Chapter 5

My brain short-circuited. For a moment, all the noise of the park vanished.

Those words felt like a dagger plunged straight into my heart.

I could accept my disability. But I could not tolerate my best friend using my tragedy to entertain a stranger.

The little boy nodded slowly. "I want to ride in a wheelchair too!"

Chloe patted his head. "Sure!"

She turned to me. "Sera, why don't you get down and let him sit for a bit? Kids are just curious."

I trembled with rage, staring death at Chloe. "You have crossed the line."

Chloe pouted. "It's just a joke, Sera. Why are you being so sensitive?"

Julian returned just then, holding two iced drinks. He looked at me, then at Chloe. "Sera, just let the kid sit for a second. It's no big deal."

Looking at Julian's blatant favoritism, I let out a dry, bitter laugh.

I threw off my blanket and raised my voice. "My legs are useless, Julian! How do you expect me to get down? Should I crawl? Should I roll on the ground?"

Startled by my sudden outburst, Chloe's eyes brimmed with tears, and she began to sob.

Julian wiped Chloe's tears before turning to me. His eyes held a mixture of pity and annoyance.

"Sera, Chloe didn't mean it like that. She's always been sweet and clueless. Don't take it out on her."

I mocked. "Clueless? Julian, was leaving me in the middle of exploding fireworks clueless? Was leaving me alone in the pouring rain clueless?"

He fell silent for a moment. Then he stood up and sighed, stroking my hair.

"You have a fever. You're not thinking straight. Let's go home."

He pushed me toward the exit.

Chloe followed beside us, still whimpering. Julian turned and patted her back, whispering softly, "Don't be upset. Sera's sick, so she's moody. I know you've been holding back a lot of tears today."

Chloe smiled through her tears. "Only you understand me, Julian."

I sat in the wheelchair as we headed toward the exit. My heart was a frozen wasteland.

When we got home, my mom called me. "Sera, I've booked the specialist in Switzerland. I'm coming with you."

I nodded. "I'm booking my ticket to Zurich now."

That night, Julian seemed to notice my unusual silence.

He walked into my room carrying a cup of warm water and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Still mad at me?"

I didn't look at him.

He sighed, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

In the past, this gesture would make my heart flutter. Now, it made my stomach turn.

He looked at me tenderly. "Sera, Chloe's just a kid at heart. It's her birthday tomorrow. Don't ruin her special day, okay?"

I said nothing. Taking my silence as agreement, Julian patted my head.

The next day, Julian cancelled all his plans. He drove across the city to buy Chloe's favorite flowers and order her favorite cake.

I was treated like a ghost. Nobody asked how I was.

That evening, Chloe's birthday venue was packed with guests.

Julian pushed me to the entrance of the banquet hall. Suddenly, he let go of the wheelchair handles.

"Sera, try walking up the steps on your own."

I froze, looking down at the steps.

There wasn't a single wheelchair ramp in sight.

Julian looked at me with encouraging eyes. "A little struggle stimulates the nerves. Everyone is here to cheer you on. It will build your resolve. It's the best rehab."

Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

"How is she supposed to climb that?"

"Why would they bring a disabled person to a birthday party anyway? It's so awkward."

"So tragic, paralyzed at such a young age."

Every whisper felt like a needle stabbing into my skin.

I gripped my armrests, my knuckles turning white under the glaring lights.

Then, Chloe walked out from the crowd, wearing a beautiful dress and a sweet smile. "Sera, I asked Julian not to put a ramp here. I want you to push yourself. Just try to stand up, even if it's just for a second."

She looked back at the guests. "We're all cheering for you! I genuinely want you to walk again, Sera."

I raised my head to look at Chloe. My voice was deadly quiet. "You just want to humiliate me."

Chloe's smile faltered. Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Sera... how could you say that?"

Julian frowned, kneeling in front of me. "Sera, Chloe's doing this out of love."

I took a deep breath, looking at them with absolute finality. "Then you can spend the rest of your life with her 'love,' Julian."

I grabbed the wheels and spun my wheelchair around, heading straight for the exit.

Julian froze. For the first time, he saw absolute abandonment in my eyes.

A sudden, overwhelming panic gripped his chest. He instinctively moved to chase after me.

"Julian!" Chloe grabbed his sleeve. "The party is starting. Sera's just throwing another tantrum. Let's not let her ruin my birthday."

Julian hesitated. Looking at Chloe's tearful face, his heart softened once more.

"Okay. Let's get through your party first. I'll go coax Sera afterward."

In the end, he chose her. Again.

I went to the airport alone.

The moment the plane took off, a wave of profound relief washed over me.

I was finally free.

Meanwhile, back at the party venue, the guests had left. The feeling of dread in Julian's chest grew stronger.

He pulled out his phone, but there were no messages. He rushed back to the apartment, only to find it completely empty.

A terrible premonition seized him.

With trembling fingers, he dialed my number. The phone you are trying to reach is switched off.

Panic setting in, he began calling everyone who had attended the party. "Have you seen Sera?"

They all said no.

Chloe stood beside him, frowning. "Did the crowd upset her? Maybe she went to see her physical therapist? She's been talking about a new rehab program lately."

Julian immediately called my therapist. "Dr. Evans, is Sera with you?"

"Sera came and took all her medical files two days ago," the doctor replied calmly. "She said she booked a specialized clinic in Zurich and left today. Did you guys not know?"