Chapter 1

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I was born with a cold constitution and trouble conceiving. The only cure was soaking in the Northshore hot springs eighteen times.

At the entrance to the lodge came the heart-matching game, and only couples who matched each other could enter the hot-spring suite to heal their bodies.

But every time Oswald was blindfolded, he pressed the heart on his palm precisely onto the hand of his childhood sweetheart, Paige Dickerson.

We played a full seventeen rounds, and not one heart on my hand was his.

Every time, I gave up the chance to share a room with the man I'd matched, and every time I was locked in the ice-water cell to soak in freezing water all night.

While he spent every night alone with Paige in the hot-spring room.

Coming out of the ice water yet again, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Oswald, didn't you say you'd never take the wrong hand?!"

But on the eighteenth round, he pressed the heart onto his childhood sweetheart's hand again.

"Bear it one more night. Next time it'll be your turn, I promise."

"Oswald, there's no next time. You go into that suite with her again, and we're done!"

Oswald raised an eyebrow, unbothered, so I grabbed my bag and walked out.

I was about to turn back for my coat when I heard them say,

"Oswald, you press the heart on Paige's hand on purpose every time, and Lottie Henson's dumb enough to think you actually took the wrong hand, ha Haha! "

"What if she really breaks up with you this time?"

Oswald gave a faint smile.

"She was born with a cold constitution, and she'd rather soak in ice water for days than share a room with another man. How could she ever leave me?"

"Paige has the weaker constitution. The hot springs have to go to her first."

The words had barely left his mouth when I kicked the door open and, in front of everyone, held out my palm.

"Whose heart is this? Tonight I'm rooming with him."

...

The line landed, and every person in the room froze for a second.

Then the whole place burst out laughing.

"Lottie, if you want to go soak in the ice water yourself, you don't have to come all the way back just to tell us a cold joke!"

"Everyone knows you're crazy in love with Oswald."

"Last time you were burning up with a fever, matched with some other guy, and you still went and soaked in the cold water happily."

"Give it a rest!"

I let out a cold laugh.

"His girlfriend's running a fever that won't break, and he, my boyfriend, sleeps easy with that little snake instead."

"Tell me, wouldn't just about anybody be better than that rotten cucumber?"

At that, the color visibly drained from Oswald's face.

"Lottie, I was only keeping Paige company in the springs to cure her cold constitution. Do you have to talk this ugly?"

"Besides, last time the doctor said the only way to bring your fever down was physical cooling. I did it for your own good."

He stood, casually picking my coat up off the chair.

"We've been together so long. How could I not ache for you?"

"Be good. Spend one more night in the ice-water cell."

"Once Paige finishes her eighteen soaks and is healed, next time it'll be your turn, I promise."

I'd heard this exact speech seventeen times.

I couldn't stand another second of it, and I flung his hand off hard.

"Oswald! You know perfectly well my body runs cold. I can't even drink a cup of ice water on a normal day."

"And you keep sending me into that ice-water cell..."

"Is Paige's life a life and mine isn't?!"

I'll never forget it. After I came out of the cell the first time, I burned with fever for a full half month.

The fever left me barely conscious. I nearly died.

Back then Oswald sat by my bed, eyes full of guilt, changing the warm towels and wiping the cold sweat off me, night after night.

Kissing my forehead, aching for me, swearing it would never happen again.

And the second round, he took Paige's hand anyway.

I clenched my fists tight.

"My body is my decision. That hot spring tonight, I'm soaking in it."

I held out my palm again.

"Whoever marked this, step forward."

Everyone in the room traded glances. No one dared answer.

Then Paige's eyes suddenly went red.

She tugged at Oswald's sleeve, the picture of pity.

"Oswald, maybe we should just let it go. Tonight I'll soak in the ice-water cell, and let Lottie go to the hot-spring room with you..."

"One cold night is nothing to me. I really can't bear to watch Lottie walk off with another man for my sake..."

Before Paige even finished, Oswald's face went dark.

He pulled her behind him with one hand.

"Everyone, show your palms. Let her look!"

He stared me down.

"Lottie, think this through."

"If you really dare walk off with some stranger today, I, Oswald Stephens, will never take you back!"

I didn't spare him a glance. I walked straight up to the line of male guests and started comparing, one by one.

Paige was frantic.

"Oswald, please don't fight with Lottie and break up over me!"

"If it really comes to it, I'll switch with her..."

Before Oswald could speak, I cut in cleanly.

"I already broke up with him for good just now. No need for you to put on that pathetic little act."

Careful and deliberate, I compared each man's hand in turn.

But the Oswald who'd been so righteous a moment ago wasn't calm anymore.

He fixed his eyes on every hand I lifted.

His stare was more anxious than mine, his heart tightening tighter and tighter.

Terrified that the next second I'd actually find that man and leave him for good.

As the number left shrank, Oswald couldn't hold back and spoke first.

"Lottie, if you really want to soak in the springs, fine, this once I'll—"

He hadn't finished when I'd already checked the last man's hand.

My brow knotted hard.

There wasn't a single heart that matched the one on my hand?!