He Misunderstood Her Sacrifice, And Lost Her to Another

“Ms.Crawford,your brain tumor surgery has been canceled….”

Aurelia Crawford ended the call,then quietly booked a ticket to Iceland,planning to leave in a week.

While packing,her eyes landed on a photo of Santino Gardner holding her in his arms,smiling as if she were his whole world.But that same smile later became nothing but coldness and disgust in her memory.

She gave a bitter smile and set the frame aside,yet her mind pulled her back to what had happened half a year ago.

That was when she first found out she had a malignant brain tumor.The surgery was risky,and her time was already running short.

The moment she stepped inside the house,Santino rushed at her,his eyes red as he grabbed her by the throat,his voice rough with anger.“Where were you last night?”

She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth,that she had gone to check on the tumor.Her lips trembled,but no sound came out.

At that moment,Santino threw a photo at her face,the edge cutting her cheek and leaving a faint sting.

In the photo,Santino’s mother lay dying in a wrecked car,and on the hit-and-run vehicle was the clear mark of the Crawford family.

While Aurelia stood frozen,Santino struggled to hold back his emotions,his fingers digging into his palms as he forced his voice to stay calm.

“As long as you explain,I’ll believe you.”

His weak tone made Aurelia’s heart pound,her temples throbbing with pain.She saw the tear stains on Santino’s face,and her chest ached as if it were being torn apart.

She wanted to explain,but she couldn’t.Rather than letting Santino know her time was running out,she chose to let him hate her.

“There’s no need to explain,”her own voice came out frighteningly calm.“It was me.”

“Because I wanted to control you,I had to keep all your weaknesses in my hands.”Her heart felt like it was being ripped apart.“Those rumors about me keeping you,those were also started by me.”

Santino’s body froze,and the shock and hurt in his eyes made it hard for her to breathe.

After a long silence,he let out a laugh,the sound carrying both bitterness and pain.“I really am a fool,to have loved a cruel woman like you…”

Aurelia’s fingers,hidden behind her back,trembled slightly.She had once imagined many times how Santino might confess his love to her,but she never thought the word“love”would only appear when he despised her most.

“I hate you,”Santino said,his voice cold.“And I’ll make you pay for it.”

A sudden message from the bodyguard pulled Aurelia back to reality,and she lowered her head.

[Today,Mr.Gardner went hiking with Miss Lawrence and is now on the way home.]

The moment she saw Santino’s name,a heavy ache spread through her chest.

She had stood by him for ten years,ten years that carried him from a poor,struggling young man to a medical student at a top university.Ten years that had drained every bit of her love and strength.

She sent a message to the bodyguard,telling him not to follow Santino anymore or report where he went.As soon as she put the phone down,a few drops of fresh blood fell onto the glowing screen,spreading into a startling red stain.

Aurelia quickly covered her nose,but the blood kept dripping through her fingers,no matter how she tried to stop it.She didn’t care,wiping it roughly with a tissue before tossing it into the trash.The bin was already filled with crumpled tissues stained with blood.

Santino walked in just then,and the metallic scent in the air immediately hit him.His brow tightened,and though his eyes were usually cold and unreadable,something flickered in them that she couldn’t make out.

Aurelia forced a smile,a trace of surprise in her expression as she asked,“Why are you here?”

Santino turned his face away,refusing to look at her,and his voice was cold.“I came to see if you’re dead yet.”

Her voice turned hoarse as her trembling fingers curled tightly,but she still tried to smile.“Then you’ll be disappointed.”

Hearing this,Santino paused slightly,and the coldness in his eyes grew deeper.“Good that you’re not dead.Only the living can you slowly make up for it.”

She was about to answer when the sudden ring of the phone cut her off.Santino picked it up,and a sweet,cheerful voice came through the receiver.

“Santino,I picked out a new dress.When we visit your mom this weekend,I’ll wear it…”

At those words,Santino’s face softened right away,and his voice turned warm,carrying a gentleness she hadn’t heard in a long time.

“Okay,I’ll come pick you up now,and afterward we’ll go have a late-night snack together.”

He turned to leave,but Aurelia called out to him,and the moment her voice slipped out,she regretted it.Facing his cold,distant gaze,her own voice shook.“If one day I really die,what would you do?”

Santino’s reply came quickly and without pause,his tone full of scorn.“I’d clap my hands and celebrate,thanking the heavens for finally taking this disaster away.”

Aurelia wanted to say more,but Santino cut her off without mercy.

“What?I’m going on a date with my girlfriend now.Do you want to come along too?Are you really that desperate for love?”

Humiliation forced her into silence.She opened her mouth,stammering,but all she could taste was the bitterness of blood spreading across her tongue.

He turned and walked away,never giving her another look.

Aurelia watched his back as he left,a bitter smile on her lips.She remembered how different his voice had once been,soft and gentle when he spoke to her.

It was the night before the college entrance exam.When he heard she had a high fever,Santino dropped his books,skipped class for the first time in his life,and rushed to her home.

On that sweltering summer night,he arrived carrying a bag of medicine,his school uniform soaked with sweat.He didn’t care about himself,only hurrying to press a cold towel against her burning forehead.

As Aurelia looked at the beads of sweat clinging to his temple,her eyes stung,and her heart filled with warmth.

She remained forever trapped in that summer night,and each passing day only carved the pain of memories deeper across her heart.

Santino’s back slowly faded from sight.Aurelia gazed at the empty room and whispered softly,“But I’m about to die anyway.”

“When I die,maybe you’ll be a little happier.”