When I was eighteen, and Alex was just a street punk, he dragged me to get matching tattoos of our names over our hearts. I endured the excruciating pain, swearing I'd be his in life and death. At twenty-eight, Alex had become the underground king of the city. After a night of passion, he lit a cigarette. Casually, he pointed to the tattoo on my chest. "Come with me tomorrow to get it removed. Bella won't be happy seeing your name on me." He had completely forgotten he was the one who forced me to get it. I didn't scream or fight like I used to. Instead, I nodded obediently. "Okay. Let's make sure it's gone for good." Alex paused, his hand freezing mid-air. Removing a name is painful. But cutting someone out of your heart? Turns out, all it takes is a single moment of clarity. Chapter 1 The next morning, Alex drove me to the tattoo removal clinic on the South Side. I reached for the back door out of habit, but Alex stopped me. "Sit in the front," he said. "Bella isn't here today." I paused, then opened the back door anyway. "I'll sit here. Too lazy to move." Alex stared at me through the rearview mirror, trying to read my face. I turned away. Bella could fly across the Atlantic to study art history in Europe, but sitting in the back seat of Alex's car made her "carsick." As the "Big Sister" of the organization, I had to make way. In the clinic, a curtain separated me and Alex. The technician, Amy, held up the laser, whispering, "Ma'am, are you sure about this?" I listened to the buzz of the laser on Alex's side, and his gentle voice on the phone. "Bella, be good. I'll be back as soon as I'm done... What? You want boba from that place downtown? Okay, I'll buy it for you on the way back..." I took a deep breath. "Do it." The faster, the better. Turns out, erasing a tattoo only takes thirty minutes. I stood on the curb, calling an Uber. "I'll drive you?" Alex adjusted his tie. As if that could hide the darkness clinging to him. "No need," I said. "Don't you have to get boba for Bella? The line will be long. You'll be late." Alex looked at me impatiently. "Nora, can you stop talking like that? I've told you a million times, Bella is just like a little sister to me..." The wound on my chest burned, but my heart was strangely calm. "I know." I had to admit, I was getting bored. "Are you going to get her boba or not?" Alex scowled, slammed the car door shut, and sped off. Leaving me in the dust. Whatever. It's just an Uber. Before, to make Bella happy, he made me wait in the rain for three hours. From that day on, I decided I would never wait again. Back home, I went into the bathroom and peeled off the gauze in front of the mirror. The skin on my chest was burnt black, a bloody mess. The name "Alex" was gone, replaced by a hideous scar. I stared at myself in the mirror and suddenly laughed. Removing a name hurts like hell. But cutting a person out of your heart really only takes a split second. Chapter 2 I sat on the sofa, staring at the circled date on the calendar, memories flooding back uncontrollably. At eighteen, I saved a bloodied Alex in an alleyway. He leaned against the wall, handing me half of his only sandwich, smiling weakly. "If I have meat to eat, I won't let you just drink soup." Later, my father, a major player in the underworld, was assassinated. The empire he built crumbled overnight. Everyone abandoned the code of honor, fighting for scraps of my father's territory. Only Alex protected me and my mother, surviving in the cracks. Even in our poorest year, he ran across the city just to buy me my favorite crab cakes for my birthday. We fell in love. He tattooed my name on his chest. "In this life, no one can separate us." I believed him. I foolishly believed him for seven years, until Bella showed up. Bella was the daughter of the previous boss, Uncle Sal. After Sal died, Alex took it upon himself to care for Bella. At first, it was "just a sister." Then it became "she's sickly, bear with her." Then... My birthday became irrelevant. Last year, he took Bella to a checkup on my birthday. The year before, he took her to a party. This year, he probably forgot again. I checked the time. 7 PM. Alex wasn't home yet. I went into the kitchen, then heard a noise at the door. Chapter 3 Alex was back. Bella was behind him. She was wearing an apron, gauze wrapped around her finger, looking pitiful. "Alex, I really didn't mean to. I just wanted to cook for you..." Alex frowned, checking her hand. "Why are you so careless? Does it hurt?" "It hurts..." Bella's eyes were red. Alex immediately went for the first aid kit. "Let me see. Do we need to go to the ER?" "No, no, it's just a little red." Bella shook her head. I sat at the dining table, watching this scene, and suddenly found it hilarious. Alex finished treating Bella's wound, then looked up and saw me. He froze. "Why are you here?" "Where else would I be?" I said calmly. "This is my house." Alex missed my tone. He turned to Bella. "Bella, go rest. I'll make you some noodles." Bella nodded obediently. Alex went into the kitchen. I heard pots and pans clanging. A while later, he came out with a bowl of soggy noodles for Bella. "Eat this for now. Don't go into the kitchen next time. What if you get burned?" Bella took the bowl, whispering, "I just wanted to cook for you..." "Silly girl." Alex rubbed her head affectionately. I looked at the noodles. I remembered he once said he would always cook the first bowl of longevity noodles for my birthday. Now, that pot was used for Bella, and the noodles were for Bella. And he didn't even remember my birthday. I stood up, walked into the kitchen, looked at the remaining soggy noodles in the pot, and poured them into the trash. Alex heard the noise and turned around. "What are you doing?" "Pouring it out," I said. "Why?" He frowned. I didn't answer. I went back to my room and locked the door. Alex shouted from behind, "What is it now? Can you stop making a scene?" I leaned against the door and closed my eyes. Chapter 4 I dreamed all night. I dreamed of years ago. After my father died, Alex and I fought to survive for two years. Then, my father's biggest rival, Uncle Sal, invited Alex for a drink. That night, Alex threw up until he was empty, crying in my arms. "Nora, I had no choice... to protect you and your mom, and your dad's men, I had to..." I slapped him with all my strength, making him swallow his words. He sold out my family. But he was right. I had to listen. So, Uncle Sal became the "saint" who took in the widow and orphan of the former boss. And his daughter, Bella, entered our lives. Alex knocked on my door. I opened it. He held an exquisite gift box, looking slightly awkward. "I forgot your birthday yesterday. This is to make up for it." I looked at the box calmly. "No need." "Take it." He shoved the box into my hands. "Don't be mad." I opened it. A designer bag. I closed the lid and put it on the table. Alex frowned, then seemed to remember something, grabbing my wrist. I stumbled into his arms. "Does it still hurt? Let me see..." Alex pulled at my collar. Lust flickered in his eyes. I felt disgusted and covered myself. "It doesn't hurt." No matter how much it hurt, it couldn't compare to the bullet I took for him three years ago. Three years ago, Alex went to inspect a territory. He knew I loved seafood, so he brought me along. But Uncle Sal's enemies found us. I saw the man first. But I didn't realize he intended to kill Alex. The moment he raised his hand, my mind went blank, but my body moved in front of Alex. The bullet went through my shoulder. I was in the ICU for three days. When I woke up, Alex was kneeling by my bed, eyes red. There was something hard in my hand. I opened my fingers. A jade pendant. I recognized it. It was the only thing Alex's birth parents left him. "A fortune teller said this jade holds half my life." "Nora, don't die, okay? I'll give you my life..." Since then, I wore that jade every day. Until now. Seeing my lack of cooperation, Alex lost interest. "Bella has been weak lately. I heard jade heals people. Let her wear your pendant for a while. She'll return it when she's better." I looked at him and laughed. "What's funny?" Alex was confused. "I'm laughing at myself," I said. "Laughing that I still had expectations of you." Alex frowned. "What are you talking about?" I didn't speak. I walked to the vanity, took off the necklace. The attack three years ago didn't spare Uncle Sal. Alex reacted quickly and took over the organization. He told everyone this jade was the symbol of the matriarch. Seeing the jade meant seeing my authority. But at Sal's funeral, he hugged a crying Bella and said seeing her was like seeing him. Alex's power grew. He practically owned the city's underground. He gave me a lot of responsibility. But he sent Bella abroad, keeping her away from the business. "It's dirty work," Alex said. "Bella is so innocent. She'd be scared." Everyone envied Alex. In business, he had me, a partner forged in blood. Emotionally, he had Bella, his delicate flower. I put the jade in Alex's hand. "Give it to her." Alex froze, looking at the jade, frowning deeper. "You..." "I'm healthy anyway. I don't need jade to heal me," I interrupted. "She needs it more than I do, right?" Alex opened his mouth but said nothing. "Alex? Is that Nora?" A voice came from the stairs. Bella stood there in Alex's white shirt, barefoot, looking at us innocently. Seeing Bella, Alex instinctively clenched the jade. He walked over. "It's nothing. Go rest." Bella glanced at me, a flash of triumph in her eyes, then went upstairs. Alex turned back to me, hesitant. "Go," I said. "She's waiting." Alex was silent for a few seconds, then turned and went upstairs. Watching his back, I suddenly felt exhausted. Too tired to fight, to argue, to even look at him. I went back to my room, took out my phone, and found a dusty number. I hesitated, then dialed. It rang three times. "Hello?" A deep, magnetic voice. I took a deep breath. "Mr. Sterling, does your proposal still stand?" Silence for two seconds. Then a low laugh. "It stands. I'm waiting for you anytime." I hung up, looking at the sky outside. I felt lighter. Alex, this time, I really don't love you anymore.
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