Chapter 8
Chapter 8
I froze, eyes burning with tears threatening to spill.
Suddenly I didn’t have the guts to keep reading, but those words kept drilling into my brain.
The diary started the day I proposed to her.
She’d documented every bit of love and happiness she felt after I asked her to marry me.
Every entry ended the same way:
Hunter loved me today too, so I have to love Hunter a little more than yesterday.
She wrote it. Then crossed it all out later.
Halfway through, around the time Bella came back, the joy in her writing visibly faded. Even the cute stickers around the edges started disappearing.
[May 18, 2023
Hunter’s childhood friend is back.
I know about her. Hunter told me she was super important to him growing up. He didn’t want me getting weird about it, so he made sure to explain that there’s nothing romantic there. He swears he only sees her like a little sister. But idk… the way she looks at me is kinda off.
I think she’s into Hunter too. Whatever, I trust him. He promised we’d get married. He wouldn’t lie to me.
He’s literally the best guy in the world.]
[May 21, 2023
Hunter totally surprised me today!
He bought this insane house and put it in my name. I keep telling him I don’t need all this fancy stuff – just having him is enough.
But he won’t hear it.
He was like “You’re the girl I chased after forever. Obviously I’m giving you the best of everything.”
I swear I used up all my good karma just meeting this man.
But tonight a phone call ruined everything.
He said it was some work crisis.
Except I heard HER voice crying on the other end.
She was literally sobbing for him to come over. He didn’t even look back at me when he left…]
[June 3, 2023
Hunter got in a car wreck. Didn’t know I could cry that hard, but Bella was being so extra about it. She wouldn’t stop hugging him at the hospital.
– Danh To Savagel:
27.0%
Hunter didn’t push her away though. And he didn’t come to me either.
Something about the way Hunter acts around Bella doesn’t match what he tells me.]
[June 10, 2023
Our freaking anniversary and Hunter bails halfway through dinner.
“Work emergency” again. Sure.
Hunter, if you’re gonna run to her, could you at least not make it so obvious?
Bella’s been texting me play–by–plays all night.
Just be honest – she threatened to hurt herself and you went to talk her down…]
[June 13, 2023
Hunter brought Bella to OUR place.
Says her apartment complex isn’t safe and she gets scared living alone.
Okay but that doesn’t explain why she dragged you out of our bedroom at 2am to “talk” on the couch until sunrise.
Hunter, I think I need to tell you the truth about everything.]
[June 14, 2023
Told Hunter about the system today. Explained how I’ll literally die if we don’t
get married.
He listened to everything. Said he’d never let anything happen to me. That we’re gonna grow old together.
Maybe he does still love me. At least he still cares, right?
But then tonight I heard him telling Bella EVERYTHING. Like word for word what I told him in
Hunter… ever since Bella came back, you’re like a completely different person…]
[July 8, 2023
Hunter gave MY birthday cake to Bella.
Said she hasn’t had birthday cake in forever and didn’t want to be alone today.
But Hunter… it’s MY birthday. I don’t want there to be three people in this relationship either.]
[August 28, 2023
After me basically begging him for months, Hunter’s finally gonna marry me.
nfiden
He completely cut contact with Bella during wedding planning. We picked out my dress together, toured churches – it felt like we were finally back to how things used to be.
I thought we could get back on track and just be happy.
But Bella wouldn’t let that happen.
Chapter 8
You KNOW she lies about everything. She waves some cancer diagnosis in your face and you literally abandon me at our own wedding without looking back.
Hunter, I’m actually going to die…]
(September 16, 2023
Ever since Hunter ditched our wedding, my body keeps getting worse.
The system says this is my last chance. If I can’t get Ilunter to marry me, it’s gonna kill me for real.
But he’s back with her now. The system’s punishments are getting so bad I can barely get out of bed. Constant fever, the pain just keeps getting
worse.
I begged him not to leave me.
He just pushed me away and called me heartless. Said I was trying to drive Bella to suicide.
I think he really doesn’t want me anymore.]
[September 21, 2023
Loving Hunter is so exhausting. I think I’m… running out of love for him…]
[October 6, 2023
Lost count of how many times Hunter’s ditched me for Bella.
He keeps saying I’m the only one in his heart, that he’ll never stop loving me. But I’m kinda done loving him back.
Hunter, if you keep treating me like this, I’m leaving you
for good once this is all over.
I’ll go somewhere far, far away where you’ll never find me…]
The diary ended there. A few drops of dark red blood stained the page.
My heart felt like those red drops had burned straight through it.
So Avery meant what she said.
She was done with me.
She really had gone somewhere far, far away where I’d never find her again…
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
