During My Heart Attack, My Boyfriend Chose to Carry Away His Lover

When I had a heart attack, Austen Barton was getting ready to drive his hypoglycemic female friend home.

As he saw me collapse, he held his so-called friend close and sneered. "She's putting on a show again."

That same night, I saw a video on Twitter of him and his friend.

The caption read: [You're the one I'll always choose.]

After logging off Twitter, I calmly replied to a message from my boss, Lyanna Archer.

[Ms. Archer, I agree to the company's plan to transfer me to Elarion. I can leave next week.]

——

[Caitlyn, are you sure you want to go to Elarion?]

[You're not going to turn down this opportunity for your boyfriend again, are you?]

I smiled and typed back: [Ms. Archer, this is a decision I've made after careful consideration. Rest assured, I promise I won't back out this time.]

As I closed my phone, Austen walked through the door.

The moment he stepped in, a sharp, cloying fragrance filled the room.

Like always, he didn't say a word and went straight to the bathroom to shower.

Even through the bathroom door, I could hear Austen laughing, along with the voice of his female friend, Jaelyn Flores, coming from his phone.

After his shower, he finally sat across from me and spoke his first words since he got back.

"You didn't make me dinner?"

He frowned at the pasta on my table.

"I didn't know you'd be home."

I set down my fork and explained earnestly.

"I thought you were staying with Jaelyn. After all, her hypoglycemia is pretty serious, isn't it?"

Austen froze for a moment.

That was when he really looked at me.

Seeing my cold, distant expression, he sighed impatiently and lowered his voice.

"Caitlyn, are you still mad about what happened earlier? You know your heart condition has been stable for years, and you always carry your meds. But Jaelyn, she's different—she's scared of pain."

I continued eating my pasta, but my vision blurred with tears.

"Yeah, I know."

Eight years ago, Austen would never have said something like that.

I had a severe heart condition. Back then, he treated me like I was made of glass, something precious and fragile.

At that time, he would be particularly distressed if I so much as bumped into something.

I remember one time I went to his university and got scratched by a car. Austen was so worried he almost cried.

He scooped me up and rushed me to the hospital, terrified that something worse might happen.

The Austen of the past would never have spoken so casually about my heart disease as the man sitting in front of me now.

Today was our eighth anniversary, and he'd promised to take me to see a new photography exhibit.

But halfway there, he got a call.

The moment he heard the voice on the other end, his expression tightened.

On the screen was a female voice sobbing.

"Austen, I'm so scared right now. My head feels dizzy... I think my hypoglycemia is acting up..."

Seeing his frown, a sense of unease surged within me.

And the next moment, Austen abruptly swerved the car, heading off in another direction.

Without saying a word, he parked the car on the side of the road and ran toward a nearby apartment building.

Two minutes later, he came back down, carrying Jaelyn in his arms.

Because of his abrupt driving, my already sensitive heart was beating erratically, and I felt lightheaded.

Before I could say anything, I passed out, only vaguely hearing Austen's voice.

I heard him say I was faking it.

Later, a kind stranger took me to the hospital, but Austen never showed up, not even once.

As I remained silent, Austen's face grew more and more irritated. Just when he was about to lose his temper, a distinctive ringtone interrupted him.

The moment the sound played, his expression softened into a gentle smile. He grabbed his phone and walked out to the balcony.

Upon watching this, everything became clear to me.

I instinctively opened Jaelyn's Twitter.

As expected, she'd posted something new.

"Hmph, the moment he leaves, I start missing him."

The photo showed Austen cooking for her that evening.

I scrolled through her other posts. Jaelyn's Twitter was filled with updates about Austen.

They worked together and ate together.

The two of them looked like a perfect couple in the midst of a passionate romance.

So many times, I lied to myself, saying they were just friends, just colleagues.

But this time, I couldn't keep deceiving myself anymore.