Sowhere deep in Derek’s heart, he had truly wished the person who saved him back then was lissa. Because if it were her, then their love story wouldn’t have begun with deception. Sadly, it wasn’t her, and he had already confird that more than once.
So seeing the sa necklace around Aileen’s neck made him freeze.
He didn’t think it would be Aileen, but it made sense. She knew how to swim, and she lived in the Young residence.
But her answer had been a quick, blunt, "No."
Aileen almost snorted as she looked at him. "Why would you think I would do that?"
She never liked Derek. In fact, she disliked him from the beginning for the sole reason that he was Lola’s fiancé. Her dislike only grew when he started hanging around lissa more often, constantly fighting with Lola. And that resentnt never went away.
If anything, she hated him even more now.
Deep lines etched across Derek’s face as he studied her expression. He knew she didn’t like him. Not that he liked her either. There had always been plenty of things about Aileen he couldn’t stand, even back then.
Still, he had to ask.
"Then... why are you wearing that necklace?"
"Huh?" Aileen scrunched her nose and instinctively touched the pendant. "So that’s what you’ve been staring at, and here I thought you were ogling my chest."
"You’re flat," he shot back imdiately. "Why would I look at your chest when it looks like your back?"
"..." Aileen deadpanned. "I really hate you. Good thing Lola didn’t end up with you."
She clicked her tongue and turned, intending to leave, when Derek panicked.
"Wait." He rushed forward, grabbing the edge of the driver’s door to stop her from closing it. "Just tell ."
Aileen rolled her eyes, giving him a long, unimpressed stare. "Is it weird for to wear sothing I own?"
"It’s... yours?"
"Do you think I stole it?" she scoffed sharply. "Derek Lancaster, are you still accusing of being a thief after all these years?"
It wouldn’t have been the first ti. Back then, he had accused Aileen of that exact thing simply because she was the maid’s daughter. Thankfully, Lola had defended her.
"No," he stuttered, a little flustered. "That’s not what I ant."
But she was already annoyed. "Derek, I don’t care what world you’re living in, but this necklace is important to . So even if I can afford prettier or more expensive jewelry, I prefer wearing this because it has sentintal value."
She let out another irritated huff. "Lola saved her allowance to get these. So trust . It’s worth more than any necklace you could afford."
His brows twitched, and Aileen didn’t miss it.
"So stop accusing of anything—geez!" Aileen tugged the door again, but Derek held on tighter.
"Lola?" he repeated. "She gave that to you?"
"Yes," she snapped. "She bought one for herself and one for . It’s basically our promise ring, but in necklace form. Happy now?"
"..." Derek’s breath hitched. His eyes widened slightly. "Lola... also has one?"
"Yeah—and that psycho ex of yours stole it." Aileen clicked her tongue again. "Derek, I know you worship lissa like she’s the best thing that happened to you, but you truly don’t know how crazy that woman is. And you have no idea what Lola had to endure because of her."
"Well, how would you know?" she sneered. "You were the first one to enable that bitch. You even added to Lola’s suffering. If I were you, Derek Lancaster, I’d go back to lissa and marry her. The two of you are a match made in hell."
She clicked her tongue and hissed, "Also, I’m not the thief. The thief has always been with you all these years."
With that, Aileen finally pulled the door free. She climbed in and slamd it shut, then drove off without hesitation. She didn’t linger. If she stayed any longer, she might’ve run him over on purpose.
But as she drove down the driveway, she clicked her tongue again.
"Why is he asking who saved him back then? It would’ve been better if Lola hadn’t saved him at all. That’s minus points for her torntors."
Aileen was well aware that Lola had saved Derek. She simply refused to confirm it, afraid he would keep bothering her.
Little did she know she had already given him the answer by ntioning Lola in relation to the necklace.
*****
Derek remained standing in the sa spot, eyes fixed on the car speeding away. He stayed frozen even after the vehicle disappeared past the gates.
He swallowed hard.
"It was... her?" he whispered, his voice shaking. "Lola was the one... who saved back then?"
As soon as the words left his lips, his entire body went rigid. His mind went blank. And when it finally rebooted, the realization hit him like a truck.
Back then, before he fell into the pool, he had been waiting for Lola. He planned to console her because Loren had just passed away. It was possible—no, likely—that Lola arrived, saw him drowning, and jumped in after him.
"How did I not think of that...?" he whispered, his lips paling, his knees turning soft like tofu.
But he knew the answer.
Because just like him, Lola didn’t know how to swim.
At least not back then.
Had he known Lola learned how to swim in her first life, everything would have made sense.
Right now, though, his chest tightened painfully.
"She saved ... even when she didn’t know how to swim..." he murmured, stumbling backward as he touched his head. Even before he could fully say what he was thinking, his heart already felt like it was going to burst.
mories flooded him to the point that it felt like he was suffocating. All the tis he sided with lissa. All the tis he chose not to believe Lola. All the cruel, thoughtless words he threw at her. All the pain he caused her.
It all ca back to him like a truck without brakes.
Derek staggered back another step, hitting the side of a nearby car. The impact was enough to trigger the alarm, its shrill sound piercing the air.
But to Derek, the shattering in his chest was louder.
His lips trembled as he whispered the truth that crushed him completely.
"...and all I did in return was hurt her."
Reviews
All reviews (0)