Chapter 3

When I woke up, I found myself in the hospital at the Ailfa Mount.

"Amanda, would you like some water?" A girl asked me.

"Hailey?" She was Hailey Richardson, my coworker. She had happened to find me fainting at the exit and took me to the hospital.

"How did you get into the primeval forest?" asked Hailey, puzzled.

I said, "It's complicated."

Just then, Bradley's voice came from the corridor. "Where is she?"

Hailey immediately walked over. "Bradley, your wife is here."

The door to the ward was open. I looked over at Bradley, and his eyes were so cold.

A man said, "Bradley, Ashley is in Ward 8."

"How is she?" Bradley asked.

The man replied, "She's fine, just losing her warmth."

"That's good." Bradley went straight to Ward 8.

Hailey was shocked. "Why didn't your husband come in to see you?"

I smiled bitterly and didn't explain.

The next day at noon, I saw Bradley walking through the corridor with a lunch box. He didn't even glance toward me as if I didn't exist.

I had bought that lunchbox.

I would often go to the rescue unit to bring food to Bradley.

Now, he was carrying my lunchbox and delivering food to his beloved.

It was kind of ironic!

I was getting ready for bed around ten o'clock at night when Ashley pushed open the door and came in.

I asked, "What do you want?"

Ashley said wickedly, "I really didn't think you were so tough that falling off a cliff didn't kill you."

I said, "Are you going to turn yourself in, or am I going to call the police on you?"

Ashley laughed, "Do you have any evidence? Who would believe you?"

"There's always a day when the truth is revealed," I said.

Ashley said smugly, "The truth? The truth right now is that you took me into Ailfa Mount and tried to kill me. I desperately ran away from you and was saved.

"By the way, are you having a hard, aggravating time right now? Bradley chose to save me instead of you."

After experiencing my previous life, I was now utterly disappointed in Bradley. If I hadn't encountered the miasma, I wouldn't have asked Bradley for help.

"Have you finished? Get out when you're done," I said in a cold voice.

Just then, the sound of steady, heavy footsteps came from the corridor. The footsteps were all too familiar to me. It was Bradley.

Suddenly, Ashley slapped herself.

Then, she collapsed on the floor and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Bradley and I are just friends, Amanda. I can understand that you don't believe me. But why did you hit me?"

The door to my ward was pushed open.

Bradley dropped the food he was holding and ran over, heartbroken, to help Ashley up. "Amanda, you're a mean, vicious bitch. Ashley wasn't wrong. Why did you hit her? Don't you realize she hasn't recovered from the distress?"

"Did I not get in distress? Did I recover physically?" I asked.

Bradley said, "You deserved it. If you hadn't lured Ashley inside the primeval forest, not so much would have happened."

"Do you believe anything she says?" I questioned.

Bradley said firmly, "Yes, Ashley doesn't lie."

I roared, "Fine. I don't want to argue with you guys. You're both assholes. Get the fuck out of here. I don't want to see either of you."

"My face hurts." Ashley cried, covering her cheek in aggravation.

Bradley was outraged and reached out to slap me hard.

I was dazed from the slap and stumbled, falling to the ground. A sharp pain came from my belly. Looking between my legs, I realized that blood was flowing out.