Chapter 4
The doctor’s words were clinical, but their impact was devastating.
“Her muscles and skin have sustained
severe damage and her body now
resembles that of a sixty–year–old. Whether she can fully recover through rehabilitation is uncertain. We’ll do our best, but no guarantees.”
As the doctor’s voice trailed off, I watched Arthur’s expression change. His usual composed demeanor shattered as the weight of my condition sank in. He lunged forward, gripping the doctor’s collar in disbelief.
“How is that possible?!” he shouted, his voice shaking. “She was only in the desert for a month! She came out alive–how could it be this bad?”
The doctor didn’t flinch. With a sharp glare, he shrugged off Arthur’s hand and
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snapped, “Mr. Arthur, would you survive a
month without proper food, water, or shelter in a desert? Try it yourself and
see.
The room fell silent. Arthur froze, his hand still midair as if grasping for something to say. When he finally turned to look at me, his eyes were filled with guilt.
“Lilly,” he murmured, his voice soft now, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was this serious. I’ll find the best doctors, the best nutritionists–whatever it takes to help you
recover.”
Before I could respond, Bella stepped forward, her delicate features painted with an expression of pity. She took my hand in hers, as though offering comfort.
“Arthur,” she said, her voice trembling with sincerity, “I know a doctor named Mike. He’s an expert in this kind of rehabilitation. I studied with him while I was abroad. I can recommend him.”
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Arthur nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder, gratitude shining in his eyes.
“Thank you, Bella. You‘ re so thoughtful. If Lilly were even half as understanding as you, none of this would have happened.”
His words pierced through me like a blade. Understanding? The audacity of him to speak of understanding while Bella stood there, cloaked in her false innocence.
I bit my tongue, swallowing the retort that burned at the back of my
throat. He
didn’t know the truth–he didn’t want to know.
☆☆☆
That day in Dungeness played vividly in my mind. I had been sitting alone on the
dunes, watching the sun set over the
barren landscape. I had wanted solitude, a brief reprieve from the suffocating tension. that had followed us there.
But solitude was the last thing Bella allowed me. She approached, settling
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beside me as though seeking camaraderie, though her eyes told another story.
“Lilly,” she began, her voice laced with condescension, “you really think Arthur belongs to you, don’t you?”
Her smile was sweet, but her words were
venom.
“I’m not afraid to tell you this,” she continued, her tone dropping. “Now that I’m back, I’m taking him from you. Completely.”
I didn’t respond, but she leaned closer, her words growing sharper.
“Do you know what happened the night I returned?” she whispered, her eyes glinting with malice. “We spent the whole night together. He couldn’t keep his hands off me, Lilly. He said I was the only one who could ignite his passion, the only one who truly understood him.”
I clenched my fists, anger coursing through my veins, but she wasn’t finished.
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“Oh and he told me something else,” she added with a mock laugh. “He doesn‘ t even want to marry you. He said you forced. him into this engagement–you‘ re nothing but a desperate, clinging fool.”
Her words shattered the last of my composure. Fury erupted within me and I stood abruptly, ready to demand the truth from Arthur himself.
But before I could move, Bella let out a sharp scream. She staggered backward, tumbling down the dune with a theatrical flair.
Her cries filled the air and by the time she reached the bottom, blood trickled from a small cut on her forehead. She wailed as though she were dying.
By the time Arthur rushed to her side, she was sobbing uncontrollably, pointing a trembling finger in my direction. Without a second thought, he turned on me.
“Lilly! What the hell is wrong with you?”
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he shouted.
I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. His focus was entirely on her.
That night, he packed her into the car and left for the city, abandoning me in Dungeness without so much as a second glance.
I ran after them, screaming his name, begging him not to leave me..
“Arthur! Don’t leave me here!”
I stumbled in the sand, falling over and over again. My body was weak, my voice hoarse from crying, but I kept chasing his
car.
He didn’t stop.
I saw him glance at me in the rearview mirror, but even then, he didn’t look
back.
Eventually, I collapsed. The desert
swallowed me whole and as darkness crept in, I thought I would die there.
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****
When I woke up, my parents were there. They had rushed to the hospital, their faces. pale with worry and rage.
As soon as my father saw Arthur, he slapped him across the face, the sound echoing through the sterile hallway.
“Arthur!” my father roared, his voice trembling with fury. “Do you know how precious my daughter is to me? You left her to die in the desert! If I don’t get an explanation for this, I swear your entire family will regret it!”
Arthur touched his reddened cheek but
said nothing. He stood there, head bowed, accepting my father’s wrath.
Finally, he spoke, his voice devoid of its usual arrogance. “Uncle Lawson, I admit I made a mistake. I’ll pay for all of Lilly‘ s rehabilitation expenses. And to show my sincerity, the Findley Family will reduce this year’s profits from our collaboration
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shared a video
by 20% as compensation.”
His words were hollow, as if money could erase what he had done.
I watched him in silence, the man I had once loved, now a stranger who had betrayed me in the most unforgivable way.
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