I never should have agreed to go camping with my ex-boyfriend! Lying here in this hospital bed, remembering what happened that day makes my eyes well up, and I still tremble with fear. If I hadn’t brought Buddy with me, he wouldn’t have died. I regret it so much! I don’t know what got into him that day, but Alex Thorne, usually the most boring guy on earth, suddenly suggested taking me camping. I thought, is hell freezing over? Since when did he get spontaneous? I happily agreed, not really thinking about why he was acting so out of character. Once we drove deep into the mountains, the cell signal died. I was left stroking my husky Buddy’s head to pass the time. As we neared the summit, Alex looked preoccupied, driving faster and faster. A knot of worry formed in my stomach. He wasn’t usually this reckless. What was he rushing for? “Alex, slow down a little.” Instead of slowing down, he sped up. “There’s a spot up ahead with an amazing view. We’ll miss it if we’re late.” Oh, was that it? I relaxed a bit, teasing him, “Wow, you even scouted it out? That doesn’t sound like you, Alex.” It was just an offhand comment, but Alex flinched, instinctively flooring the gas before slamming on the brakes. If it weren’t for our seatbelts, Buddy and I would’ve smashed into the windshield. “Alex, what the hell are you doing!” “Sorry… guess I stayed up too late gaming last night.” His eyes darted away as he kept driving towards the summit. Five minutes later, Alex pulled over to the side of the road, killed the engine, and said, “Let’s get out and take some pictures.” “Here?” The spot overlooked distant mountains and the harbor below. The view was definitely decent. I looked around. Besides the view, there wasn't much else here. I shook my head. “I don’t really feel like taking pictures.” “Mia, come on, you’ll see. See that viewpoint marker over there? The ocean and sky behind it… the photos will look incredible!” Following his finger, I saw a narrow, half-overhanging rock ledge next to the marker, maybe only a couple of feet wide. It definitely had that risky, adventurous photo-op vibe, but just walking over there looked terrifying. I was still hesitant. “It looks so high up.” Getting amazing photos was tempting, but not enough to make me risk my neck. While I was hesitating, Alex grabbed my wrist. “Come on, I’m right here. What are you afraid of? Besides, this is probably part of the park, it’s gotta be safe, right?” Even if it was an official spot, I thought, it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years. Alex, the total homebody, clearly didn’t get out much. But I didn’t want to spoil the mood, so I got out of the car with Buddy. “Okay, fine. Just one picture to remember it.” But who could have guessed? The second I opened my door, before I could even grab Buddy’s leash, he bolted straight for the wildflowers near that rock ledge! Huskies are like that – see something interesting, gotta pounce. “Buddy, no! Stay!” I scrambled after him, but in that split second, Buddy had already leaped onto the rock ledge. Suddenly, everything went wrong. The ledge lurched violently, and there was a loud cracking sound! “Buddy, get off there! Now!” My face drained of color as I rushed forward. But I was too late. With a sickening crash, Buddy and a large chunk of the crumbling ledge plummeted down! A heartbreaking yelp echoed through the mountains, then silence. “Buddy! BUDDY—” In an instant, my blood rushed to my head. I threw myself towards the cliff edge, leaning way over, tears streaming down my face. But I never heard Buddy again. Instead, I saw a sickening smear of red on the cliffside below. 2: Disfigured “Al… Alex! Quick, we have to drive down the mountain!” Panicked, I looked behind me, expecting Alex to reach out and help me up. Instead, he kicked me square in the chest, sending me flying backward! What was he doing?! I didn’t even have time to react before I was airborne. My eyes wide open, I couldn’t make out the expression on his face as I fell like a rag doll, straight down from the mountain… My mind went blank. Agony and darkness swallowed me whole. I don’t know how long I was out. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room. Tubes snaked in and out of my body. My face was covered in bandages. Just moving my lips sent searing pain through me. I tried to lift my hand but couldn’t move. A woman I didn’t know, maybe a nurse or an aide, saw I was awake. She gasped excitedly and ran out, calling, “Sir, sir, she’s awake!” Soon, a man appeared beside my bed. His voice was gentle. “How are you feeling now?” He was handsome, with a kind, easygoing vibe. Definitely the gentle type, but I was sure I didn’t know him. I couldn’t speak, so I just blinked at him. He understood, smiling with relief. He politely explained, “My name is Liam Walker. I was driving near the base of the mountain that day and saw you lying unconscious. I brought you to the hospital. You’ve been in a coma for a month.” A month ago… The image of Alex standing on the cliff edge, kicking me down, flashed before my eyes. The wave of pain washed over me again. I pressed my fingers lightly to my temple. After a moment, my thoughts cleared with terrifying clarity. I should have known – when something seems too good or too weird to be true, it usually is! Alex and I had been dating for six months. Besides work, he barely left our neighborhood. But that day, he suddenly wanted to take me camping, specifically to that mountain, to that spot for pictures. Thinking back to how jumpy he was driving, how he slammed on the brakes… all the little details clicked into place. It all felt deliberate! That rock ledge couldn’t have just crumbled on its own. He must have messed with it somehow, then deliberately lured me over there to take pictures. Except, my playful dog accidentally took my place. Seeing no one around and me leaning over the edge, Alex must have decided to finish the job and kicked me off. But why? Why would he want to kill me? I couldn’t figure it out. My head throbbed, and my eyes burned red. The man beside my bed noticed my distress. He quickly took my hand, calming me. “Don’t move too much, and try not to think too hard. The doctor said you need complete rest if you woke up. No stress.” Just as he finished speaking, the aide returned with a doctor. I put my thoughts on hold. The doctor performed a series of checks, gave me an injection, and then said, “Ms. Evans, aside from a few fractures, all your vital organs are functioning well. You should be fine with another month of recovery here. However, the injuries to your face… those will take time to heal. We can discuss options with our hospital’s plastic surgeons later. They’re excellent, Ms. Evans, you can rest assured.” “Okay, thank you,” Liam answered for me. But my attention snagged on the words “plastic surgeons.” My face went pale— Plastic surgery… why would I need plastic surgery? Realization dawned. Frantically, I grabbed the aide’s phone from the bedside table and opened the camera app. I saw it – the face hidden beneath layers of gauze, with a jagged scar running from my eyebrow across the bridge of my nose. That was just the part I could see. What about the rest? In an instant, I understood – I was disfigured. 3: A Woman Who Looks Just Like Me Liam gently took the phone from me, his large hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re alive, that's what matters. Your face can be fixed. It’ll be okay.” The doctor, catching on, quickly added, “Ms. Evans, please don’t worry. Plastic surgery techniques are very advanced these days. We can definitely restore your appearance. Falling from that height… waking up this quickly is already a miracle. It shows you have incredible willpower. Try not to be burdened by this. Besides, your husband has been so worried about you, barely leaving your side this past month. You wouldn’t want him to keep worrying, right?” Husband? The doctor must have misunderstood, but right then, I had zero desire to correct him. Tears dripped onto the white sheets I was clutching tightly. All I could picture was Alex’s foot connecting with my chest that day. I couldn’t forget the feeling of tumbling down the mountain, the tearing pain, the utter despair. But what had Alex been doing this past month? My parents were gone, and I had no other relatives. If I had actually died, what would Alex gain? Probably my hefty company shares and my downtown condo. The answer settled grimly in my mind. A fierce hatred bloomed inside me. My lips trembled as I forced the words out, my voice raspy. “Don’t worry. I won’t give up.” In that moment, an unprecedented will to live surged through me. Only by getting better could I stand before Alex again, demand answers, or… get justice for myself. Seeing my determination, Liam nodded, relieved. He then clarified our relationship to the doctor. After the doctor left, the aide went to handle some paperwork. Liam sat beside me, picked up a fruit knife, and started peeling an apple. He had broad shoulders and was undeniably handsome. From my angle, I could see the sharp line of his jaw, his clear, kind eyes. He was infinitely better looking than Alex. I never thought I’d meet someone like him, especially not after my face was ruined. But why did he save me? And take care of me so diligently for so long? Are some people just naturally saints? Or was he after something? My looks? But I was disfigured now, so what could he possibly gain… I couldn’t figure it out, so I decided to just think of him as an angel for now. Liam carefully cut the apple into small slices, placed them within my reach, poured me a glass of water with a straw, and then said, “It’s great that you’re feeling stronger. I was worried about how you’d handle… everything.” I took a few sips of water, my voice finally returning. I had to ask. “You just found me by the road, why did you take care of me for a whole month? You really didn’t have to do all that.” His fingers tightened slightly around the knife. He smiled, “Just wanted to see it through, I guess. Call it paying it forward.” I nodded. So, people like that really did exist. “What do you do, Mr. Walker?” “I work at Apex Holdings.” “That’s a coincidence. My parents used to work with Apex Holdings too.” My expression darkened. “But they passed away a year ago.” The smile on Liam’s lips froze. His eyes flickered with a complex emotion, but it vanished so quickly I thought I’d imagined it. “Everything will get better,” he said softly. “Just focus on healing. I’ll be here to help.” “Thank you.” Liam felt like the only lifeline I had in this abyss. I trusted him and didn’t want to let him down. I cooperated fully with the doctors, kept my spirits up, and my recovery was surprisingly fast. A month later, I was discharged. After leaving the hospital, I sent Liam a text, planning to go home first to sort things out before contacting him again. But I never expected what I saw before I even reached my building— Walking down the street, arm in arm, were two people: Alex, and a woman who looked exactly like me!
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