Chapter 4

My brother remained unconscious for a long time after surgery.

The doctor said his consciousness was clear, but his injuries were too severe.

They told us close family members to talk to him more often.

As long as his will to live was strong enough, he might wake up soon.

The police said my brother's accident was caused by speeding.

They'd found his phone at the scene.

The phone was a bit banged up, but it still worked.

I took it and hesitantly entered a few numbers.

It unlocked.

The passcode was Serena's birthday.

I opened his messages on SnapChat.

The most recent message was a voice note from Serena.

The date was exactly the day I'd discovered Jason and Serena's affair.

My hand trembling, I clicked on that message.

Her obscene moans and Jason's heavy breathing poured out.

I finally couldn't hold back and rushed to the trash can to vomit.

Tears mixed with vomit kept streaming down.

So my brother had been provoked by them, which made him speed over, which caused the accident.

They had killed my brother.

I kept that information hidden. I didn't even tell my parents.

At such a critical time, they couldn't handle any more shocks.

I went to the hospital every day to talk to my brother.

I talked about our childhood, about growing up, rambling on endlessly.

But whenever I was about to mention Jason and Serena, I would deliberately avoid it and say nothing.

A week later, my brother's fingers moved.

Before I could feel any joy, Serena came to see him.

Through the glass of the ICU, I saw her standing by my brother's bed, bending down and saying something.

When she saw me, her eyes curved into crescents.

"Jenna, you're here! I was just talking with Nathan for a bit. We even mentioned your wedding with Jason."

"He needs to get better soon so we can all attend your wedding together."

The taunting tone in her words was too obvious. I was shaking with rage.

During this time, I hadn't confronted her about it.

That didn't mean I'd forgotten how she'd betrayed my brother and cheated with my fiancé.

And it certainly didn't mean she could stand by my brother's hospital bed and gloat.

Fury coursed through my entire body.

Without caring that this was a hospital, I rushed in and dragged her out.

I kicked her hard in the stomach.

Serena didn't even have time to react before I kicked her violently into the corner.

Jason arrived at that exact moment.

He shoved me hard. My head hit the wall with a dull thud, the pain making it hard to breathe.

He shouted at me, "Jenna Smith, what the hell are you doing!"

Before I could say anything, Serena on the ground suddenly let out a cry of pain.

"Jason, my stomach hurts so much."

"The baby... our baby..."

Her words left me completely frozen in place.

They already had a child together.

Jason glared at me, then gently comforted her. "Don't be scared."

Then he scooped Serena up and went to find a doctor.

I was left standing there alone, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Serena's baby was fine, but I completely fell apart.

I could only force myself to endure the pain and keep everything hidden inside.

That day, after I'd sent my parents home, I was walking back to the ICU when I saw a scene that made my eyes burn.

Serena was nestled in Jason's arms, and the two of them were kissing passionately, oblivious to everything around them.

They were standing right in front of my brother's hospital bed, making out shamelessly.

Serena's voice was coy.

"When Nathan wakes up, he'll definitely bless us."

Jason held her tighter and murmured breathlessly, "When he gets better, we'll tell him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the monitor suddenly let out a piercing, continuous alarm.

My brother's fingers curled sharply, and the previously fluctuating heart monitor flatlined into a cold, straight line.

"Doctor! Doctor!"

I screamed like a madwoman, my voice shaking.

Nurses and doctors rushed in immediately. The room descended into chaos.

The sound of the defibrillator rose and fell. The doctor's urgent commands hammered at my heart.

I rushed in and shoved Jason and Serena aside, my eyes red as I roared, "Get out! Both of you get out!"

Jason's face turned pale, then flushed. He wanted to say something but was driven back by the madness in my eyes.

He pulled Serena out of the room.

I slumped against the wall, watching the busy figures in the resuscitation room, tears flooding out.

The monitor kept beeping, each sound striking my heart that was on the verge of collapse.

All I could do was pray over and over: Nathan, please hold on. Please don't let anything happen to you.

But God didn't hear my prayers. He took my brother away.

I watched with my own eyes as that tall figure who'd protected me since childhood was wheeled into the crematorium.

In just a brief moment, he was burned to a pile of ashes.

...

Being under the same roof as Jason was ultimately too difficult.

I pulled myself back to the present, planning to go home and rest for the day.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped on our floor.

Jason rushed out and practically ran over to grip my shoulders.

His voice trembling, he asked me:

"Why is everyone saying your brother is dead?"