Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What’s going on?" Ethan asked cautiously on the way.

I smiled and shook my head. "I’m pregnant. I don’t want the baby. I want to get rid of it," I said.

Maybe I’d said it too casually, because he stared at me for a long time before slamming his fist on the steering wheel, cursing. "That bastard!"

"It was never meant to be kept," I said.

I wasn’t oblivious to Ethan’s feelings for me. But just as Dylan couldn’t reciprocate my love, I couldn’t reciprocate his. I only hoped he’d let go of me soon and find someone better.

The medical abortion was quick, but my body was weak from constant worry, and I started bleeding heavily. Luckily, Ethan was there.

I didn’t know how long I’d slept. When I woke up, I was surrounded by the 刺鼻 smell of disinfectant and blinding white walls. Ethan wasn’t there—instead, Dylan sat beside the bed.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

Grief had drained all feeling from me. He was the last person I wanted to see.

To spare everyone more pain, I decided to tell him the whole truth: from the first glance at Cambridge to the distant encounter at the sanatorium, to the "chance" meetings later—it had all been a one-woman show. I’d expected Dylan to stay calm, but instead, his eyes reddened.

"You’re lying to me!" he roared. "You said you lied—how could the person at Cambridge have been you? Luna Parker! It was her! She’s the one I met!"

"Why would I lie to you at a time like this?" I said.

Watching him, I realized something: the order of things had been wrong. The people had been wrong.

As he recounted his version of the story, I learned the truth: He’d fallen in love at first sight with an Asian girl standing among the yellow autumn leaves that year. Later, when he’d met Luna Parker, he’d thought fate had been kind to him. Luna had never denied it, and they’d vowed to spend their lives together—never realizing they’d made a mistake.

I went from shock to bitter laughter. No wonder Luna had said "I’m sorry" before she died, yet "didn’t regret it."

"How could this be? The person I’ve always loved... she’s been right here beside me," he murmured.

But I was clear-headed. "Even if that’s true, we only met once. Your love for Luna was real. You remembered all her little quirks, all her likes—that was real," I said.

"No, it’s not! I only loved her because I thought she was you!" he said.

"That’s not true," I replied.

"Yes, it is! You’re the one who’s sick!" he shouted.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"There was never an Ethan Harrison!" he said.