4
When I woke up, I was lying on the lounge sofa.
A sharp ache twisted in my lower abdomen, and my throat was so raw I couldn’t utter a word.
Miguel sat by my side, gently wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. His eyes were filled with guilt and worry.
“Baby, does anything else hurt? Why did you suddenly collapse? You scared me and Saoirse
too…”
Before he could finish, the door swung open.
Saoirse walked in with a cup of warm water in hand.
“I’m sorry, Sis. It was my fault. Please drink this… and rest.”
She knelt beside me, pitifully lifting the cup to my lips.
“Don’t be angry with me, okay?”
I turned my head away, refusing to acknowledge her.
The cup slipped from her hands, and scalding hot water splashed across my shoulder.
Miguel rushed forward to catch her as she stumbled. A flicker of anger shot through his eyes. “Belle, she’s your sister! How could you treat her like that?”
Then he scooped Saoirse into his arms and strode out.
“I’ll rinse it with cold water right away, or it’ll leave a scar.”
Watching their backs as they disappeared, I suddenly laughed.
If he had only looked closer, he would’ve seen the truth: most of the water had splashed onto my shoulder.
It was red and raw, already blistering.
I laughed until tears blurred my vision.
But at least now, I had made up my mind to stop loving him.
So, it didn’t hurt quite as much anymore.
After a while, I dragged my weakened body up and prepared to hail a taxi to the hospital.
“Belle, wait.”
Director Evan stopped me. “When are you going to tell Miguel you’re leaving?”
I paused. “In five days. After our sixth anniversary.”
At the hospital, I gritted through the pain to register and queued outside radiology.
Suddenly, my phone rang, it was Miguel’s driver, his voice urgent.
“Belle, please come quickly. Brother Miguel’s drunk again!”
If the paparazzi caught him like that, tomorrow’s endorsement banquet would be finished.
I clenched my jaw and tossed the registration slip aside.
Outside the KTV entrance, Saoirse leaned against the wall, a cigarette between her fingers, eyes clouded in smoke.
