Chapter 5

When I regained consciousness, I was greeted by a white ceiling. Excruciating pain spread throughout my body at the slightest movement. I could roughly guess how serious my injuries were by looking at my bandaged arm. I heard a sound from the doorway and looked in that direction to see Ian standing there. I immediately looked away. He walked over to me, covered his mouth, and cleared his throat lightly. "It was an urgent situation, so I was too preoccupied to make sure you were alright." When I remained silent, he continued with his explanation. "I wasn't the one who changed your name in my contacts to 'housekeeper.' Shawnie probably fiddled with my phone at some point and changed it as a joke. There's no need to be petty with a child. "Besides, Selena has a race coming up in a few days. I can't possibly allow her to get injured at a time like this. You're always idling around every day anyway. If you get hurt, all you have to do is rest and recuperate in the hospital for a while, no?" His tone even carried a hint of accusation as he said that. His lips moved as if he wanted to add more, but a nurse opened the door at that moment. "Is Ian Payne present? The burn medication you requested is ready. You may collect it from the pharmacy now." Ian immediately stood up at that. "Some of the soup splashed onto the back of Selena's hand. I'm going to see her now. Just stay here and rest up." He then hurriedly left the ward. As I gazed at the door he'd slammed shut behind him, I felt as if my heart was being squeezed. An indescribable bitterness filled my heart. I took my phone and called "that man". "I'm in Ward 3512 at Allerton General Hospital. Come pick me up immediately," I instructed while suppressing the tremor in my voice. … Ian's POV As Ian looked at the small burn on the back of Selena's hand, he suddenly thought of Dahlia back in the ward just now. She had been completely covered in bandages. Jealousy flashed in Selena's eyes at the sight of Ian's distracted expression. "This won't leave a scar, will it, Ianie?" she asked pitifully, looking at Ian with tears in her bloodshot eyes. "It won't. I'll find you the best dermatologist in town. I guarantee it won't scar," he promised. It was only after Ian was done appeasing Selena that he remembered he should visit Dahlia again. However, he arrived at the ward only to discover she'd already been discharged from the hospital. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that something wasn't quite right. As he took out his phone to call Dahlia, Selena's voice rang out from behind him. "I think I sprained my leg just now, Ianie. Could you help me massage it better?" Ian gazed at the empty ward. He decided that Dahlia had probably gone home early, so he promptly looked away and squatted in front of Selena to gently massage her feet for her. He ran toward Dahlia's room immediately after arriving home. The moment he opened the door, he realized something was wrong. Her room was too empty. There wasn't a single trace of life. He gripped the doorknob tightly as countless scenarios ran through his mind. He rejected each and every one of them, refusing to believe that Dahlia would leave him. He went looking for a member of the household staff and asked them where Dahlia had gone, but the answer left him completely floored. "Mrs. Payne only returned to pick up a suitcase before leaving again." He questioned himself inwardly. She'd taken a suitcase with her? She'd left? Where could she have gone? He recalled her indifferent expression back in the ward, and he felt his heart sink abruptly. She must have been angry that he hadn't protected her. He took out his phone and sent her several messages. "Stop throwing a tantrum. Selena's a racer. If I didn't save her first and she suffered burns on her hands, how was she going to be able to race?" "You need to understand when enough is enough, Dahlia. Do you really think I have nothing better to do than keep you happy all day?" "Come back first, then I'll make it up to you, alright? Besides, you were fine, weren't you? What exactly are you making a fuss about?" Ian leaned against the couch with a heavy frown. It felt as if the temperature around him had dropped several degrees as he held a lit cigarette between his slender fingers. Dahlia hadn't called him by the time he finished smoking the entire cigarette. In fact, she hadn't even read his messages. As he gazed at the string of unread messages, he irritably tossed the cigarette into the trash can. He then sent Dahlia one last text message. "I'll be waiting for you at the church in three days, and we'll have a wedding there. If you don't show up then, you can forget about ever getting another wedding." He refused to believe that she wouldn't show up after seeing that message. … Three days later, he felt his heart gradually sink as he gazed out at the church full of guests. There was only half an hour remaining until the start of the wedding, but Dahlia was still nowhere to be seen. He began feeling short of breath, and his chest visibly heaved. He kept his eyes fixed on the doorway, waiting expectantly for Dahlia to enter through the doors in a wedding dress. Time trickled by, yet Dahlia still hadn't appeared. The guests in attendance were also beginning to realize that something wasn't quite right, and sounds of discussion could be heard throughout the venue. This grated on Ian's sensitive nerves. He gripped his phone so tightly his knuckles went white from the force. He felt as if his heart was stuck in his throat. The sound of a bell signaled the official start of the wedding. Just as Ian fell into complete despair, someone opened the doors. His eyes lit up with immense joy, and he strode toward the doorway only to freeze in place a second later. It was because it wasn't Dahlia who entered, but a deliveryman. "Which of you is Mr. Payne? I have here a wedding gift from Ms. Shannon. She requested that I announce each gift." Everyone present looked over with unconcealed curiosity in their eyes. "Her first gift is this award certificate," the deliveryman said. Ian was bewildered. He looked down, and his eyes widened in shock. That was an award certificate for the AHX Formula Racing Competition. However, the name "Dahlia Shannon" was written in the column for the winner's name, which meant Dahlia had been a racer from the very beginning! "Her second gift is this divorce agreement. She requested that I congratulate you and Ms. Lindsay on her behalf—may your love be eternal, and may you enjoy happiness for the rest of your lives." Ian's phone fell to the floor with a thud. He reached out to take the divorce agreement with trembling hands and eyes filled with disbelief.