Chapter 8

Amber volunteered to guide me.

“Newbies fall easily. I’ll teach you, big sis.”

Julian glanced at her and nodded.

“Amber is a great skier, follow her.”

He trusted her.

Seeing their glances back and forth up close, I finally understood that some gaps were like an unbridgeable chasm.

Even if I built a bridge to the heavens, I couldn't reach him.

Amber led me towards the beginner slope, but halfway, she suddenly veered off, heading towards the edge of a steep, deserted slope.

“Big sis, there are too many people here. Let’s go somewhere emptier.”

I had no objections.

I knew she had something to say to me.

While we were paying earlier, Julian had kept his eyes on me.

But she had kept her eyes on Julian.

I wanted to hear what this girl, who was also playing me for a fool, would say.

If I could, I also wanted to tell her:

*You are already so talented. Even without playing these backstabbing games to pit women against each other, you could still receive so much love.*

But she didn't give me that chance.

Amber took my hand, her voice growing colder.

“You heard everything that day, didn’t you, big sis?”

“I saw you hiding by the door, like a rat in a gutter.”

I gripped my ski pole, not answering.

Amber scoffed.

“I thought you would end things voluntarily. I never expected you to be so shameless, willing to be played for a fool just to cling to Julian.”

“Do you know how much Julian despises you?”

“He said you’re old, ugly, and dirt-poor, that you even buy your underwear from dollar stores.”

“That scarf you gave him? He threw it to Buddy, my dog.”

“Oops, I guess I never told you, Buddy is my dog.”

The edge of the ski slope was right there, and beyond it was a bottomless snow pit.

Amber didn't stop.

I realized what she was about to do and tried to stop her, but I couldn't shake her off.

“You’re crazy!”

Amber chuckled, then suddenly sped up and slammed into me.

A sharp pain exploded from my chest.

I fell almost uncontrollably into the snow pit.

My ears felt like they were filled with water, and I vaguely heard Amber screaming from above:

“Ah! My leg!”

Loud, chaotic sounds quickly approached. Many people must have gathered around.

They were shouting Amber’s name. It must be her friends.

“She pushed me!”

Amber cried, tears streaming down her face.

“I was just trying to teach her, but she deliberately harmed me!”

I lay at the bottom of the pit, a searing pain in my right leg.

Snow foam poured into my collar, making me shiver with cold.

I tried to get up, but the snow was too soft; every struggle made my body sink deeper.

I wanted to deny it, but as soon as I opened my mouth, bloody froth gushed out.

I could only look up, hoping Julian would glance down at me.

But he didn't.

Neither did any of those people.

The footsteps quickly faded away.

They acted as if they didn't remember I existed.

They abandoned me at the bottom of the pit.

My phone vibrated.

It was a text from Julian:

“You are so malicious. Amber was just trying to teach you how to ski. Was it really necessary to do something like this just because I was getting a little close to her?”

“I really misjudged you.”

I read these two messages repeatedly.

After reading them for the fifth time, I suddenly understood.

No matter how I struggled or hesitated, or found excuses for myself,

The end result would still be Julian discarding me like trash.

He didn't even believe me.

How could he possibly love me?

I waited in the snow pit until the sky turned completely dark.

My phone rang again.

“Amber’s birthday party is tonight at the Blue Flame Resort. Come apologize.”

I laughed, then turned and called Dr. Evans.

“Dr. Evans, it’s Lena.”

“Could you please pick me up at the north slope of the ski resort? I’ll send you the coordinates.”

“After that, let’s go straight to the research center. My illness seems to have worsened.”

She agreed quickly.

After hanging up, I deleted all of Julian’s unread messages.

Above the snow pit, aurora-like neon lights twinkled in the night sky.

What a pity, I thought.

We were supposed to see them together in Iceland.

If I'm lucky enough to see him again, I should call him ‘brother’ now.