Chapter 4

Thoughts surged like a flood.

"Yeah. Go to New York. Find Mom. She never wanted us to stay on the West Coast anyway."

She answered.

Compared to yesterday's resistance and disbelief, today she seemed to have finally accepted this cruel reality.

And these were the days I had lived through for four years.

Wyatt was back in the tent by the time I woke up.

He didn't think anything was wrong. In fact, he offered an explanation with a perfectly matter-of-fact tone.

"The girl was absolutely terrified. I stayed with her the night."

"But rest assured, there was absolutely no physical contact."

I lifted my eyes, my gaze landing on the faint lipstick stain near his collar.

"Yeah. I know."

But what did it matter.

Betrayal was never just physical.

Just as I was about to get up, an argument erupted outside the tent.

"I'm talking about you! Aren't you ashamed? Hiding in someone else's marriage playing the victim?"

A female colleague pitched her voice to mimic Hayley. "Wyatt, I'm so scaaaared—"

A wave of laughter followed.

When Wyatt and I stepped out, Hayley stood facing a small group, tears streaming down her face, her expression full of shame and fury.

"Stop slandering me!"

"There's nothing between me and Wyatt! I was scared, so he came to keep me company!"

She sobbed pitifully. "Why are you doing this to me!"

The moment she saw me, Hayley aimed her accusations directly at me.

"Cora, I know you don't like me. But please, don't let your jealousy make you put others up to humiliating me!"

I was stunned.

Before I could even open my mouth, Wyatt was already frowning at me.

"You got the staff to gang up on Hayley?"

"Cora, I already explained there's nothing between us! Are you really that petty?"

Looking at the anger flaring in his eyes.

And the way he unhesitatingly took her side.

I didn't even have the strength to defend myself. I just looked at him, exhausted. "Think whatever you want."

My attitude clearly enraged him and provoked Hayley.

She suddenly let out a shriek and sprinted toward the cliff edge nearby.

"Fine! If you all hate me so much, I'll just jump!"

Wyatt's pupils contracted sharply. "Hayley! Come back! It's dangerous over there!"

She wept, utterly distraught. "Wyatt, I'm sorry. I didn't know my place. I've caused you so much trouble..."

Wyatt panicked.

That look of frantic alarm—I hadn't seen it on his face in a very, very long time.

He suddenly turned to me, as if he'd made a decision, strode over, and grabbed my arm.

"Apologize to Hayley!"

My head snapped up. I stared at him in disbelief.

"Wyatt! Have you lost your mind?"

He shook his head in disappointment. "When did you become like this? It's a human life we're talking about!"

Hayley's emotions spiraled more and more out of control, her body inching closer and closer to the edge.

Wyatt couldn't afford to care about anything else.

He pressed a hand against the back of my neck—forcing me to bend at the waist toward Hayley.

"Hayley! That's enough! Come back!"

He let go of me, rushed over, yanked Hayley back from the edge, and pulled her tightly into his arms.

And I stayed in that position, still bent over.

My eyes stared fixedly at the ground, my vision slowly blurring with the moisture welling up.

In my earpiece, my eighteen-year-old self was screaming, her voice torn to shreds.

"We're leaving! Right now!"

When I straightened up, those two were already gone.

The surrounding employees exchanged awkward glances, the atmosphere unbearably tense.

I let out a small laugh, turned, and started down the mountain.

I was halfway down the trail when her voice came through the earpiece.

"I'm on the plane. Mom arranged everything. We're going to New York."

"Let's both stop hurting over him, okay?"

I gave a quiet "Mm."

And in that exact moment, a violent wave of dizziness hit me.

The world spun. Everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

At the same time, on the highway, Wyatt, who was driving, felt a fierce dizziness slam into him too.

The car spun out of control and crashed into a guardrail.

...

When he woke again, he was lying in a hospital bed.

A woman sat beside the bed—Linda Pierce.

"Mom?" He rubbed his throbbing temple and instinctively scanned the room. "Where's Cora? She didn't come?"

The hand peeling the apple stopped mid-motion.

"Cora? Cora Dawson? You mean the girl you had a crush on in high school?"

She let out a short laugh, tinged with teasing.

"Sweetheart, it's been ten years since you last saw her. How are you still hung up on her?"