Chapter 7

Iris POV

Friends reversed truth and lies, accusing me.

I found it absurd.

They'd once raised glasses, blessing Adrian and me with eternal happiness.

Now these same people stood on moral high ground.

In their mouths, Adrian's five-year affair was understandable. My feelings should make way for the mistress.

If I refused, I was vicious, unreasonable.

Luna was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The baby wasn't saved. Her uterus was also removed.

Adrian kept vigil outside the operating room, like he'd lost his soul.

He collapsed beside Luna's hospital bed, confessing to her unconscious form over and over.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I'm sorry. I loved the wrong person."

"I always thought the one who silently sacrificed for me and saved my life was Iris. It was always you."

Those four words "loved the wrong person" cut my heart over and over.

I hid in the corridor shadows, remembering Adrian had a rare blood disease.

Since childhood, I'd been his on-call mobile blood bank. Each transfusion made me seriously ill. My health grew worse and worse.

I also remembered-originally it wasn't Adrian who stood in the snow for three days and nights that made me stay.

It was me threatening suicide. Only then did my parents give up sending me abroad.

I also began to regret.

Had I known this love would become unrecognizable, I never would have started it.

I decided to leave.

I took one last look at that man heartbroken over another woman in the hospital room, then turned and walked toward the elevator step by step.

Behind me, Adrian's body swayed and he collapsed straight to the floor.

THUD.

A dull thudding sound came from behind. My steps paused.

But this time, I didn't turn back.

Adrian, you taught me what it feels like to be abandoned. I've learned.

When I returned to the villa, it was already late at night.

I opened my phone. Social media was flooded with posts from that group of friends.

They were all sharing the video of Adrian slipping the ring onto Luna's finger. Same caption on every post:

"Wishing Mr. and Mrs. Chase a happy fifth anniversary! May your happiness last forever!"

In the photo, he looked devoted. She beamed.

The whole city was celebrating "Mrs. Chase."

How ironic.

My phone suddenly rang. It was Adrian's grandfather.

"Get to the hospital! Give Adrian a blood transfusion!" His voice was pure command.

I stared out at the night sky, my voice flat. "Mr. Chase, Adrian and I are neither family nor related by law. I have no obligation to save him. And thank you for what you gave me five years ago. I don't even need a divorce now."

I hung up and blocked every last one of them.

From now on, a clean break.

That night, I didn't sleep.

I pulled out suitcases and, alone, sorted through everything that had to do with Adrian. Item by item. Severing the past. Completely.