Chapter 6

The pungent smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils as Amity struggled to open her eyes, only to see the stark white ceiling of the hospital room. “You're awake?” the nurse asked as she adjusted the infusion bottle. “How do you feel?” Amity's throat burned as she asked, “Who... brought me here?” “The staff on the cruise ship,” the nurse handed her a cup of warm water. “You’ve been unconscious for two days. Do you need us to contact your family?” Outside the door, other nurses were chatting— “Mr. Rodriguez is so kind to Miss Cynthia. For a minor allergy, he not only booked an entire floor but also arranged for so many experts to consult.” “Yeah, I heard he's been by her side nonstop these past two days, even canceling company meetings.” Amity forced a smile: “No need. I don't have any family.” ... After being discharged from the hospital, Amity returned to her empty home. She began packing her luggage, throwing away one by one the items related to Lawrence over the years. The first necklace he gave her, the wedding anniversary photo, the small gifts he brought back from business trips… Lawrence accompanied Cynthia from morning till night, and didn't even notice that something was missing at home. Until this day, he came home early and saw Amity sitting on the sofa in a daze. “Why haven’t you gone to school these past few days?” he asked casually, hanging his suit jacket on the coat rack. Amity didn't look up: “I quit.” “Why?” Lawrence frowned, “Weren't you doing well?” “I'm tired,” she said calmly, “I don't want to do it anymore.” Lawrence nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He poured a glass of water and suddenly remembered something: “By the way, your previous research project ended, right?” Amity's fingers stiffened: “What's wrong?” “Cynthia needs research achievements for her graduate school application,” Lawrence said casually. “I thought your project was good, so I let her publish it under her name.” “What?!” Amity jumped to her feet, her voice trembling. “That’s three years of my hard work!” Lawrence looked indifferent. “It’s just a project, it's useless for you to keep it.” Amity was so angry she was shaking. “I’ll tell the school the truth!” She grabbed her coat and rushed out the door, heading straight for the school. In the principal's office, the old principal listened to her complaints and sighed, “Amity, I know you feel wronged, but Mr. Rodriguez has already made arrangements...” “Several of the school buildings were donated by him, so we really have no choice.” Amity felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She finally understood why Lawrence was so calm. He had known all along that no matter how much she protested, it would be to no avail. Her marriage, career, and dignity had all been crushed by Lawrence and Cynthia. As she walked out of the school gate, it began to rain. Amity stood in the rain, letting it soak her completely. She suddenly recalled that rainy night when Lawrence stood soaked to the bone beneath her dormitory building, holding a bouquet of roses that had been battered by the rain. He stood there stubbornly until she softened her heart and came downstairs. “Amity, be with me. I will love you and only look at you forever.” Now, thinking back, that vow was like the rain—seemingly fierce, but ultimately drying up. “Forever” was just a casual romantic promise he made. She slowly knelt down, hugged herself, and finally burst into tears. The next day, Amity was packing her luggage when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and saw Cynthia standing there, holding a elegant gift box. “Lawrence isn’t here,” Amity said calmly. “He’s at the office. You shouldn’t have come here.” “I know,professor,” Cynthia tilted her head, smiling innocently. “I came to see you.” She walked in on her own and placed the gift box on the table: “I’m here to thank you. Without your research findings, I wouldn’t have won that award, and I certainly wouldn’t have been admitted to graduate school on a special basis.” She paused and said provocatively: “It’s not just this project. The names on several important research projects you worked on before have all been changed to mine.” “You're so capable, Professor. It's good that you resigned,” she leaned closer to Amity and lowered her voice, “Now you can focus on helping me with my research. My future papers will depend on you.” Amity looked at her quietly, her eyes as calm as still water: “Are you done? You can leave now.” Cynthia was taken aback, clearly not expecting this reaction. “Professor,” her voice suddenly sharpened, “Are you so sad that you can't even get angry?” Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside the door—Lawrence had returned. Cynthia's eyes flashed, and she suddenly began crying as she backed away: “Professor, please spare me! I promise I'll go abroad and leave Mr. Rodriguez forever! I don't want to die...”