Chapter 2

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was cold and sharp.

In the ER, the doctor was pulling glass shards from my forehead and arms with tweezers.

Every tug was excruciating, but I didn't even flinch.

Compared to the dead numbness in my heart, this physical pain was nothing.

Once bandaged, I sat alone on a plastic chair in the hallway, waiting for my concussion test results.

From the end of the hall, Nicholas rushed over.

He was still wearing his snow-dampened sweater, holding a thermos of soup.

Seeing the white gauze wrapped around my head, he paused, a fleeting look of guilt crossing his face.

But he quickly masked it, walking up to me and holding out the thermos.

"The doctor said it's just superficial cuts and a mild concussion. You just need a few days of rest."

He looked down at me, his tone softening slightly. "I had the chef make some creamy clam chowder. Drink it while it’s hot."

I didn't reach for it.

My eyes bypassed him, landing on the floating screen hovering behind his head.

【Nicholas is still too soft-hearted. He actually brought Catherine soup.】

【Catherine will definitely use this to pick a fight, throw the soup, and scream at him.】

【The reborn Olivia already saw this coming. She had the chef add crushed peanuts—which Catherine is highly allergic to—into the soup. 】

【The moment Catherine throws a fit, Nicholas will be completely disgusted by her.】

I looked back and stared quietly at the thermos.

"Where is Olivia?" I asked.

Nicholas immediately frowned, his voice turning defensive.

"She’s traumatized. The doctor said she needs absolute peace and quiet."

"Catherine, do you really have to pick a fight over petty things right now? She almost died."

"So, she was the one who asked you to bring me this soup?" I looked him straight in the eyes.

Nicholas's eyes flickered, avoiding my gaze.

"I wanted to bring it. Olivia felt guilty, so she specifically asked the chef to add your favorite peanuts."

*My favorite peanuts.*

We had been together for eight years. And he had no idea I was severely allergic to peanuts.

Even a trace of it would give me hives and make it hard to breathe.

Back then, to accommodate his tastes, I had forced myself to swallow peanut butter sandwiches, sneaking allergy meds afterward.

He actually thought I loved them.

And Olivia, of course, knew the truth.

She had intentionally added peanuts to watch me make a fool of myself, to watch me go crazy.

Looking at Nicholas's face—a face I used to adore—I felt nothing but cold detachment. He felt like a total stranger.

"I don't want it." My voice was flat. I didn't throw the thermos like the comments predicted. I just leaned back, putting distance between us.

Nicholas's face darkened.

"Catherine, are you done with this tantrum?" he muttered, his voice laced with annoyance at having his ego bruised.

"I've already swallowed my pride to come apologize. What else do you want?"

"The crash was an accident. It's human instinct to protect whoever is closest. Was I wrong?"

"You weren't wrong." I looked at him, my eyes as still as a stagnant pool. "Weighing the pros and cons, protecting the weak... you did the right thing."

He froze.

He was used to my hysterics, my tears, and my accusations.

My absolute calm made his heart skip a beat with sudden unease.

"You..." He opened his mouth, trying to find words.

Just then, his phone rang.

The custom ringtone was Olivia's voice: "Nicholas, pick up the phone~"

It sounded incredibly grating in the quiet hospital corridor.

Nicholas glanced at the screen and answered immediately.

"Olivia? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" His voice instantly became tender and frantic.

Olivia's weak, tearful voice came through the line:

"Nicholas, I'm so scared in the ward alone... It's thundering outside. Can you come back and stay with me?"

Nicholas gripped his phone, shooting a quick look at me.

"I'm on my way."

He hung up, setting the thermos heavily on the empty seat next to me.

"Olivia is emotionally unstable. I need to go check on her. Drink the soup, and stop making me worry."

With that, he turned and walked off toward the VIP suites without a second thought.

The floating comments flashed frantically.

【Catherine was abandoned again!】

【Nicholas chose Olivia after all. Catherine must be crying her eyes out in the hallway right now.】

【Serves her right for being so toxic.】

Watching his back disappear around the corner, my lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.

I stood up, picked up the thermos, and walked to the trash can at the end of the hall.

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the soup and the thermos straight into the bin.

A heavy thud.

Along with the eight years of my wasted youth, it was thrown into the trash.

I didn't look back as I walked out of the hospital.

The snow had stopped. Breathing in the icy air, my mind had never been clearer.