Chapter 4

Vivian stood by my hospital bed, biting her lip as she apologized.

"I’m so sorry, Iris. I didn't mean to make your depression worse. But don't worry, I will definitely find a way to cure you."

I let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Cure me? Where is your medical license?"

She stiffened. She clearly didn't expect me to be so direct. Instantly, her face crumpled into a perfect picture of innocence and hurt.

"Iris, if you hate me that much, I'll just leave."

Ethan instinctively stepped in front of Vivian, blocking my view.

That protective gesture stabbed my eyes like a knife.

"Iris! Vivian is only trying to help you. Why are you being so toxic and passive-aggressive?"

"Why are you so ungrateful?"

He got more and more worked up, finally spitting out the words that shattered my heart completely.

"No wonder no one likes you! No wonder your mother chose to die just to get away from you!"

My mother's death was not a sudden rainstorm. It was a lifelong humidity.

Years ago, when my father raised the knife to kill me, my mother blocked it.

Before she passed away in the hospital, she told me,

"Living is too painful, Iris. This time, I’d rather die to get away from him."

I had shown my deepest, most painful scar to Ethan.

And today, he weaponized it to humiliate me in front of another woman.

I thought I would cry, but when I touched my chest, it felt empty. Only a freezing coldness remained.

When your heart goes completely numb, it doesn't hurt anymore.

"Ethan, you’re right," I smiled weakly, a strange sense of calm washing over me. "So, you should leave me too."

I was done. I wanted out.

A flash of panic crossed Ethan's face.

"Iris, I didn't mean it like that..."

He wanted to explain, but Vivian held him back.

"Ethan, Iris is emotionally unstable right now. She won't listen to anything you say. Let's just give her some space to calm down."

Ethan hesitated, then nodded.

He tucked my blanket in, and then walked out of the room with Vivian.

He didn't come back that night.

It wasn't until the next morning that they returned to sign my discharge papers.

Looking at my pale face, Vivian smiled mysteriously.

"Iris, guess what Ethan and I did for you yesterday?"

I kept my face expressionless.

"I don't care, and I don't want to know."

Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly pulled a giant teddy bear out of a shopping bag, her face glowing with triumph.

"Look! Isn't it cute? I know this is your favorite limited-edition bear."

"Yesterday, the mall had a couples' contest. Ethan and I had to kiss for a whole hour—our lips were practically bleeding—just to win this for you!"

"See? Ethan and I care about you so much."

I had been with Ethan for years.

We had never had any passionate physical intimacy.

Because he always told me,

"The highest form of love is cherish. I'm afraid to touch you too much because I don't want to lose control and hurt you..."

But now,

He could kiss another woman for an hour in a public game.

My stomach churned with intense disgust.

I snatched the teddy bear and threw it straight into the trash can. Then, I looked at Ethan coldly.

"I have emotional hygiene. I don't want second-hand trash that other people have slobbered over."

Ethan’s face flushed red with anger.

"Iris! Is your depression cured or what? How dare you speak to us like that!"

"Vivian and I did that just to make you happy! Why do you have to be so petty about how we got the toy?"

I smiled bitterly.

"But I'm not happy at all."

"Ethan, let's break up. I'm going back to pack my things."

Before Ethan could react, I turned, flagged down a taxi, and left.