A Love Gone Cold

Pain spread from head to toe, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

Harvey yanked me upright, then waved me off impatiently.

"Get out, Jenna. You're pretentious."

With a hand over my aching stomach, I fled in humiliation.

Harvey, I didn't care if you were really sick or just pretending. I didn't want to be with you anymore!

Back at home, I quickly packed my things. Over the past four years, I had gathered more than a few possessions.

I accidentally knocked over a book. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

It was a love letter Harvey had written to me when he was courting me. He had neat and vibrant handwriting.

Then, he had only been eighteen.

We were like a cliché TV drama. He was eighteen and reckless with his affection, while I fell for him helplessly. At twenty-three, he developed kidney failure.

I secretly donated one of my kidneys to him.

As a result, I became gravely ill. We were only a few wards apart in the hospital. The doctor asked if I wanted to see him one last time in case I didn't make it, but I refused.

I loved him too much to let him see me in such a pitiful state.

Later, I recovered. He found out the truth, and we patched things up. He practically glued himself to my side, guarding me and keeping me company.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

I laughed bitterly and burned every love letter along with our wedding photos. I let them all go up in flames.

I felt cramps in my stomach. Curling up on the bed, I told myself, 'Just sleep. If you sleep, it won't hurt.'

I was finally drifting off.

Suddenly, a woman's giggle echoed from the master bedroom. I felt an ache in my chest. I got up to check and found what should have been locked in the safe scattered everywhere.

Our family portrait was torn to pieces.

Katie was now wearing the jewelry my parents left me, and Harvey was looking at her affectionately.

When she saw me, she smirked and showed off.

"Jenna, Harvey opened the safe so I could pick whatever I wanted. You don't mind, do you?"

I held in the pain and took slow steps toward her. I reached for the necklace at her throat. My voice came out rough and hoarse.

"Give me back my things."

Before I could touch Katie, Harvey grabbed my wrist hard.

"You're losing it over a dead woman's junk?"

"Harvey," I said his name softly.

A tear slid down my cheek. For a moment, his expression flickered, and he almost reached to wipe it away. I avoided his touch.

"Let's get a divorce."

His expression darkened instantly. He seized me by the neck.

"Jenna, no matter how much time has passed, you're still as pretentious as ever."

I smiled bitterly.

I reached again for what Katie was holding, but Harvey hurled me to the ground.

He toyed with a bracelet in his hand before lifting it to the window.

"You want it? Go get it yourself."

I stumbled outside and searched in the bushes until exhaustion left me trembling, but I couldn't find it.

From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the ring still on my finger. My eyes welled with tears. In the next second, I slid it off.

Numbly, I dug into the dirt and buried the ring. It was the thing I had once treasured most.

I stayed crouched there until my legs went numb before staggering back inside.

I crashed into Harvey's chest. He caught my wrist.

His expression was solemn yet strange.

"Jenna, what kind of person are you really?"

I shook my head and avoided his touch.

He recoiled as if I were something filthy before letting out a bitter, disdainful chuckle.

The car accident had turned Harvey into someone else. Most of the time, he hated me enough to wish I would die right in front of him. But sometimes, glimpses of the old tenderness still broke through.

After all these years, I couldn't even tell if he was acting or being genuine.

It didn't matter anymore. Soon, I'd be leaving with my brother anyway.