I checked myself out the next morning and limped to a cab to campus.

The professor saw the bandages, and his face fell.

"What did you do to yourself?"

I waved him off. "Small accident. Nothing. Won't slow us down."

His brow tightened. "Adam… your father… if he could see you like this, he'd be heartbroken."

The tears rose instantly.

My father's business partner had run off with everything. He had gone deep into debt, but even then, he never tried to escape it. He worked day and night to repay it. In the end, he was hit by a car by one of the debt collectors. Even on his deathbed, he told me to continue paying it back.

Cara knew all of this. Yet she treated it like a joke, watching my humiliation and dignity being trampled underfoot.

All the paperwork was done. By tomorrow, the name 'Adam Hale' would completely disappear from her life.

When I got home, Cara was there. So was Roman.

He looked even happier than Cara when he saw me, smiling as he spoke.

"Mr. Hale, so you're Cara's boyfriend. What a coincidence. I'm Cara's childhood friend. I didn't get the chance to introduce myself last time. My name is Roman Locke."

"Roman, stop chatting. Come eat, the food's ready."

Roman smiled and nodded. When he saw the full table of dishes, his eyes lit up.

"After all these years, you still remember what I like to eat."

I stiffened.

So all of this… was made for him.

A bitter taste spread in my chest.

No wonder… every time I said I did not like green beans, Cara acted like she had not heard me and still insisted on making it.

"Mr. Hale, you're really lucky. Someone like Cara actually cooks for you."

I set my fork down and asked calmly, "What kind of person is she?"

Cara's gaze had been fixed on Roman, but finally shifted to me for a brief moment.

Roman realized he had almost said too much and quickly corrected himself.

"A good woman. A woman like Cara, who wouldn't want to marry her?"

I let out a mocking smile. "Then what about you?"

Cara's expression darkened instantly.

"If you don't want to eat, then don't. Don't make things uncomfortable for everyone else."

I really did not want to eat. I picked up my bowl and fork and walked into the kitchen.

Not long after, Roman followed me in.

He raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"I thought you were someone special. Turns out you're nothing much. This game should end here."

The mask dropped.

I was still processing what he meant when his hand suddenly reached toward the pot of boiling soup.

"Ah!"

The scalding heat made him cry out before his hand even fully touched it.

Hearing the noise, Cara rushed into the kitchen.

Roman's face twisted in pain. He stared at me in disbelief.

"Mr. Hale, I'm not here to take Cara from you. I said we're just friends. Why would you grab my hand and force it into the pot?"

Before he even finished speaking, Cara rushed forward and slapped me hard.

Her sharp nails cut into my cheek, drawing blood.

"Adam! I never realized you could be this vicious! How dare you hurt him!"

I steadied my voice, though it trembled.

"I didn't."

Cara's eyes burned red with anger. She suddenly stepped back.

Before I could react, she lifted the pot of boiling soup and threw it at me.

"Ah–!"

The pain hit instantly. I instinctively tried to dodge, but she kept pouring until the last drop landed on me.

My scalp went numb. My mind went blank.

Seeing this, Cara threw the pot at me and helped Roman out of the apartment.

The door slammed shut.

Enduring the pain, I crawled into the living room and grabbed my phone.

"Pro… Professor… help me…"

The words barely left my mouth before I blacked out.

Somewhere in the haze, I heard voices.

The professor. Doctors. And even Cara and Roman.

"Cara, my hand, will it scar? I'm a model. I can't have scars!"

"It's okay, Roman. No matter what, you're perfect to me. Once you're better, we'll get married."

"Really? You're not lying? Then what about Mr. Hale?"

"Roman… Adam was just a toy to pass the time. Nothing ever really happened between us. If you hadn't gone abroad, I would never have met him, never have been with him—"

She was cut off.

Soon after, sounds came from the next room–soft, intimate, unmistakable.

Even through the pain, my body reacted.

"Keep it down! This is a hospital!" the professor shouted angrily.

My heart went cold.

I asked the professor to remove the ring from my hand.

I forced myself to grab his wrist.

"Professor… transfer me to another hospital."

Cara.

The love you wanted–I give it to you.

From now on, whether we live or die… we have nothing to do with each other.