Avery's POV

For more than ten years, Eleanor and I have made it a tradition to visit Saint Jude’s annually, like clockwork.

When the chaplain saw me this time, he gave me that same calm smile he always had.

Gentle, warm, but also layered. It was meaningful.

Then, the young chaplain repeated what he had told me years ago:

Kevin and I were tied together by fate, destined to cross paths again and again. He saved me more than once in the past, and that's how we ended up married.

Hearing this revelation, Eleanor lit up like it was a sign from the heavens.

She grabbed my hand, teary-eyed and glowing. “Avery, this is wonderful news! You and Kevin are truly meant for each other. That's fate!”

Fate. Yeah.

Except fate isn’t always kind. And it’s never simple.

Later, Kevin really did save me.

Of all things, it was an avalanche. However, he wasn’t quick enough to save Tiffany. She was also trapped, but by the time they unearthed her, there was little left. She merely had a weak heartbeat and spent many years in a hospital bed, waiting to die.

And death truly claimed her.

Kevin never forgave me—not even once. Every bit of his grief, pain, guilt, and heartbreak was directed right at me, blaming me for being there. Perhaps if I hadn’t been there, he might have been able to save her instead.

And yet, when it came down to it, he still chose me.

I used to think the chaplain’s words were beautiful. I remember how they filled my chest with this ridiculous hope. I clung to them like they meant something divine, like maybe the universe was on our side.

Now I know better.

It wasn’t a blessing. It was a warning.

The fate that connected Kevin and me wasn’t some golden ribbon of destiny.

It was a chain. Heavy. Tight. Unforgiving.

And I’d been too happy, too stupid, to see that look in the chaplain’s eyes when he smiled.

I’d mistaken his pity for reassurance. And that blind, naive hope kicked off a whole storm of heartbreak I never saw coming.

At the altar, I handed the two fate stones to the chaplain.

He squinted at the carvings, his expression going cautious. “Avery, if the names on these are wrong, the blessing transfers to someone else.”

I looked him straight in the eye and nodded. “This is how it’s supposed to be.”

It wasn’t too late, not yet. I could still make sure Kevin got what he really wanted.

As I stepped out of the sanctuary, a couple passed us on their way in.

The girl was practically glowing, clinging to her boyfriend’s arm like they were the only two people in the world.

“I heard the magnolias in the garden are about to bloom,” she said, bouncing on her toes. “And they’re holding a ceremony for the fate stones when they’re at their peak. Let’s stick around a few more days, okay?”

The guy smiled and reached out, playfully rubbing her nose. “Alright, alright. Whatever you want.”

I watched them walk away, maybe longer than I should’ve. There was just something about them. The ease. The comfort. The softness.

But Kevin and I never had that. Not even once.

Of course, he noticed.

He laughed, sharp and cold, like he couldn’t believe I’d even dream about something like that.

“Don’t waste your time. I’m only here because my mom insisted. If your dad hadn’t done my family that one favor, there wouldn’t have been the slightest chance for us.”

Then he looked away as if the sight of me physically hurt him.

“I’ve got something important tonight. Don’t try anything. If you screw it up for me, I swear to God, you’ll pay for it ten times over.”

I already knew what important meant. He didn’t need to spell it out.

It was Tiffany’s birthday.

He’d been planning it for weeks, booking out an entire venue, hiring drone choreographers for a whole light show, and syncing it to her favorite music—all to make sure her night was perfect.

I smiled. Just a little. It took effort.

“I won’t get in the way.”

He blinked at me like I’d spoken a foreign language.

Then his face twisted, and he scoffed. “Good. At least you’re finally learning your place, Avery.”

We reached the bottom of the mountain around seven. Tiffany’s party was in the opposite direction from where we lived—no way he could make it to both.

The car slowed to a stop.

Kevin glanced at me, suddenly unsure of himself. It was rare to see even a flicker of hesitation in him.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and said, “I’ll get out here. I can grab a cab.”

He blinked again. “What’s up with you? Did praying knock some sense into you? You usually throw a tantrum whenever I see Tiffany and try to mess things up.”

I turned to him and smiled. A real one this time. Soft. Calm. Resigned.

“I’m tired, Kevin. I don’t want to always be the villain in your story. I’m not going to fight it anymore. And I won't stop you from seeing Tiffany. Just go. You’ll be late.”

I didn’t wait for a response. My body was already starting to feel heavier, the pain simmering beneath the surface, harder to ignore.

I stepped out of the car and closed the door gently behind me, letting out a slow breath.

Kevin glanced at his watch and looked up at me once more.

This time, he looked different. He was still guarded but serious.

“Um, thanks,” he said quietly.

Then he drove off.

No goodbye, no look back.

But honestly, even before this, he never really looked back.

Avery's POV

Eventually, the pain got to be too much. I couldn’t fake my way through it anymore.

I doubled over on the side of the road, crouched down low with both arms wrapped around my stomach like that would help. My face was a mess with sweat, tears, and maybe both. I couldn’t even tell anymore.

Ten minutes passed before the waves of pain subsided enough for me to breathe, much less, stand.

This had to be one of the side effects Professor Aldridge warned me about.

I glanced around. We were out in the middle of nowhere. There was no real service, no cabs, no one around—just trees, the road, and the faint taste of blood in my mouth.

Still, I knew how this would go.

If I missed Tiffany’s birthday party, Kevin would pin it on me.

Another strike. Another grudge. Another reason to hate me just a little bit more.

Then I heard a familiar voice and turned toward the phone's screen.

The livestream had started.

Tiffany’s birthday bash was playing in real time.

Samuel, the driver, noticed me staring and chuckled to himself.

“Kids these days,” he muttered. “Romance is like a sport now. Fireworks, drones, diamonds. It's got to be exhausting trying to outdo each other.”

I didn’t say anything.

I glanced up at the driver’s phone resting on the dashboard. The video showed Kevin fastening a necklace around Tiffany’s neck, but it wasn't just any necklace.

I recognized it instantly.

Gregory and Eleanor asked Kevin to take a picture of it back when it was still on display, thinking it’d be the perfect wedding gift—for me, for us.

Kevin did take the photo. But instead of giving the necklace to me, he told them straight to their faces:

“The Blue Heart stands for true love. Giving it to Avery would only tarnish it. You can’t force love when it's not really real.”

That’s what he said, just like that.

The next day, Tiffany showed up wearing it like it had always been hers.

Gregory went ballistic.

He stormed out with the old family whip like he was ready to bring Kevin down a notch.

But Kevin didn’t back down. He let himself get hit and didn’t even flinch. He’d rather take the pain than admit he was wrong. That day, he gave Tiffany the necklace without hesitation.

And from the way he looked at her now, I think he was proud of it.

I stared at the screen, watching her standing beside him, shy and smiling, like she belonged there. My chest twisted up tight.

The cruelest kind of heartbreak is knowing that the person you love was never yours to begin with. And yet, you throw yourself into loving them, like maybe that will change something.

Kevin’s fingers trembled slightly as he strummed his guitar, but his eyes never wavered. He played for her like she was the only person in the world—gentle, steady, completely devoted.

Still, I could see the pain behind those eyes.

And deep down, I knew exactly why.

It was because of me.

Years ago, during a winter hike, I slipped and fell. Kevin had caught me before my head hit the rocks, but in doing it, a jagged branch jammed through the center of his palm. Ten centimeters deep. And ever since then, even the slightest bit of pressure could send shooting pain through his whole arm.

When the song ended, he brushed sweat from his brow and shifted just enough for the scar to show.

Someone standing nearby noticed. “Hey Kevin, what happened to your hand? That looks nasty.”

Another guest joked, “C’mon, you know Kevin. Probably got it saving someone like the knight in shining armor he is.”

Kevin barely looked up. “Oh, I forgot,” he said.

Just a quick, flat reply—detached and distant.

He forgot.

And that broke me.

“Kevin’s so good to Tiffany,” someone gushed. “He even rented out Harborview Bay for her. If that’s not real love, what is?”

Of course. Harborview Bay. I should’ve known.

The place was legendary for anniversary dinners, proposals, and those over-the-top love stories people post about online. There’s even some cheesy myth that if your relationship is ‘witnessed’ there, it’ll last forever.

I used to constantly hint at it to Kevin, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly.

He’d just roll his eyes and say, “God, you’re so naive. If love worked like that, people wouldn’t end up miserable half the time.”

And then came the one that stuck, “And besides, what love? Between us? Avery, you need to stop mixing up fantasy with reality.”

I’d never forgotten those words. They haunted me.

Maybe if I’d let go sooner, Kevin wouldn’t have died carrying so much regret. Perhaps I wouldn’t have wasted so much time begging fate to fix something it never gave me in the first place.

“That’s right,” I heard another voice say. “Avery Summers needs to take a hint. Kevin and Tiffany are perfect together. He’s got the charm, she’s got the looks. Honestly, it just makes sense. If she tries to come between them again, karma's coming for her.”

I ducked my head and laughed under my breath, bitter and quiet.

Karma. Sure.

I’d probably earned every ounce of it.

Samuel heard me sniffling quietly and glanced back in the rearview mirror, his voice gentle. “You okay back there, miss?”

I wiped my face, forcing a small smile.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just one of those cries that helps more than it hurts.”

Because that’s what it was.

I was crying because Kevin got everything he wanted. Because I’d done what I came here to do.

Because even if he never once loved me, I still appreciated the kindness he had shown me.

...

When I finally got back to the Johnson's estate, Eleanor was already standing at the door, waiting like she’d been tracking my arrival by the minute. She remained as sharp as ever and consistently exuded a no-nonsense demeanor.

“Avery,” she called out, cutting straight to it. “Did you finish the carving? That’s not something to be sloppy about. And where’s Kevin? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

Avery's POV

Seeing Gregory and Eleanor still so full of life hit harder than I expected.

There they stood—upright, clear-eyed, steady in a way I hadn’t been in years.

My throat tightened before I could halt it.

If it hadn’t been for me, maybe they’d still be living a quiet life, untouched by all this wreckage.

I dropped to my knees in front of Eleanor and gently took her hand, steadying my voice even though my insides were anything but.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Gregory, Aunt Eleanor. I didn’t carve my name on the stone. And I’m not going to marry Kevin. There’s no love left between us. I’ve finally accepted that. I’m letting him go… and I’m letting myself go, too.”

I paused, gathering what strength I had left.

“I’ve also accepted a position on a national research project overseas. I’ll be leaving soon. I’d be grateful if you could keep this between us, at least for now.”

Back then, I’d given up everything for Kevin.

My research.

A spot in an elite academic program.

A future.

I let it all go for the faint, foolish hope that if I just stayed, if I loved him hard enough, he’d see me differently someday. And that maybe he could learn to love me.

But all we did was hurt each other, over and over.

Now, I was sure. The only way to finally give Kevin the life he wanted was for me to get out of the way.

Eleanor stood stunned for a second. Then she quickly reached down and helped me to my feet, clearly rattled.

“Avery, what are you saying?” she said, gripping my hands like she could physically stop this from happening. “Kevin’s just confused. You know how he is! He's stubborn, but he cares about you even if he doesn’t always show it. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have agreed to marry you! And if you leave, how are we supposed to explain that to your parents?”

She didn’t give me time to answer before she continued, already reaching for her phone. “Don’t be rash. I’ll call him right now. You two need to talk this through.”

I gently placed my hand over hers to stop her.

“Aunt Eleanor,” I said softly, “I have never had more clarity in my life.”

I took a deep breath and let it settle in my chest. “Kevin agreed to marry me out of a sense of obligation. And yes, marriage requires responsibility, but that can’t be all it is. You and Uncle have treated me with nothing but kindness. Kevin has saved my life more times than I can count. That already far outweighs anything my family ever did for yours.”

I took a deep breath and felt the words roll out of me, each one honest.

“Five years ago, he was nearly buried alive trying to save me in a snowstorm. And now, every time it rains, he’s in pain because of it. Three years ago, I ran away from home like some reckless idiot, and Kevin got attacked by drunk men looking for me. They slashed him. He could’ve died. He didn’t tell anyone, but I know. I’ve seen the scars. And I live with that guilt every single day. Almost every mark on his body is my fault. I’m honestly terrified that next time… next time he might not make it.”

I looked her in the eyes and continued, “Almost every scar on his body is because of me. And if I stay with him, I’m scared the next one might kill him.”

Eleanor’s eyes were filled with tears. Her voice cracked. “But you know Tiffany’s not a good woman. How can you just stand there and let Kevin end up with someone like her?”

I nodded slowly.

In my past life, I remembered how jealousy had once prompted me to investigate Tiffany’s history. Tiffany was a well-known social butterfly who flitted from one wealthy man to another.

In fact, she had quite a reputation.

And Kevin, young, handsome, and wealthy, was just another prize on her list.

Later, she died in a car accident while being chased down by an enraged wife.

That was the woman he loved. But I already made peace with it.

Right then, I gave Eleanor’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I know,” I said, "I really do. But it’s been years. And she hasn’t been involved in anything like that for a long time now. I’ll keep an eye on her, I promise. And I will come back to visit you and Uncle Gregory. I mean that.”

They didn’t say anything. They just sank onto the couch, both of them looking like the air had gone out of their lungs.

I stood up, forcing down the ache in my gut and chest, then quietly said goodbye. I turned and began to leave, but I didn’t make it to the front door.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck me, as if someone had cut through my core. My knees gave way, and I collapsed to the floor before I could cry out.

The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed. I woke up with a dull ache in my abdomen, and my whole body felt as though it had been wrung out like a towel.

I’d barely sat up when the door swung open and Kevin barged in. The hospital likely contacted him as he was listed as my emergency contact in the file.

Kevin looked at me, gave me that trademark bitter grin, and shook his head.

“I actually thought you’d changed,” he said. “But here we are again—same old Avery. Playing the sympathy card. You always show up right when things are finally going right, just to ruin them.”

Then he let out a humorless laugh and muttered, “If you’d just disappear from my life, you have no idea how much easier everything would be.”

Before I could even think of a response, a nurse rushed into the room.

“Mr. Johnson,” she said, breathless, “Miss Leighton is showing signs of another miscarriage. We need a blood transfusion immediately, or we could lose both her and the baby. But the blood bank’s nearly empty—we’re out of her type. What do we do?”

My brain went blank. Static. My mouth opened, but the words wouldn’t come.

And before I could even process it, Kevin grabbed me by the wrist and started dragging me toward the blood donation station.

“If it weren’t for you,” he snapped, “Tiffany wouldn’t be in this situation. If you’ve got any conscience left, Avery, then do the right thing.”