. The only person who ever spoke to me was Lior, the cheerful one. Other than that, I had no close connections. The sky darkened. The damp air crept into my bones, making me feel even colder.

I found a sticky note and a pen in my bag, intending to write a farewell letter. Too bad my hands were trembling so much that I could barely form words. In the end, I only managed to write a single sentence, less than I had written when I left the hospital back then. "I'm sorry. I love you."

I didn't remember when I lost consciousness. I didn't even know if I was rescued. All I remember was sinking into an endless darkness, cold and silent. Maybe I really did die, but every now and then, I would hear Jace's voice. Sometimes, he was on the phone. Other times, he was calling out "Honey."

Even in death, why did I still have to hear him showing off his love? Eventually, his voice became fainter and less frequent. Had he finally left? Was I truly dead?

***

After humiliating Sharon, Jace left with Mila in his arms. However, only he knew he didn't feel as good as he made it seem. Once they turned the corner, he let go of her, his usual cold and distant demeanor returning. Mila acted as if she hadn't noticed. She clung to his arm and said sweetly, "Hubby, thank you for standing up for me. I'm so happy."

Jace lowered his gaze, looking at the hand wrapped around his arm. His heart remained unmoved. There was a time when, if Sharon took the initiative to hold his arm in public, his heart would swell with warmth. Maybe that's what happens when you've experienced love at its peak. That bittersweet taste was something only he could understand.

Now, when Jace looked at the woman before him, he felt nothing, not even a hint of affection. His family approved of her, so he married her. To make him go through with it, his mother even made up some ridiculous story. She said the "angel in white" had fallen in love with him at first sight, that they were a match made in heaven.

Did they think he was a child? He knew perfectly well what was real and what was just a story. He just didn't care enough to argue. For an entire year after the separation, he had counted the days.

At first, his body rejected the transplant severely. Mila told him it was because the donor's health wasn't excellent. He didn't think much of it. He just obediently took his medicine and went through rehabilitation, like a machine going through motions. Slowly, Mila started acting like his girlfriend, visiting him every day.

News about Sharon would trickle in from time to time. Without exception, every piece of it only made Jace hate her more. He hated that she had abandoned him. Hated that she had given up on their child. That hatred festered in his heart, growing stronger and stronger, fermenting into something extreme.

He secretly searched for information about her. Finally, he found a clue. He went to countless places without telling Mila, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the end, when he learned she was living in Kevern. So, he carefully orchestrated their reunion.

His initial intention was simply to seek revenge. He should have felt satisfied when he humiliated Sharon with money. Yet, for some reason, his heart still ached. He told himself it was just withdrawal, forcing himself to forget her.

If he had just tried a little more complicated and genuinely committed to Mila, he would surely have forgotten her. That night, for the first time, he allowed Mila into his bed. She was bold and passionate, utterly different from Sharon, who always followed his lead. He loved Sharon, but he also enjoyed bullying her in bed. He loved seeing her struggle to hold back tears, but in the end, he stopped before taking the final step.

He got up, grabbed a cigarette and walked out onto the balcony. Sharon had hated his smoking, so he never smoked when they were together. After his lung transplant, he had sunk into depression for a long time. When it got unbearable, he allowed himself one cigarette. Now, there were already three cigarette butts at his feet.

Mila hadn't gotten what she wanted and it frustrated her. As an illegitimate daughter of the Sage family, she had worked hard to secure a marriage with Jace. There was no way Mila would let go now. No matter how he treated her, she wouldn't give up.

When Jace's phone rang, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked out. "Honey, you have a call."

As long as she played the perfect wife, the Sage family would acknowledge her. What future was there in being a doctor? Returning to the family and securing her share of the inheritance was the only way she could feel at ease. Besides, Jace was good-looking. Being with him was a bonus. This deal was worth it.

"He glanced at the unknown caller and declined the call. "It's cold outside. Go back in."

Mila wrapped her arms around his waist. "Honey, want to give it another try?"

"No, I need to take this call." He hadn't expected the caller to be Charles.

At first, he had only wanted an excuse to brush off Mila and make her back off. Still, when he heard that familiar voice on the other end, the anger in his chest exploded. "Charles Lennox! How dare you call me?"

"Jace, no ... Mr. Hawthorne. I'm begging you, please help me find my daughter." Charles's voice trembled with sobs.

Jace's first instinct was that the man was lying. Annoyed, he crushed out his cigarette. "Just tell me, how much do you want this time?"

"I don't want money. I just want my daughter back. She gave up her entire right lung to save you and the doctors say she might not have much time left. I just want to be with her … "