After I confessed my love to Arthur, a family friend I had grown up calling "Uncle," he brought a girl in a wheelchair to meet me. Her name was Evelyn, and she was his future partner. Arthur said Evelyn lost her legs and her dreams to save him, and he had to take responsibility for her. I didn't understand. Does someone saving your life mean you have to dedicate your life to them in return? He didn't answer my question. In my past life, I refused to believe Arthur didn't love me, constantly testing his bottom line. Until the day he watched his rivals snap my ten fingers one by one, listening to my agonizing screams, without so much as furrowing a brow. My heart died that day. Later, because the damage to my hands was too severe, I could never stand at an operating table again. Ultimately, consumed by depression, I slit my wrists and killed myself. When I woke up again. Without a moment's hesitation, I submitted my application to Doctors Without Borders. I stepped back into my place as a mere "niece." 01 When my application was approved, I finally let out a sigh of relief. My fingertips wouldn't stop trembling, and my eyes grew red without me even realizing it. No one knew I had been reborn. I was twenty-one again. A split second before I was about to confess my love to Arthur. That day, I was wearing a custom-made gown he had spent a fortune on, and I had rented out the most luxurious hotel in New York. I invited many friends to witness the beginning of our love story. Arthur had been by my side since I could remember. My parents were Doctors Without Borders, constantly traveling. I rarely saw them throughout the year. Almost the entire first half of my life was spent with Arthur. The happy moments, the sad moments. Everyone in our circle assumed I was basically raised to be his wife. In my past life, a few close friends who knew I was going to confess gave me a lot of ideas, making me blush furiously. I secretly looked forward to it in my heart. But no one expected Arthur to reject me. Just like he did in my past life. Arthur seemed to have guessed what I was going to do. His brow furrowed slightly, he rubbed two fingers together, clearly formulating his rejection. His eyes were unreadable. At the time, I thought Arthur was just worried I was too young to distinguish between familial affection and romantic love. So I smiled and said, "Arthur, I like you. It means my heart beats faster involuntarily when I see you." "It means I miss you crazily when I can't see you, an emotion I can't suppress no matter what." "I'm very sure what I feel for you is love." The bystanders cheered, but it ultimately ended in a messy anti-climax. And today, I was still smiling, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. Just as he was about to speak, I beat him to it: "Arthur, I successfully concluded a year-long research project last week." "I'm so happy, so I wanted to celebrate." Arthur stood frozen in shock. My friends exchanged glances, about to speak up. I cast a faint glance over them. They gave awkward smiles and silently hid the "Say Yes, Say Yes" banner they were holding behind their backs. A confession ended before it began. After the party dispersed, Arthur and his friends were smoking in the hallway. He leaned against the wall, his long, elegant fingers playing with a gold-embossed lighter. The flame flickered. His friend teased with a laugh, "With that setup today, I thought Chloe was going to confess to you." "Didn't expect it to be a fake-out." Arthur closed his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his lips. "She's just a little girl, don't overthink her intentions." "I don't have any other feelings for Chloe. I only take care of her because of my ties with her family." His friend didn't buy it. "You're just blind to what's right in front of you. Look at the way your girl looks at you. You think we're stupid?" "If you're really so innocent, why did you go warn off that boy who confessed to her back then?" "Acting exactly like a boyfriend." Arthur fell silent. I didn't listen any further, retreating into the darkness. In my past life, Arthur was exactly like this. His kindness towards me had long crossed the line, yet he stubbornly refused to admit it. After returning home. I submitted my application to Doctors Without Borders. After my parents died one after another in war zones, I wanted to inherit their legacy. But in my past life, before it could even begin, it was already over. Fortunately. God took pity on me and gave me a chance to start over. 02 I looked at the report date, then glanced at the calendar next to it. I took a pen and silently marked the date. Coincidentally, that day was Arthur's birthday. Suddenly, there was a knock on my bedroom door. It was Arthur. He had a habit of knocking twice before entering, but this time, there was a girl following behind him. The girl sat in a wheelchair, wearing a white dress. There wasn't a trace of color on her face, and her eyes carried a faint melancholy. She looked incredibly frail. "Chloe, come here," he said to me. I didn't move, just glanced at the girl. She was Evelyn. I had assumed that without my confession, Arthur wouldn't bring her in front of me. I didn't expect that what was meant to happen would happen anyway. "Chloe." Arthur frowned, calling my name again. Seeing my detached expression, Evelyn lowered her eyes and said softly, "Arthur, it's okay. It's perfectly normal for Ms. Davis to not like me upon our first meeting." "If she minds my presence, I can just go back to the suburban villa. I don't have legs, I can't go anywhere anyway. Anywhere is fine." "I don't have to stay here." As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She looked exactly like a delicate little flower, pretending to be strong. Arthur's frown deepened, and his gaze towards me carried a hint of disappointment. "Chloe—" "Arthur, you can arrange for whoever you want to live in the villa. There's really no need to tell me." "You're the master of this house." My voice was flat, revealing absolutely nothing. But falling on Arthur's ears, it was full of thorns. He thought I was throwing a tantrum. "Chloe, there's no need to use that tone with me." "I brought Evelyn to meet you today so you could meet your future aunt." "Three years ago, she lost her legs to save me in an earthquake. I need to take responsibility for her. If you want to continue living properly in this house..." "...Put away your spoiled princess temper, and don't make trouble for Evelyn." He swept a warning glare over me. I wanted to speak, but ultimately remained silent. Actually, I couldn't blame him. I used to be extremely possessive of Arthur. Growing up, I wanted his eyes only on me, and for me to be his only female companion. Because of that, he hadn't had a single romantic scandal over the years. Even if a woman dared to try and get close to him, I would deal with her. All his favoritism and exceptions were for me. So in my past life, when he decided to marry Evelyn, I broke down. Does saving a life mean you have to dedicate your life in return? I thought about it for a very, very long time. It cost me my life. I still couldn't figure it out. But now I did. Some things just don't make sense. 03 Evelyn was going to stay. In the room next to Arthur's, which used to be mine. Back when Arthur moved me in, he secretly sought advice from his friends, then personally drew up the blueprints to completely renovate the room. He turned it into a beautiful pink princess room. He even bought many limited-edition dolls and placed them by my bed. He raised me like a princess. Since childhood. He always said, "As long as it's something Chloe likes, something that makes Chloe happy, I will do it." "I hope our Chloe grows up healthy and becomes a happy little princess." Back then, his eyes were full of tender, lingering affection. Making me fall for him. Yet from the very beginning to the end, he kept himself detached. In the room, Arthur leaned against the doorframe. After shooting me a cold glance, he said: "I had Martha prepare the guest room on the first floor. You'll stay there for the time being." I didn't say anything, just folded all my clothes into my suitcase. As I stood up and instinctively reached for the dolls by the bed... My hand paused. Arthur's gaze had followed mine to the dolls. Seeing I hadn't moved for a long time, he said: "I'll bring the dolls down for you later." I took a deep breath, looked away, and forced a smile: "No need, give them to her." I didn't even want Arthur anymore. What did a few dolls matter? In the past, it was genuine. Now, it meant nothing. "Chloe, are you still mad at me?" Arthur asked coldly. "Why would I be mad at you?" I retorted. "You have your own life too. Now you have someone you like, someone you want to protect. I should be happy for you, shouldn't I?" Arthur's eyes darkened. His thin lips moved, but he didn't make a sound for a long time. When I left with my suitcase. Evelyn was not far outside the door. Her gaze towards me carried a hint of mockery. Just like in my past life, no matter how much of an innocent white lotus she pretended to be on the surface, in reality, she targeted me at every turn, crying at the slightest disagreement. The tears of the weak easily garner sympathy. "Ms. Davis, I'm sorry to put you out." "If it wasn't inconvenient for me, Arthur wouldn't have done this." My grip on the suitcase handle tightened. Just as I was about to walk past her, she suddenly grabbed my wrist. My reflexes kicked in, and I threw her hand off. "Ah—!!" Evelyn's wheelchair rolled uncontrollably towards the stairs. A scream echoed, and the maids in the villa rushed over. "Arthur, save me, save me—" Hearing this, Arthur ran out of his room in a panic, shoving me out of the way. He lunged and grabbed the handrail, stopping the wheelchair from rolling further down. I stood frozen in place, my throat tightening: "It wasn't me." The wheelchair was stuck on the stairs, and a few maids blocked the way. Arthur hurriedly scooped Evelyn up into his arms and walked over to me. The maids coordinated to move the wheelchair over. "Arthur, it scared me to death." "I thought I was going to die..." Her eyes were completely red, and the terror in her eyes couldn't be faked. After soothing Evelyn, Arthur looked at me furiously. "Chloe, are you crazy?!" "If something had really happened to Evelyn, you would be investigated for murder, do you know that?!" 04 I bit my lower lip, my stomach full of grievances, my nose stinging: "I didn't." "It wasn't me, she suddenly grabbed my hand, I just shook it off." Hearing this, Evelyn said with a tearful voice: "It's my fault, Arthur, you shouldn't blame Ms. Davis." "It's my fault for not locking the wheelchair earlier, that's why this happened." "Evelyn, you don't need to speak up for Chloe anymore." Arthur said coldly: "I know exactly what her temper is like." "Over the years, any woman who got close to me was driven away by her petty tricks." I couldn't help but laugh, tears in the corners of my eyes: "So Arthur, you don't believe me?" "Do you deserve to be believed?" he retorted. "Right, I don't deserve it." "Only Evelyn deserves it. Whatever she says, you believe." As my words fell, I pulled my suitcase to leave. But Arthur had the maids block me. He said: "Apologize." I turned back to look at him in disbelief. He repeated: "Evelyn suffered for no reason. You should apologize." "And if I don't?" I asked, tears in my eyes. I thought facing this scenario again, I would be able to handle it with breezy indifference. But I overestimated myself. When all the past favoritism turned into a sharp sword pointed at me... It really hurt. "You know my methods." Arthur said coldly. He looked at the maids behind me. The maids exchanged glances, just as they were about to step forward and press down on my shoulders. I let out a self-deprecating scoff. Releasing my grip on the suitcase, I bowed to Evelyn and apologized: "I was wrong about what happened today. I shouldn't have shaken you off when you grabbed my hand." "I'm sorry I almost caused you to fall." Evelyn was stunned for two seconds, and Arthur's expression also grew heavy. I stood up and looked at Arthur: "Is that okay?" "If not, I can kneel." I said. Arthur's eyes were filled with complex emotions, but ultimately he said nothing. I pulled my suitcase downstairs. Just as I reached the first floor, Martha said: "Mr. Sterling is probably just in a bad mood today." "Miss, you shouldn't hold this against him. Over the years, everyone can see how much he cares for you." While speaking up for him, she tried to take my suitcase. I just smiled. In the past, whenever I fought with Arthur, Martha would always act as the peacemaker. After all these years, Martha was the same as always. But Arthur and I could never go back to the way things were. "Miss, aren't you going to the guest room?" she asked in surprise. I shook my head: "No." "But Mr. Sterling..." "Please tell Arthur for me, thank you for taking care of me all this time, and I won't bother him ever again." In this life, ending it here is enough. I don't want to endure the pain of my past life again. 05 After settling Evelyn in, Arthur called Martha in and pulled up the security footage from the hallway. When Martha came over, she hesitated to speak. Actually, he believed Chloe. Over the years, although she would use petty tricks to keep other women away from him, they were all harmless. She knew where the line was. So when the footage showed Evelyn provoking Chloe first, he didn't react much. He owed Evelyn a life. As long as Evelyn didn't go overboard, he would let her do whatever she wanted. "I knew it, how could Miss hurt anyone?" Martha said indignantly. Arthur rubbed his temples: "Make something Chloe likes to eat tonight." "But Miss has already left." Arthur froze instantly: "What?" "Miss asked me to tell you, thank you for taking care of her all this time, and she won't bother you ever again." Martha's tone was a bit passive-aggressive. Arthur didn't blame her, just let out an exhausted sigh. "Chloe just has that temper, she can't stand being wronged even a little bit." After he told Martha to leave and prepare dinner, he called Chloe. But she didn't answer any of his calls. The more he called, the more irritable he became. He finally threw his phone on the desk. Actually, starting half a month ago, from the day he thought Chloe was going to confess to him. He started feeling an inexplicable irritability. Especially when facing Chloe's eyes, and hearing her flat tone. He constantly felt like something was slipping out of his control. And now. It seemed all the answers were about to surface. 06 That Arthur could find me didn't surprise me. With 7 days left before I had to report, I had returned to my own home after leaving the villa. Arthur stood outside the courtyard, the cherry of a cigarette flickering between his fingers, his brow tightly furrowed. I saw him just as I returned from the hospital. "Off work." I nodded, not saying much. The surroundings suddenly fell into dead silence. He was waiting for me to continue speaking, but I honestly had nothing left to say. Until his phone rang. It was a call from Evelyn. Arthur didn't avoid me, swiping to answer it right there. Her weak sobs carried over from the other end: "Arthur, I had a nightmare." "I dreamt of the earthquake, I dreamt I couldn't save you, could you... come back and keep me company?" She pleaded carefully. Arthur subconsciously looked at me. It was already dark. I lowered my eyes to look at the elongated shadows on the ground, my expression flat. After a long while, I heard him say: "I'll be right back." The call disconnected. Arthur naturally reached to hold my hand, but I frowned and avoided it. His movement halted. When he looked at me, there was a bit more confusion in his eyes. He probably forgot. Our previous intimacy was because I treated him as the one I loved. "Arthur, you have a partner now." "We shouldn't cross the line anymore." My tone was flat. Arthur let out a scoff, retracted his hand, and deliberately casually put it in his pocket. "I know you can't accept me and Evelyn right away." "But it's okay, I can wait until you can accept it before I get engaged to her." "For now, just think of it as you two getting familiar and adapting to each other." I didn't say anything, just remained silent. In my past life, ever since Evelyn appeared, Arthur and I never had a single day where we spoke properly. We fought every time we met. He scolded me for being shameless, for liking my own "Uncle." He also said I couldn't distinguish between familial love and romantic love. He pushed me away step by step, yet I pushed forward relentlessly, like an iron wall. Even when I was covered in bruises from all the vicious words. My friends. His friends. All advised me: "Arthur doesn't like you, why won't you believe it?" "The one he likes is Evelyn." Every time, I would cry and say, "No, Arthur loves me." On the day I turned eighteen, he thought I was asleep and secretly kissed me. He said he would marry me after I turned twenty-two. I firmly believed Arthur only wanted to marry Evelyn out of gratitude. Until that day. The rival family tried to take me away from a bar. I had no contact with them, and I didn't understand why they wanted to grab me. Until their second son said their patriarch had suffered a brain infarction. It suddenly dawned on me. Arthur once said people from that family had looked for me. He said their hands were dirty and told me to keep my distance from them. But I never knew they were looking for me because of their patriarch. They sincerely wanted to ask me to perform the surgery. I cried and refused to go, my white knuckles gripping Arthur's coat tightly. But he coldly said: "Let go." He stood by coldly, watching me being dragged away, watching them violently snap my fingers one by one while I was wide awake. Listening to my agonizing screams. Without so much as furrowing a brow. At that moment, I finally confirmed it: Arthur didn't love me. 07 "What are you thinking about?" Arthur's voice sounded, pulling my thoughts back. "You've thrown enough of a tantrum these past few days. Let's just consider the last incident over." "Chloe, you're not a child anymore." As his words fell, he opened the passenger side door and looked at me. I stood rooted to the spot, forcing an ugly smile onto my face. I suddenly really wanted to ask the Arthur from my past life. How could he be so cruel, watching me be tortured, watching me fall into depression, and die a slow death. Even if he didn't love me, I was still the "niece" he had raised since childhood. "Arthur, you were right that day." "Over the years, any woman who appeared by your side was driven away by my petty tricks." "So for Evelyn's safety, I won't go back." Arthur frowned. "Chloe—" "Arthur, you know I liked you, right?" I calmly interrupted Arthur. His pupils suddenly contracted. Over the years, I never hid my affection. Anyone who wasn't blind would know. I believe Arthur knew too. "Chloe." He looked at me with difficulty. "Don't worry, Arthur, I won't anymore." "I was ignorant before, mistaking familial love for romantic love, and made a lot of embarrassing mistakes." "Now I guess I'm cutting my losses in time." "I hope you'll forgive me." After speaking, I smiled again. But Arthur looked as if his soul had been sucked out, standing blankly in place. As if those few sentences I just said were incredibly difficult to understand. He opened his lips, about to speak. The phone in his pocket rang again. It was exceptionally jarring in the quiet night, ringing continuously. He still seemed unable to recover his senses. But I had already taken two steps back, turned, and walked away.
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