A Heart Gone Cold

Douglas' tone was stiff, carrying both an older brother's authority and a hint of nervousness he didn't even realize himself.

"Since when do you have a male friend? Why don't I know about this?" Marcel's eyes were full of jealousy. He had always disliked other men getting close to me.

"It was just a colleague discussing work matters." I brushed it off casually.

The two visibly relaxed when they heard this.

"If you're tired of working, you can just quit. I can take care of you." Douglas affectionately ruffled my hair.

"Exactly. Isn't being with us more fun than dealing with outsiders?" Marcel chimed in, already discussing plans with Douglas to take me on an outing.

When she saw that the two had walked away, Mona dropped her fragile act and smirked tauntingly. "Jolene, you don't actually think such a petty trick would get their attention, do you? Who do you think they'll believe if I get hurt right now? You or me?"

Before I could react, Mona raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face several times.

"Jolene, I won't try to steal Douglas and Marcel from you again. Please, spare me!" she cried loudly while hitting herself.

Douglas and Marcel rushed back only to be met with the sight of Mona's face covered in red handprint marks. She looked downright pitiful, to say the least.

A second later, Marcel shoved me to the ground. My barely healed forehead split open again, and blood began to trickle down.

"Jolene, Mona has been orphaned and has struggled for years while you've had everything handed to you since you were young. So why must you bully her?"

Douglas also ignored my injury, his expression dark as he called me by my full name for the first time. "Jolene Greer, you're getting more and more ridiculous!

"The Woodrow family is already preparing for the wedding. Can't you at least let Mona have these final few days? How did I end up with such a cruel sister like you?"

With that, the two flanked Mona protectively and took her to the hospital.

I touched the wound on my head and let out a wretched laugh. The Woodrows were indeed preparing for a wedding, except the bride-to-be wasn't Mona. It was me.

The next day, Douglas and Marcel acted as if nothing had happened and insisted on taking us all out for an outing. I gave a noncommittal response and continued packing my luggage.

Mona's reflection in the window showed her gripping the steering wheel. She drove recklessly, swerving and crashing until the car was wrecked beyond recognition.

Wait—wasn't that the last gift my parents left me before they died?

"Stop! Stop right now!" I rushed out madly, trying to stop Mona. But the car accelerated and slammed into me.

The impact sent me flying several feet. I coughed up blood, feeling as if my organs had been shattered.

In my dazed state, I saw Mona step out of the car, smiling. "Sorry, Jolene. I'm just learning to drive, and I mistook the gas for the brake."

A moment later, I blacked out.

In my haze, I heard Marcel anxiously asking the doctor when I would wake up. Douglas clutched my hand tightly and kept wiping the cold sweat from my brow as if we had returned to the past.

I was unconscious for a full 24 hours. But when I finally managed to open my eyes, all I heard was them unanimously making excuses for Mona.

"Jolene, the doctor said the pain is temporary. Just put up with it for a little longer. Mona didn't mean to run into you."

"Jolene, it's my fault for not teaching Mona properly. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."

So there really wasn't going back to the past. The brother who used to take medicine with me just to comfort me and the childhood sweetheart who would stay by my side around the clock whenever I was sick—they were no longer the people they once were.

"Jolene, why are you crying?"

Douglas felt a pang in his chest and instinctively reached to wipe my tears, but a nurse walked in.

"The young lady outside just fainted from distress. Someone should tend to her."

Hearing that Mona had passed out, the two hurried out, leaving me alone again.

My phone kept buzzing with messages from Mona.

"Jolene, you're the one who's more injured, so why is everyone fussing over me instead?

"You probably don't know yet, but Marcel has already proposed to me. He said that ever since he met me, he had finally understood what love at first sight really means.

"And Douglas has secretly sold the family's estate behind your back. He said that even if it cost him everything, he would do whatever it took to break off my engagement because he would never let me leave his side.

"To put my mind at ease, he even bought me an expensive good luck charm from a world-renowned tarot reader so that I could have a better future."

…

Strangely, I felt nothing after reading all this.

The following days, I stayed in the hospital alone.

On the first day, Mona sent a video of Douglas letting her ride on his back like a horse. I called some gardeners to uproot the tulips he had planted for me.

On the second day, she sent me a recording of Marcel confessing his love to her by the river. I returned the heirloom he had given me at 17 years old back to his family.

On the third and final day, the Woodrow family sent someone to fetch me.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Greer. Mr. Woodrow sent me to escort you to Kingston."

I nodded. Then, I picked up my luggage and got into the car.

Just then, Douglas suddenly called me, asking, "Jolene, why is your name on the Woodrow family's wedding invitation? What nonsense are you up to again this time?"