Chapter 5

Bang— With a screeching brake sound, Lawrence was sent flying into the air. For those few seconds suspended in midair, his world was a blur. As his body hit the ground, he seemed to hear the sound of his bones shattering. Moments later, he lost consciousness entirely. It felt like a dream, where he had returned to the time when he and Aaliyah were still in love. At that time, he had just gotten his driver's license and was still unfamiliar with driving. Aaliyah sat beside him, teaching him step by step. “Lawrence, don't be afraid. Drive boldly. I'm here with you.” But the scene suddenly changed. The person beside him vanished, replaced by the image of her with reddened eyes, furiously pressing the accelerator toward him. Lawrence jolted awake from the dream, his forehead covered in sweat, his back soaked. When he woke up, he realized he was already in the hospital, his chest aching terribly. It wasn’t until the nurse came to give him a shot that he found out several of his ribs were broken. During his time in the hospital, Aaliyah never came to visit him. He hadn’t expected her to come in the first place, after all, she hated him so much now. When he was discharged from the hospital, Aaliyah was already busy preparing for her wedding with Jason. She demanded that he participate in the entire process. Because she wanted him to watch her marry another man. To watch everything that once belonged to him be given to someone else. Lawrence didn't refuse. He obediently followed her and Jason, watching her pick out a wedding dress for Jason, take wedding photos with him, and finalize the wedding venue. He had walked this path once before, but now the protagonist had changed. On the anniversary of Aaliyah's mother's death, he bought flowers early in the morning and went to pay his respects. He sat beside the tombstone, resting his head against it, gazing at the kind and gentle face in the photo, and spoke to himself. “Auntie, are you doing well over there? Are you lonely?” “Do you remember how much you loved me when you were alive? You said I was like your own son. In my heart, you were like my own mother.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to accompany you soon.” In fact, before Mrs. Bailey passed away, their relationship was very close. Lawrence, who had lost his mother at a young age, found the maternal love he had been missing in her. Originally, they were about to become a real family. But fate was cruel, and they ultimately lacked the necessary karmic connection. Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He looked up and realized it was Aaliyah and Mr. Bailey coming to pay their respects together. Upon seeing him, Mr. Bailey's expression changed instantly. “You bastard! Who let you come here? How dare you show up!” Without another word, he rushed forward and tried to push him away with all his strength. Lawrence had just been in a car accident, and with such a forceful push, he had no strength to get up. He fell heavily onto the tombstone, his head hitting it hard and leaving a gash. Blood trickled down his cheek. He covered the wound but said nothing. Mr. Bailey's anger did not diminish in the slightest despite his injury. He unleashed a torrent of curses. “You! You don't deserve to be here!” “Murderer! You're the one who deserves to die!” “What did the Bailey Family ever do to you? Aaliyah loved you so much, and my wife treated you like her own son. Why did you have to kill her?” By the end, his voice choked with emotion, almost unable to speak. His face was deathly pale, yet he remained crouched on the ground, silent and unresponsive.