Falling Petals, Light as a Dream

To buy Adam Walter time to escape, I endured three hours of torment, leaving half my body paralyzed. No one ever spoke of it again.

In front of the national media, Adam kissed my paralyzed left arm and asked,

“Aila, will you marry me?”

That night, I couldn’t sleep from excitement. But late into the night, I overheard him talking to his friends.

“Don’t you think she’s filthy and disgusting?” His voice was calm, each word piercing my heart.

“She became half-paralyzed because of other men and now I have to take care of her? What kind of sense does that make?”

“I have money. I’ll give her three million, thirty million, or even three hundred million. Anything—just to make her let me go.”

The next morning, I packed my belongings calmly.

“System, you said before that once I complete my mission, I can take two things with me—anything at all, right?”

[Yes, host.]

“Then I want Adam’s wealth and his health.”

***

"On the day of the proposal, the ceremony was grand beyond belief."

I had never seen Adam so nervous. Kneeling in front of my wheelchair, he held my paralyzed left hand and kissed the back of it in front of all the live-streaming cameras.

He wanted to show the world that my paralysis didn’t bother him.

“Aila, will you marry me?”

I was so overwhelmed that I said “yes” three times in a row. Adam’s hands trembled as he tried to place the ring on my finger.

When we returned home, a wedding dress designer was already waiting to take my measurements.

“Will the dress look bad because of my paralysis?” I asked hesitantly.

Adam leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “You’ll look beautiful in anything.”

His tender gaze gradually eased my insecurities.

That afternoon, Adam left for the office. As he walked out the door, he looked reluctant to leave, turning back as if he wanted to stay.

He returned late at night, but it didn’t seem like he was alone. I wheeled myself to the hallway and overheard their conversation.

“Is she asleep?” a woman asked in a low voice.

“She sleeps early—she’s sick, after all,” Adam replied.

“What’s your plan? If you really marry her, what happens to Robin?”

I froze. Robin? Wasn’t she Adam’s assistant?

“Adam, you’re not actually planning to marry that useless woman, are you? Don’t forget—three years ago, she was… well, you know, with six men...”

My grip on the doorframe tightened until splinters pierced my skin.

“Adam, you’re not the same as before. You don’t have to waste your life on someone like her.”

“She helped you back then, but that doesn’t mean you owe her forever!”

I wanted to believe that Adam wasn’t that kind of person. Everyone in US knew how deeply he loved me.

But within three minutes, I realized how laughable my faith in him was.

“I think she’s disgusting too,” Adam said, exhaling a puff of smoke.

The room fell silent. No one dared speak. The only sound was the rhythmic inhale and exhale of Adam smoking his cigarette.

“Do you know how long I vomited after that proposal ceremony? Paralyzed people smell rotten,” he said coldly.

“Adam, why didn’t you tell us earlier? We all thought you were serious about her,” one of his friends said hesitantly.

I staggered backward, clutching my chest. My breathing grew rapid and it felt like I couldn’t get enough air.

Adam hadn’t just deceived me—he had fooled everyone.

The diamond ring on my finger sparkled faintly in the dark. I clenched it tightly, my fingers turning white from the pressure.

“Why should I take care of someone who became paralyzed after being played with by so many men? That’s absurd!” Adam’s voice was sharp and unyielding.

One of his friends nodded in agreement. “You’ve suffered enough these past few years, Adam. Even if she helped you back then, it’s time to move on.”

“Call off the engagement,” another friend suggested.

Adam took a long drag of his cigarette, seemingly lost in thought.