Chapter 3

I called Ethan frantically.

The wind was too strong. My hands shook even harder. I nearly dropped the phone.

First call—he hung up.

Second call—he hung up.

Third call—he finally answered.

"Hope, are you ready to apologize?"

Ethan's lazy voice came through the phone, accompanied by cheerful music in the car.

"Ethan! Tell Jason to put down that pill bottle!"

I screamed into the phone. The cold wind rushed into my mouth, making me cough.

"That's my life-saving medication! It can't be dropped! It can't be played with!"

"Where are you? Stop the car! I need to take my medication! Please, give me back my pills—cough, cough!"

The line went silent for two seconds, then Lauren's sweet voice came through.

"Hope, don't be so fierce. You're scaring the child."

"Jason's just curious and looking at it. He's not throwing it around. Look at you—where's your maturity as an adult?"

"Besides, it's just a bottle of vitamins. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it?"

"If you want some, I'll buy you a bottle at the service station up ahead."

Ethan chimed in impatiently.

"Hope, are you addicted to acting?"

"Making up stories about life-saving medication just to trick me into coming back for you? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"The bottle's covered in English. You think I can't read? It's just some cheap health supplement."

"Jason likes the sound the bottle makes. What's wrong with letting him play with it for a bit? Is it really that serious?"

Tears were about to fall from my desperation.

"Ethan, I'm not lying. That really is medication the doctor prescribed! If it breaks, it's useless!"

"My heart feels terrible right now... Ethan, I'm begging you, that's my life..."

My voice was already breaking into sobs.

The once-proud Hope Walker was now humbled into the dust.

On the other end of the line, Ethan seemed to pause for a moment—perhaps my tone was too desperate.

But soon, Lauren's voice came through again.

"Ethan, look at Hope. She'll say any curse just to get you to come back."

"Didn't the doctor say last time that she was recovering well? How come she's suddenly dying the moment she gets out of the car? I think she's just jealous of how good you are to Jason."

"Ethan, I'm not lying, it really is—"

Ethan let out a light laugh. "You want your medication? Fine."

"Beep—"

He hung up.

When I called again, his phone was off.

I looked out at the vast snow and wind. My feet could barely move anymore.

My chest started feeling tight—a sign my heart wasn't getting enough oxygen.

I knew I didn't have much time left.

I had to find help before I collapsed.

But on this cursed highway, because of the snowstorm closure, not a single car had passed for ages.

I gritted my teeth and dragged my heavy legs forward.

My crooked footprints in the snow were quickly covered by fresh snowfall.

Back when I was with the Walker family, I was the cherished daughter.

If I so much as got a paper cut, the whole family would worry for days.

For Ethan, I learned to cook, learned to haggle at the grocery store, learned to endure his bitter mother.

I thought if I just gave my true heart, even a stone would eventually warm up.

But now I understood.

Stones don't warm up. They just kill you.

My vision started to blur. I'd lost all feeling in my hands and feet.

Just then, my phone screen lit up again.

It was a video call from Lauren.

With trembling hands, I answered, hoping to beg them to bring back my medication, or at least leave it by the roadside.

The moment the video connected, I saw a scene that shattered my heart.