Chapter 1
When I was five years old, the neighbor kid, Raymond Devlin, and I were kidnapped.
They aimed the needle at him, but I stepped forward.
The drug hit me instead, leaving my mind forever hazy.
That day, his parents swore I would one day be their daughter-in-law.
But years later, Raymond returned from university with a beautiful classmate-Regina Sloane.
Compared to her, I was nothing but the fool everyone mocked.
Even Raymond told me the promise meant nothing now.
It was then I finally understood-he didn’t want me anymore.
Heartbroken, I went to my father’s grave, seeking comfort.
There, a man with a dangerous smile appeared, his presence stealing the air from my lungs.
“Do you want to come with me?” he asked.
I whispered, “Okay.”
And the moment I left, Raymond shattered into pieces.
***
“Remy, are you sure you’ll marry me after I drink this?” I asked.
Raymond was sitting in the dark, so I couldn’t see his face clearly, but he still looked as handsome as ever.
He was flicking a lighter, and I knew he was getting upset again.
I quickly gulped down a glass of wine. A searing taste of fire ripped through my throat, and I coughed uncontrollably.
Everyone in the private room laughed.
One of his friends said, “Raymond, after all these years, isn’t it about time you married that little fool?”
“Yeah, and she’s only gotten prettier.”
“If you don’t want her, we’re more than happy to step in.”
Raymond’s eyes turned cold, and the crowd went silent.
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12:00
He asked, “You like her?”
The guy hurriedly shook his head. “She’s fine for a fling. But to marry her? Let’s be serious. She’s a fool.”
Except for Raymond, no one would want me.
Ever since that childhood incident, I’d been scared of being alone in the dark. I didn’t want to be alone.
Ignoring the burning pain, I kept drinking. My insides felt like they were on fire.
I drank until I lost count, and suddenly Raymond’s face wavered into view, blurred before my eyes.
He seemed angry. “Enough.”
Regina grabbed my hand. “Stop drinking,” she said. “He’s not going to marry you, even if you finish it all.”
I stared at her in shock.
She went on, “Can’t you see? He doesn’t like you at all.”
Raymond didn’t like me?
I turned to him, confused.
Back then, while all the other kids hated me and refused to hang out, he not only stayed but also promised he would never hate me.
“Remy, have you always hated me?” I bit my lip so hard until it bled, holding back my tears.
He hated seeing me cry.
The people around us started teasing. “The little fool is crying again! Raymond, hurry and comfort your bride!”
Raymond stood up and swung his suit at the guy. “Bride? What nonsense!”
Then he started to walk out of the private room, holding Regina’s hand.
A dull ache filled my chest as I followed him in a daze.
When we reached the club entrance, Raymond declared it was out of his way, telling me he had to take Regina back to her hotel first.
He instructed me to wait by the door.
I waited for a long time, gradually sobering up. Yellow leaves fluttered down from the trees, brittle and dry, and I tore them apart piece by piece.
Raymond had once told me he would appear after I counted every leaf.
But now I’d torn so many that the ground was littered with fragments, my hands were freezing-and he never came.
Even when the sun rose, its warmth never reached me.
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12:00
I ended up walking home alone.
