achine. My whole body ached with a deep, throbbing pain. I tried to open

fog. "Mr. O' Connell? Can you hear me? You' re in

room. An IV was taped to my right hand. My left leg was in a mas

I rasped, my th

very lucky. The paramedics said if you' d been found even ten minutes later... well, you' re lucky. Someo

o would have stopped

he time the ambulance got there. A pa

istant, Mark, rushed in. H

came as soon as I h

to see a friendly face. "W

ut a small, stupid part of me hoped she' d had a change of heart, that

d grim. He hesitated, th

calling her, her mother... no one answered. So I che

d me the

s arm around her, and she was leaning into him, looking blissful. The caption read: "Surprise trip to Vega

s after the crash. While I was

een, my heart turni

casino. Chloe was laughing as Ethan showered her with casino chips. In the background, I could see my black cre

up on my own phone, which Mark had placed

t out. Ethan came to pick me up. He said I should get away for a bit to calm my nerves. Anyway, hope

e, not had my leg shattered because of her. She admitted she left.

fying truth fin

that she actively despised me. She saw me as

new, cynical eyes. Every sweet gesture, every loving whisper, e

mily emergency" that coincided perfect

s I had replaced for her, which I l

e had cried, saying yes, but now I remembered the first thing she did after I put the rin

as probably sen

They were a joke. I wasn' t her partner. I was her provider. I wasn'

source to be exploited. A weakness she cou

my head. This was the result of my blindness.

monitor sped up. A wave

I call the nurse?" Mark as

ad. "No, Mar

t time, I understood that Chloe hadn' t just hurt