The blood blurred my vision, and the intense pain nearly made me faint. However, my despair tortured me even more as I wondered, 'Oh no, I'm doomed. What about my mother in the hospital? What about all my years of hard work? What should I do?'

Countless questions instantly surrounded me. I lay on the ground, screaming in pain. Cecelia was frightened by my appearance.

I looked at her with bloodshot eyes, squeezing out one word through my teeth. "Why?"

Clang.

As the dagger in her hand fell to the ground, she quickly ran over and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry. Sorry, Spence. I know I’m being too selfish, but it was thanks to him that I had someone to lean on during my three years of depression. Otherwise... Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived!"

My lips moved, wanting to say something. Eventually, I forced out a miserable smile. "But what do I owe you? Why hurt me and my mom? You clearly know what this all meant to me!"

I refused to see her hypocrisy and pushed her away with all my might.

She stepped back two steps, her princess attitude flaring up. "Are you done? I've already apologized to you. Besides, this has always been Simon's dream. What's wrong with me satisfying him?"

At this moment, she finally stopped pretending to be sensible, revealing her true colors.

I lost all hope in her, sneering, "You two are both selfish. A b*tch and a bastard; perfect for each other."

Cecelia had probably never heard such vulgar words before. She widened her eyes. "What nonsense are you spouting? I know you're upset. I'll give you a sum of money to compensate you after he wins the championship. All you want is money, right?"

Her face contained undisguised contempt as she said this.

My disgust reached its peak.

Money. Yeah, money could pay for my mom's surgery, freeing her from the torment of illness, but it should not be exchanged for money in such a humiliating way.

I took a deep breath, looking at the woman I had loved for years, and said, "Cecelia, I don't need your charity, and I don't need a girlfriend like you. Let's break up."

"What?" Cecelia's expression changed drastically. "How dare you break up with me? Do you know what you're saying? I won't agree."

She had always been the one in control in our relationship, and I begged for her love like a dog.

However, it would not be the same starting today. This woman would never hold any place in my heart again.

Seeing my gloomy face, which did not seem like I was joking, she realized I really wanted to break up. Suddenly, she angrily pushed everything in the basement to the floor.

"I'm telling you, I won't agree. This time, I'll take it as you spouting nonsense, but if there's a next time, I won't spare you!"

After venting her anger, she kicked open the door and walked out without even glancing at me.

She left me alone in the cold basement, looking at my wounds, weeping profusely.

I was in my first year of high school when I first met Cecelia.

A girl in a white dress suddenly barged into my life without any warning.

My family was poor, barely making enough to eat. Every day, I would sneak into the classroom to eat some dry bread when they went to the cafeteria.

One day, when I was secretly eating the cold bread in the corner of the classroom as usual, Cecelia appeared. She grabbed my hand and forcibly led me to the cafeteria, ordering me a table full of dishes that I never even dared to dream of before. "Come on, eat! You can't leave if you don't finish!"

I stared at the fairy-like girl blankly and asked, "Why did you help me?"

She smiled brightly. "Because you're worth it!"

From that day on, there was no room in my heart for any other girls.

Later, I learned that she helped me because she had made a bet with her friend on how long it would take to win over the school's handsome, high-achieving but penniless heartthrob.

It turned out that our relationship was based on a bet from the very beginning.

During our relationship, I discovered that there was another more important man in Cecelia's heart. That was her first love, Simon.

Every time Simon lost a competition against me, he would call Cecelia in despair, and she would rush to his side without hesitation.

Even my friends could not stand it and asked me whether Cecelia was my girlfriend or Simon's girlfriend.

I had my doubts about their relationship, but she explained to me many times with a frown, "I became depressed because of exam pressure, and he was the one who helped me through it. I just want to thank him properly."

Because of this bond of shared hardship, Cecelia was incredibly gentle with him. If he had any request, Cecelia would find a way to fulfill it, no matter how unreasonable.

If I even slightly doubted their relationship, Cecelia would frantically tell me they were just good friends.

I could not bear to leave her, so I kept lying to myself. Even when they were being intimate in front of me, I just told myself that they were just friends.

I just never imagined she could be so heartless and ruin my legs to help him win the championship.

Looking at my blood-stained legs, I could not help but cover my face and cry.

I thought of my mother, who had delivered food and washed dishes to raise me. Her once beautiful hands were now covered in frostbite. She was lying in a hospital bed, waiting for me to come home.

However, I could only stay here, watching in despair as my honor was taken away. I might never be able to engage in strenuous activity again.

Out of heartache for my mother's hardships, I had once urged her to remarry.

However, my mother firmly shook her head. She told me that the man she loved most in her life was my father, and she would never love anyone else.

As a child, I did not understand if the power of love could really be so great, capable of making someone give up everything.

I let out a bitter laugh as I felt the excruciating pain in my lower body. I thought, 'Mom, it turns out loving someone really is this painful. But it's too late for regrets. Everything I have... is ruined...'

In the hospital, the pungent smell of disinfectant invaded my nostrils.

The sunlight from the window shone on my face, and I instinctively reached out to shield my eyes.

The nurse next to me exclaimed, "Kid, don't move! Your wound is too severe. If you were a few minutes late, you might have needed an amputation!"

I was stunned, wondering, 'Yes, how could I have forgotten about my condition? However, more importantly, the competition I had been longing for…'

I forced myself to sit up with all my strength, my voice hoarse as I spoke. "Miss, has the national sprint competition ended? How did it go?"

The nurse thought I was just a sprint enthusiast and came over to tuck my blanket under me with a smile. "It just ended this morning. I heard that a kid named Simon Ahern won the championship. How young and promising! He was so full of spirit when he was on the podium. How enviable."

The nurse next to her heard our conversation and came over to join us. "Yeah, some people are just lucky. Not only is he the national champion now, but he also has a beautiful girlfriend cheering for him. When the results were announced, the two of them hugged each other. That was something right out of a romance drama!"

The two chatted back and forth, neither noticing my increasingly pale and unwell expression.

Simon won the championship. His so-called girlfriend must be Cecelia, if I was not mistaken.

Pure friendship? How ridiculous.

I suddenly reached out and grabbed the sleeve of the doctor next to me. "Doctor, will my legs ever fully recover?"

The doctor probably felt sorry for me, seeing how young I was. He avoided looking me in the eye. "Walking normally will be no problem, but you won’t be able to do strenuous exercise. Oh, young man, you're still young; don't lose hope in life."

His statement felt like a bucket of cold water poured on my face, completely shattering all my hopes.

My life used to be all about training and studying, but now I had to accept that I could never run again. That would be difficult.

While I was stunned, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Simon swaggered in, pulling Cecelia along, wearing the medal I had always dreamed of.

My face was frigid. "What are you two doing here? Are you upset that I'm still alive?"

Simon immediately put on a guilty look. "I'm so sorry, Spencer. I didn't know this would happen. Besides, I came to see you as soon as the competition ended, just in case you wouldn't be able to take it."

He placed the medal beside my pillow. "I know this medal means a lot to you too. I came to share this joy with you."

I slammed the medal to the ground. "Cut the good-guy act. Don't you know Cecelia ruined my leg because of you?"

Cecelia was shocked by my reaction. She then stepped forward and confronted me angrily. "Have you lost your mind? Why are you telling him that? Besides, your leg won't get better; what's the point of taking it out on us?"

I suddenly found the scene hilarious.

I would always remember Simon's defiant gaze when he lured me to the rooftop. He said Cecelia would be his sooner or later and told me to stay away from her. He even said Cecelia would do anything for him if he said the word.

Back then, I thought he was just bragging, but it turned out it was all true.

I grabbed the water glass on the table again and threw it at him. "Both of you get out! I never want to see your disgusting faces again!"

Cecelia was startled and instinctively shielded Simon behind her. "You're insane! We came all this way to see you, yet this is how you treat us?"

I felt a sharp pain in my temples, my head feeling like it was going to explode. Just before I passed out, I used all my remaining strength to tell her, "Cecelia, let's break up."