A car accident left me disfigured.

My boyfriend looked at me with gentle eyes and comforted me, saying,

“Sweetheart, even if you’re scarred, you’ll always be the most beautiful woman in my heart.”

My best friend held my hand, tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t worry, girl. I’ll find the best plastic surgeon. They’ll fix the scars on your face, and you’ll get back your beauty.”

I was touched.

So, on my twenty-fifth birthday, I sent them both to hell.

At New York General Hospital, I lay on the bed, wrapped in layers of bandages, with only my eyes and mouth exposed.

Jason Miller and Emily Brooks stood by my bed, their faces full of sorrow.

The attending physician told them,

“The patient’s injuries are severe. Saving her life was already a miracle. For the next while, she’ll need close observation. Please help guide her and make sure she cooperates with our treatment.”

After reminding them of the precautions, the doctor glanced at me regretfully, sighed, and walked out.

Jason sat down beside me, speaking tenderly,

“Sweetheart, you heard what the doctor just said. You need to stay strong. Even if you’re scarred, you’ll always be the most beautiful to me.”

“You must follow the doctor’s orders. Once you’re discharged, we’ll get married!”

As soon as Jason finished, Emily grabbed my hand, her voice trembling as she choked on her tears.

“Please, don’t give up on yourself! I’ll definitely find the best plastic surgeon. You’ll be beautiful again.”

“And don’t worry, I won’t let that hit-and-run driver get away with it. My family is already helping track him down. He’ll pay for what he did.”

I nodded slightly, tears sliding down my cheeks. My hoarse voice whispered,

“Thank you both.”

Jason’s expression was full of pity.

“You and Emily are the most important people in my life. You don’t need to thank us.”

“The doctor said you need rest more than anything. Don’t overthink things. You’ll recover. God will watch over you, and your parents in heaven will bless you.”

I was exhausted and didn’t want to say more.

When I closed my eyes to rest, Jason and Emily tiptoed out of the intensive care ward.

I still overheard their hushed voices.

“Rachel looks so pitiful right now. My heart aches for her.”

“That damn driver—I’ll make sure he pays.”

“We must stay by her side during this time. Be patient, comfort her, and don’t let her do anything foolish.”

“I’ll head home now and tell my family to contact the best plastic surgeon. Once she’s discharged, we’ll help her regain her beauty.”

After they left, the caretaker in the ward looked at me enviously and whispered,

“To have such a devoted boyfriend and best friend—many women would kill for that. I’ve been working here for five years, and I’ve never seen anything like it. Some patients are abandoned completely—not even family comes to visit. But you’re lucky. You should cherish them.”

I nodded, my voice raspy as I muttered,

“You’re right. I should cherish them.”

“I’ll give everything I have to repay them.”

I was an orphan. I met Jason Miller and Emily Brooks after graduating from Columbia University.

They treated me so well that I gradually came to see them as the two most important people in my life.

I dreamed of walking into the wedding hall hand in hand with Jason, with Emily in her bridesmaid’s dress by my side, witnessing my happiest moment.

But that dream was torn to pieces by cruel reality.

Last night, Jason had dinner with a client and called me to pick him up.

Not long after I drove out of my house, a dump truck came barreling toward me.

The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.

I took a deep breath and told the caretaker Jason had hired,

“Leave me alone for now. I want some peace and quiet.”

She looked at me worriedly and said cautiously,

“Please don’t do anything reckless. Miss Brooks already promised to find the best plastic surgeon for you. And Mr. Miller said he’ll marry you after you’re discharged…”

I cut her off,

“Don’t worry. I won’t be foolish. I’ve already died once—I know what death feels like. I won’t make that mistake again.”

The caretaker misunderstood me, thinking my “died once” referred to last night’s accident.

After she left, I picked up my phone from the bedside table and dialed a number.

When the call connected, I whispered,

“Jason Miller and Emily Brooks just left the hospital. Follow them.”

“Emily’s twenty-fifth birthday is coming up soon. The surprise I prepared for her and Jason—it’s ready, isn’t it?”

A respectful voice answered from the other end,

“Everything is arranged. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have promised that the two of them will be utterly disgraced that day.”

…

I stayed in the hospital for three days. During those days, Jason and Emily came often, patiently comforting me.

But on Emily’s birthday, neither of them showed up.

Emily called to say she had family matters to handle, and Jason claimed a relative in his hometown had passed away and he had to attend the funeral.

After hanging up, I got out of bed and began unwrapping the bandages around my body.

The caretaker was stunned and rushed to stop me.

“Miss Evans, you can’t! Your injuries aren’t healed yet—”

Before she could finish, a group of men stormed into the room. Leading them was my attending physician, followed by several burly bodyguards.

Seeing me take off the bandages, the doctor didn’t seem shocked. Instead, he quickly helped remove the rest.

The caretaker grew more frantic.

“Dr. Harris, what are you doing? Mr. Miller and Miss Brooks strictly ordered that Miss Evans must stay in bed. If they find out, do you realize what will happen?”

She instinctively pulled out her phone, trying to call Jason and Emily.

In the next second, the bodyguards pinned her down and snatched her phone away.

She panicked, struggling and shouting,

“Who are you people? Let me go or I’ll call the police!”

I looked at her coldly and said flatly,

“These past few days, you’ve been watching me and reporting my every move to Jason Miller and Emily Brooks. Were you worried I might run away?”

“How much did Jason Miller and Emily Brooks pay you to keep such a close eye on me?”

“Did they tell you to guard me today, to make sure I wouldn’t leave the ward or use a phone or anything electronic?”

Her face turned pale instantly. She stammered,

“Miss Evans, what do you mean by that? Are you accusing me of bad intentions? I’m just a caretaker. Mr. Miller paid me to look after you—what’s so strange about that? Not letting you use electronics was for your own good. You—”

She suddenly froze, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she’d seen a ghost.

The bandages were completely gone. There wasn’t a single scar on my face or body.

Her voice trembled in shock.

“You… weren’t you disfigured? You… you faked it? But why?”

I looked at her coldly.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Today is Emily Brooks’s twenty-fifth birthday. The Brooks family is throwing her a grand birthday party. I hear she’ll even announce her fiancé to everyone.”

“And who is her fiancé, I wonder? Such a mystery.”

“You’re Jason’s cousin, aren’t you? Then you must know where Jason is right now.”

She looked terrified but kept denying it.

I said flatly,

“These bodyguards—they’re from the Brooks family. Don’t you wonder why they treat me with such respect?”

Her fear deepened, mixed now with confusion.

I didn’t explain further. Instead, I ordered the bodyguards to escort her to the Brooks family estate.

Dr. David Harris, the physician who had helped me remove the bandages, looked at me nervously but expectantly. I smiled and said,

“Thank you for forging the medical records for me. I haven’t forgotten my promise. Since you broke hospital regulations, you’ll likely be punished. Hand in your resignation today. The Brooks family’s largest private hospital is still looking for a deputy director—you can start there tomorrow.”

Dr. Harris’s voice shook with gratitude.

“Thank you, Miss Evans—oh no, I should say, Miss Brooks from now on!”

I nodded with a smile.

“Come with me to the estate. You’ll testify about everything Jason Miller and Emily Brooks did during my hospital stay.”

Dr. Harris patted his chest firmly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell everyone exactly what they tried to do behind closed doors.”

Half an hour later, we arrived at the Brooks family estate.

The estate was brightly lit and full of festive decorations. The place bustled with guests—relatives, friends, and business partners of the Brooks family.

We didn’t enter through the main gate but slipped in through the back.

In the front courtyard, guests gathered merrily.

Jason stood beside Emily, chatting and smiling as they greeted the guests.

When people saw Emily holding onto Jason’s arm, many whispered curiously among themselves.

“Why is the Brooks family throwing such an extravagant party just for Emily’s twenty-fifth birthday?”

“I heard she’s going to introduce her fiancé. Could it be the man next to her?”