Chapter 3

That night, when Dustin came back, his face was deathly pale. Melanie was in the kitchen getting a glass of water. Hearing his footsteps, she turned around, and the glass in her hand almost slipped. "Didn't you take your medicine?" she asked, her voice tight. "My stomach got so bad that I had to go to the hospital for a lavage," he said weakly, collapsing onto the couch. The strands of hair on his forehead were damp with cold sweat. Melanie's hand trembled, and scalding water splashed onto the back of it, leaving a patch of angry red. Did he love Jane so much that he was willing to eat her cooking even if it meant ending up in the hospital? She brought him a cup of warm water, crouched down, then gently massaged his stomach. After downing the glass of water, Dustin felt more at ease under her comforting, gentle touch. The knot between his brows loosened. Before long, he dozed off on her shoulder, just as he had countless times before. But this time, Melanie's gaze no longer lingered on his face. She carefully laid him down on the couch, pulled a blanket over him, and went upstairs without looking back. … The next morning, Dustin was already in the living room, dressed to the nines. "Why is the house missing so many things?" He frowned, glancing around. Melanie was about to explain, but he changed the subject before she could speak. "Jane is holding an art exhibition today. She invited us to go." "I…" "She just came back and doesn't have many friends," he said with a finality that left no room for argument. "Just go and show your support." Melanie clenched her fists and nodded. The moment Jane saw Dustin at the exhibition, she immediately hurried over and slipped her arm through his. "Dustin! The one I wanted you to see most is this." She pointed at an oil painting of a snowy mountain and said softly, "I painted it in Sweiss. I thought of you every day while I was there…" Dustin listened in silence, his unreadable gaze fixed on the painting. In the end, he bought every single one of her paintings. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "They say Mr. Hart used to spoil Ms. Sawyer. It looks like it's true…" "She's left him once already, yet he still supports her like this? This must be true love." Jane cast Melanie a triumphant glance and leaned toward her when Dustin went to the counter to pay. "Do you hear that? No matter how long I was gone, his heart always belonged to me." Her lips nearly brushed Melanie's ear as she continued, "If you still won't give up, I don't mind making things clearer for you." Just then, the fire alarm blared shrilly. "Fire! Everyone, get out!" The crowd broke into chaos. Melanie was shoved to the ground, her ankle twisting at a painful angle until her vision went black. She tried to get up, but then saw Dustin forcing his way against the flow of the crowd. "Jane! Jane, where are you?" There was a panic in his voice that Melanie had never heard before. The next second, he spotted Jane, terrified. He pulled her into his arms and carried her out without a backward glance. Melanie sat on the ground, watching their figures vanish into the smoke. She desperately tried to haul herself to her feet, but there was a sudden, deafening crash, and a burning beam came down on top of her. … When Melanie opened her eyes again, all she saw was blinding white. "Mel, you're finally awake!" Her best friend, Yvonne Laird, rushed to the bedside. Relief spilled from her swollen eyes as she cried out, "You almost scared me to death! Do you know you almost died?" Melanie tried moving her neck, but her whole body ached as if her bones had been broken and rearranged. "Where's Dustin?" she rasped. Yvonne's expression darkened. "Him? He's with Jane. You've fractured a rib, and she only got a scratch. Guess who he's fussing over." Melanie closed her eyes, her chest so tight that she could barely breathe. "Dustin is unbelievable! When he was paralyzed, who was it that cared for him day and night without rest? Who was it that barely slept two hours a night just to keep him from doing something stupid? Now that you're seriously injured, he…" Words choked in Yvonne's throat. She held Melanie's hand tightly and sobbed. "Mel, he's recovered, but he hasn't even mentioned being with you. How long are you going to keep putting yourself through this?" The room fell silent, broken only by the steady beep of the monitor. "I'm applying for a visa," Melanie finally said after a long pause. She stared at the ceiling, her voice almost a whisper. "When it comes through, I'll leave." As soon as the words left her lips, the door swung open. "Leave?" Dustin stood by the door, his expression sullen. "Who's leaving?"