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.”

Avery's POV

I looked up at Kevin and gave him the gentlest smile I could manage.

“Don’t worry,” I said quietly. “I’ll take care of it.”

He didn’t hesitate. Not even for a breath. The second the words left my mouth, he turned and rushed off like he couldn’t get away fast enough.

The nurse who came in to draw my blood gave me this tight, uneasy look.

“Miss Summers, your vitals aren’t looking good,” she said softly. “You really shouldn’t be donating blood in your condition.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m the same blood type as Miss Leighton. And it’s two lives we’re talking about.”

In my last life, Tiffany died from this.

And that was the root of Kevin’s hatred toward me. That moment. That loss.

This time, I was going to fix it.

After the blood was drawn, everything went sideways. I felt my whole body cave in, and before I could even try to sit up, everything went dark.

...

When I woke up, Kevin was sitting right beside me. For once, the anger in his eyes was gone, and all I saw was gratitude.

“Tiffany’s surgery went well,” he said, his voice low. “Thanks… for everything. Here. Take this as a token of appreciation.”

He held out a small box.

Inside were sapphire earrings, still in their original case.

I remembered them; they were the bonus gift that accompanied the Blue Heart necklace when that necklace was supposed to be mine, back when Gregory and Eleanor were still referring to it as a wedding gift.

Still valuable. Still beautiful.

But I didn’t reach for them. I gently pushed the box back toward him.

“No thanks,” I said. “I don’t need them.”

Kevin paused, probably noticing how pale I looked. And this time, he didn’t argue.

He just nodded and said, almost gently, “You always said you wanted to see the flowers at Saint Jude’s, right? Once you’re better, I’ll take you.”

I gave the faintest smile—more reflex than sincerity—and stayed silent.

I didn’t tell him the truth.

Magnolias only bloom for a few days. They’re delicate like that. By the time he ever got around to taking me, they’d be long gone, just like everything else.

He set the earrings down on the side table.

“I’ll go get you something to eat. Wait here,” he said, standing. “Thomas is right outside. If you need anything, just call him.”

Then he left.

And I just sat there, watching the door close behind him with this quiet, bitter ache blooming in my chest.

'Kevin, this time, I really can’t wait for you anymore. Your heart’s already full of her. I know it. I’ve seen it. There’s no room left for me, and I’m done trying to squeeze into a space that was never meant for me in the first place. I won’t be the distraction you keep having to push away.'

Not anymore.

...

Kevin's POV

I walked back, food in hand, and found the room empty. The moment I realized she was gone, it felt like a punch to the gut.

I called out, my voice sharp and frantic. “Where is she?”

Thomas, my assistant, rushed in, pale and stumbling over his words. “Sir, I swear, I was right outside the door the whole time. She never passed by me. I didn’t see her leave.”

Then a nurse walked past, muttering under her breath, thinking no one could hear. “What a shame. So young. She jumped from a high place. Her face was barely recognizable.”

I froze.

Turning to her, my voice broke as I shouted, “What did you say? Who jumped? Where?”