Chapter 2

After hanging up, Melanie went straight to the hospital. The wound on her forehead took three stitches, and the doctor reminded her not to let it get wet. She nodded absently. As she stepped out of the consultation room, she spotted Dustin's Maybach parked not far from the hospital entrance. The window was half rolled down, and Jane was weeping on his shoulder. "Dustin, I'm sorry…" She sobbed. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I had my reasons for leaving you. My parents disapproved of our relationship and forced me to go abroad. My phone was even confiscated. It's not that I want to cut ties with you…" Dustin sat still in silence, his expression sullen. Watching them from a distance, Melanie couldn't bring herself to move. "Then, why did you come back now?" he finally said, his voice low. Jane looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Because I couldn't forget you. I know you have Melanie now, but I'm not asking for much. Just don't push me away… Let me watch you from afar." Under the shade, Melanie saw Dustin wiping away Jane's tears after a long silence. "I don't blame you," he said. "As for Melanie, I only see her as a sister. It's not what you think." Jane's eyes brightened. Fighting back a sob, she asked, "Really?" Dustin nodded. Overjoyed, she threw herself into his arms. A self-deprecating smile crossed Melanie's face as she turned to leave for the immigration office. … At the immigration office, a staff member handed her a form. "Your visa will be ready in two weeks." Melanie thanked him. By the time she left, it was already dark out. She went back to Dustin's villa. For the past three years, she had lived there to take care of him. Once, she had naively thought of it as her home. The foyer still held the slippers she had carefully chosen, the living room displayed the succulents she had nurtured, and the kitchen walls were marked with healthy recipes she had written. Now, she was going to erase all traces of these. While packing her things, she found a photograph at the very bottom of a drawer. It was the day Dustin completed his rehabilitation. He'd rarely smile for the camera, yet he did in this photo. She had stood beside him, beaming at the camera. The photo's edges were already yellowed, worn from the countless times she had touched it. She stared at it for a long time before finally tossing it gently into the trash. Some dreams should have ended long ago. … The next morning, Melanie got a call from Dustin. "I forgot my stomach medicine. Bring it to the office for me," he said, his voice still hoarse from waking up. He spoke as if nothing had ever happened between them. She fell silent for a few seconds. "Alright." By the time she arrived at his company, the elevator doors opened. Out came Jane, an exquisite lunchbox in her hands. "What a coincidence!" Jane beamed at her. "I'm bringing lunch to Dustin. Do you want to come along?" Melanie said nothing and followed her into Dustin's office. Dustin was reading a document inside. When he saw the two of them entering his office at once, he arched an eyebrow and asked, "Why did you come together?" "We ran into each other on the way." Jane smiled, opening the lunchbox. Instantly, a spicy aroma wafted through the air. "I made your favorite arrabiata pasta!" she exclaimed. Melanie's expression immediately changed. "He has a weak stomach. He can't have spicy food." Dustin glanced at her and said, "Eating it once in a blue moon won't hurt." He served himself a spoonful of pasta dripping in red, spicy sauce and ate it in one go. Seeing this, Melanie clutched the stomach medicine in her bag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Not long after, a thin sheen of sweat formed on Dustin's forehead. His hand, which was holding a pen, was trembling slightly. "Dustin, are you unwell?" Jane asked, concerned. "I'm fine." He forced a smile. "I still have work to do. Why don't you head back first?" Melanie stared at him for a long time, then left after leaving the medicine on his desk. When she and Jane reached downstairs, she couldn't help but say, "He has severe gastritis. You should be mindful of his condition if you're buying him food." Jane smirked. "Melanie, don't you know your place yet? To Dustin, you're nothing but a slightly special caregiver. That's why you have to be aware of his health. But I'm different—he loves me, so I don't need to tread on thin ice." She leaned toward Melanie and whispered, "Even if I gave him poison, he'd willingly take it. Got it?" Melanie trembled, feeling as though someone had stabbed a knife in her chest. She knew Jane was right. It took Melanie three years for Dustin to finally see her in a different light. But when it came to Jane, she didn't even have to break a sweat for him to be willing to do anything for her.