Chapter 4

"Gary, can't you see what I look like now?" Quinley asked in a trembling voice. She raised her arm, showing that it was covered in swollen, red welts. There wasn't a patch of intact skin, and the deep, bloody gashes were horrifying to look at. But after a moment of silence, Gary still steeled himself and said, "Luna hasn't rested the whole day. The bracelet must be finished tonight." "What if I say no? Are you going to lock me again and let those poisonous bugs bite me to death?" Quinley's eyes were red, but no more tears would fall. Gary couldn't bring himself to look at her, holding back her tears as he shut his eyes with helpless frustration. "Quinn, just bear with it. Once Luna recovers, and once I've repaid the debt for her saving my life, we'll go back to how we used to be." One minute he was making a promise, then another minute he was breaking her heart again as his voice turned back to calm. "Remember, if you don't do it, the bodyguards will help you. They say the bracelet works best when it's stained with human blood." The door to the guest room slammed shut. The bodyguards stood dutifully beside the bed. "Mrs. White, don't waste time. Mr. White said the thorns must be plucked clean by your fingers, and every bead must be sanded down by hand." That night, Quinley was dragged out of bed by the bodyguards and didn't close her eyes for a moment. Her fingertips were pierced through, blood seeping out. Under the torture of the sandpaper, her fingers split open, each movement bringing searing pain. Finally, at dawn, Luna's pleased voice echoed from the master bedroom. "Gary, this bracelet really works. I don't feel dizzy at all after putting it on." "That's good. Now, go to sleep. I'm right here with you," Gary responded gently. Quinley slowly curled up into a ball at the corner of the bed. She gripped her wounded fingers, watching blood drip onto the sheets. Her eyes stung so much that she almost laughed. Once, when she pricked her finger on a rose thorn and bled a single drop, Gary would feel guilty and heartbroken for half the day. Now, he could take a bracelet dyed in her blood and use it to make another woman smile. "And you dare say that we'll go back to how we used to be? Gary, things will never be the same. My love for you has been drained dry," Quinley thought. Thanks to the bracelet, Luna had a good night's sleep. The next day, she cheerfully dragged Gary out for a stroll. Quinley only found out through Luna's shared update online that they had gone to Grevia to watch the sunset. The photo showed Soltherina's white walls with Gary's hand holding Luna's tightly. The caption was, "The tenth year of loving you. My wish is fulfilled." Quinley stared at the photo, her heart so empty it felt as though the wind could pass right through. Strangely, though, she no longer felt any pain. She took off the ring on her ring finger before going to the garden to uproot every bellflower from the flowerbed. Then, she cut them one by one and threw them into the trash. Afterward, she opened her laptop to log into the account full of hate comments and scheduled a post to go live in a month. She wrote, "By the time this letter is posted, I'll probably be gone…" It was the "farewell letter" she had been planning for so long. When she finally typed the last period, she suddenly heard the sound of a car stopping in the yard. Gary rushed into the house. "Why did you destroy the bellflowers, Quinn? Weren't they your favorite? I planted those for you myself." For some reason, he looked pale, and there were faint bloodstains on his sleeve. Quinley glanced at him calmly, not questioning it as she shut her laptop with a loud snap. "The roots were rotten. Might as well plant something else in the future." Hearing her mention "in the future," Gary suppressed the unease in his heart. "Alright. I'll plan new ones for you in the future."