Scarlett’s heart jumped as she quickly turned her face away to hide the blood.
Nathaniel walked over and forcefully took the catalog from her hands.
She watched as he frowned at the bloodstain.
Only then did Scarlett realize he was concerned about the catalog, not her.
“Sorry… I accidentally stained it,” she said, her voice shaking.
Riley immediately handed her some tissues, scolding Nathaniel, “Why are you worried about that? Miss, do you need to go to the hospital?”
Scarlett shook her head, taking the tissues to stop her nosebleed. “Just a cold and inflammation. It’ll stop in a minute.”
No point telling your ex-boyfriend about terminal illness right before his wedding—talk about raining on someone’s parade.
Nathaniel said nothing, just frowned as he looked at Scarlett’s pale face.
Scarlett went to the bathroom to stop the bleeding.
When she came out, Riley had already changed into a wedding dress.
She hadn’t chosen the one she’d claimed to like earlier, but had switched to another style, twirling in front of Nathaniel with a smile.
“How do I look?”
Nathaniel gazed at her tenderly. “Beautiful.”
His eyes reflected Riley’s image, as if once she appeared, his world contained only her.
Scarlett suddenly felt suffocated. She lowered her voice, “I have something to take care of. I need to leave now.”
“Wait!” Riley called out. “Nate and I don’t have many friends in Switzerland, and since we’ve bumped into an old friend, would you consider being my bridesmaid?”
Scarlett’s fingers trembled. “Sorry, but my visa expires by then.”
Being a bridesmaid for her ex-boyfriend was something she couldn’t handle.
“Oh,” Riley sounded genuinely disappointed. “That’s too bad. We’ll have to catch up another time then.”
Scarlett forced a pale smile. “Okay.”
She picked up her bag and walked toward the exit. At the door, she couldn’t help turning back for one last look at Nathaniel.
He sat on the sofa, not sparing her a single glance, just as ruthlessly detached as when they broke up.
Click—
The automatic door closed, completely separating her from Nathaniel’s world.
Scarlett held back her tears and walked toward her hotel.
The Swiss streets were sparsely populated, but the faces of those passing by all wore relaxed smiles.
As Scarlett walked, she suddenly noticed a bar and decided to go in.
She used to enjoy drinking, but hadn’t touched alcohol since her diagnosis. She had hoped to drink herself into oblivion, but after just one bottle, she started feeling nauseated.
Swaying slightly, she went to pay, when she noticed the photo wall behind the bartender filled with couples’ pictures.
The bearded bartender smiled warmly. “Couples who take photos in our bar get free drinks!”
Scarlett shook her head, about to say she was alone, when her gaze suddenly fixed on one photo at the top of the wall.
It was a picture of Nathaniel and Riley.
The date marked: March 11, 2024.
At that time, she and Nathaniel hadn’t broken up yet!
Scarlett felt her mind go blank with a deafening buzz, a chill slowly creeping through her blood.
She stood completely frozen, unable to process what she was seeing.
The bartender continued talking, but she couldn’t hear anything anymore.
She stumbled out in a daze. Suddenly, a man approached her. “Miss, I’ve been watching you for a while. Would you like to come to my place?”
Scarlett shook her head, but the man grabbed her arm. “Come on, miss, be nice.”
With that, he started pulling her toward a car.
“Let me go!” Scarlett struggled fiercely, but was about to be dragged into the vehicle.
Suddenly, someone appeared and pulled the man away, then knocked him to the ground with a single punch.
“Get lost!” the voice commanded coldly.
Watching the man slink away, Nathaniel turned to Scarlett with a frown.
“Swiss bars aren’t safe. If you don’t even have that much common sense, you should go back to America before you waste more time and energy requiring rescue.”
Scarlett stared at him, taking a moment to regain her composure. “Thank you.”
She paused, then added with a bitter edge, “Though I suppose it’s fortunate I came to this particular bar, so you could save me.”
Nathaniel frowned. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Scarlett’s lips curved into a mocking smile. “March 11, 2024. I had no idea you were already with Riley back then.”
Her reddened eyes looked directly at Nathaniel. “So someone like you cheats too, Nathaniel.”
Nathaniel’s dark eyes grew distant as he fell silent.
Scarlett, holding back tears, could no longer smile. She pushed him suddenly. “SAY SOMETHING!”
Her fingers trembled with emotion, but Nathaniel merely stepped back, looking at her calmly. “Haven’t you seen enough?”
That cold response left all her words stuck in her throat.
Scarlett stared at him in disbelief.
Nathaniel raised his eyes to meet hers, saying flatly, “Yes, I cheated. I fell in love with Riley while we were still together. That’s the answer you wanted, isn’t it? Are you satisfied now?”
Scarlett felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart, making it difficult to even breathe. Her throat felt completely blocked, unable to produce a sound.
She’d thought she could face all the past events calmly, she’d thought Nathaniel couldn’t hurt her anymore…
But he could still be even more ruthless.
Scarlett bit her lip hard, but tears still fell uncontrollably.
She quickly wiped them away. “Fine. I understand now.”
With that, she turned to leave, but suddenly her vision blurred, and she collapsed softly to the ground.
Through the haze, she heard Nathaniel calling her name.
When she regained consciousness, she was in a hospital.
Scarlett glanced at the stark white ceiling and turned her head to see Nathaniel standing beside her bed.
He was holding her medical chart, his expression ice-cold.
