Instead of leaving, lissa ended up idling at the bus stop. When she noticed the ti, she returned to the hospital to use the bathroom and wash her face before her first shift at the convenience store. But as she walked back toward her father’s ward, her steps gradually slowed.
She gazed down at the calling card in her hand, rembering the naless man’s words at the bus stop.
It’s not what you think it is.
A shallow snort escaped her. Then what else could he have ant? He asked her price, ntioning her body. What kind of offer was he suggesting except selling her body for pleasure? The thought alone twisted her stomach with disgust.
But as she neared her father’s ward, her steps froze. Her thoughts halted. She lifted her head, catching Derek stepping out of her father’s room.
"..." Her brows knitted as she watched him pause and look at her. "Derek...?"
Hope flickered in her eyes. But his reaction remained cold, unmoved. Derek resud walking and, as if he hadn’t even seen her, passed straight by without a word.
"Derek!" she called, turning to face his back.
But he didn’t stop.
Panicked, lissa ran forward and hugged him from behind.
"Derek," she clutched his shirt, burying her face into his back. "I missed you. Did you co here to see ?"
This ti, he paused — her clinging forcing him to stop. His eyes dropped to her hand on his stomach. He reached down, forcibly peeling her fingers away. He hated lissa, and the last ti he saw her had only deepened that resentnt.
But now... he felt disgusted by her touch.
Once he freed himself, he turned to face her.
"I didn’t co here to see you," he said, disgust clear on his face.
He hadn’t bothered looking at her earlier when he walked out of the ward. Now that she stood right before him, he almost didn’t recognize her. She didn’t look as graceful as he rembered — though that grace had always been fake.
Nothing about her was genuine. It took him too long to see it, but now that his eyes were open, just the sight of her made his stomach turn.
She was the greatest reminder of his foolishness.
"Derek, don’t be like that," lissa tried to reach for him again, but he quickly stepped back as if she were sothing foul. Her hand hung mid-air, trembling as she locked eyes with him. This ti, she caught the disgust there.
"lissa, we’re done," he said firmly. "Actually, there shouldn’t have been an ’us’ to begin with, had I not been so foolish to believe you."
It was the most honest truth.
Had he known lissa wasn’t the one who saved him from drowning... had he known it was Lola who risked her life... had he known lissa stole that necklace from her... he would’ve never looked lissa’s way.
"I’m here because I was hoping your father might know how I could contact Lola," he admitted. "But instead, I ended up stopping your dad from killing himself."
He scoffed. "Of course. You people just can’t take it when karma finally reaches you. If I were you, I’d look after him instead of roaming around like you don’t have responsibilities. lissa, nothing you say now will make anyone believe you. So, why don’t you look after your dad and change your ways?"
"You are..." he trailed off, shaking his head, assuming lissa hadn’t changed at all. To him, she was still the sa manipulative snake that poisoned his life.
"You repulse ," he said, stepping back. "You are the biggest mistake of my life."
After speaking out of pure frustration, Derek walked away without looking back. He had already called the nurses and reported Lawrence, telling them to monitor him closely because he was a danger to himself.
Derek didn’t get to ask about Lola, but after seeing Lawrence, he realized there was no point. And in truth, it was better that way. It was better for Lola to leave the Youngs completely.
As for lissa, she stared at his back, listening as the remainder of her heart shattered. She took a step, calling out weakly, but he didn’t turn.
"Derek..." she whispered as tears streaked down her face, but inside, her heart burned even more. "It’s not... I’m doing my best."
Her fingers curled tightly, crushing the calling card in her hand. Gritting her teeth, she raised her voice.
"Derek!" she scread, her voice echoing through the hallway. "You can’t do this to !"
But he didn’t stop.
"Derek, if you keep tornting like this, I’ll kill myself!" she cried hysterically.
This ti, he finally stopped.
lissa rushed toward him, grabbed his hand, and pressed it to her cheek. "Derek, I know you’re angry, but you can’t just keep being angry at . I can’t live without you. Please, please — give a chance to make it right—"
But Derek yanked his hand away coldly.
"Then kill yourself," he said — a cruel dare that made her freeze. The disgust in his eyes deepened. He couldn’t believe she was still trying to take him hostage emotionally, threatening suicide like she used to.
"What?" lissa paled. "Derek... how could you—"
"lissa, don’t you dare use that trick again," he warned sharply. "If you kill yourself, then do it. I won’t take responsibility for your life, and I won’t lose a wink of sleep."
He shook his head. "Unbelievable."
He reached out and shoved her aside. He didn’t use much force, but it caught her off guard, earning a piercing yelp as she fell. He paused for a second, a flicker of guilt passing through him, but it vanished quickly as mories of her manipulation flooded his mind.
Without another word, Derek stord away, faster this ti.
lissa remained on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She clenched her hand, her gaze falling on the crumpled calling card in her fist.
"You..." she whispered, staring at the card.
Just as a nurse reached her, a weak yet unsettled laugh escaped lissa. The nurse flinched.
"Miss lissa?"
"Hahaha..." lissa chuckled, wiping her eyes as she unfolded the crumpled card.
"Fine," she whispered, her heart full of spite. "Fine. I’ve lost everything... what else do I have to lose?"
And in that mont, she made a decision she could never take back.
Reviews
All reviews (0)