I Saved Him, Then Watched Him Fall

Halle's POV

As soon as I opened my eyes, Maggie rushed to the basement door, pounding on it in a panic.

“Open the door! Let us out!”

A cold voice came from the other side.

“You’re being way too loud. She’s awake, isn’t she? That means she’s fine. Mr. Stanley said she injured Miss Brewer today. She needs to stay down there and reflect. Once she realizes her mistake, she can come out.”

Maggie’s eyes turned red with fury, and her voice cracked with desperation.

“Can’t you see she’s injured?! If we don’t get her to a hospital, the wound will get infected. If she dies, can you live with that?”

There was a long pause before the person outside spoke again, this time with uncertainty.

“I… I don’t have the authority to decide that. Just wait. I’ll go ask Mr. Stanley.”

I was losing blood fast, and the fever had kicked in. Everything started to blur. Before I passed out again, I heard Maggie sobbing quietly by my side.

“Please hang in there, ma’am. We’ll be at the hospital soon.”

When I finally came to, I found myself staring blankly at the ceiling of a hospital room.

Mom used to warn me, saying Alexis was complicated, and that being with him would only bring pain.

But when he stayed behind to recover, he was gentle and attentive.

When I got bored keeping vigil at the grave, he’d tell me funny stories to make me laugh. That’s when I started falling for him.

Later, he blamed me for keeping him from returning to the capital, making him miss seeing Janice before she got married.

But if he had left back then, his enemies would’ve killed him on the road.

Honestly, Janice didn’t have to marry anyone. She only rushed into another man’s arms because she thought Alexis was dead.

And Alexis knew that. He just didn’t want to believe it.

So instead, he blamed me.

Now that Janice was back, I guess it was time for me to step aside.

The door then creaked open and I thought it was Alexis, so I instinctively looked up, but it was Roy.

“Ma’am,” he said, “the spiritualist said that all those years you spent near the graves… the dark energy clinging to you is making Miss Brewer even sicker.”

“So, Mr. Stanley wants you to go to the church and pray for her recovery. The car’s already waiting out front.”

I still held onto hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d show me some shred of concern. But clearly, I was just fooling myself.

I tried to sit up, but Maggie stepped in front of me.

“Ma’am, please—you can’t just get up like this. The doctor said you need rest. You’re still healing.”

I shook my head.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

Once Alexis made up his mind, there was no point arguing. Fighting back only left me more bruised.

Outside the hospital, two cars waited. I walked automatically toward Alexis’s.

But as I reached for the door, the window rolled down, and his cold, expressionless face looked back at me.

“Halle, take the other car.”

Then Janice peeked out from his arms, her voice trembling. “Alexis… please, tell Miss Halle to stay away. Just being near her makes my heart hurt. I can barely breathe…”

Quickly, he turned to me sharply. “Didn’t you hear her? Leave! Now!”

I lowered my head and slowly made my way to the second car, careful not to strain the wound on my stomach.

Behind me, I heard him scoff.

“Still playing the pitiful victim? Who are you trying to fool this time?”

My steps faltered. His words cut deeper than the wound ever could.

I remembered the day I took a bullet for him, shielding him during that ambush on our trip back to the capital.

He held me in his arms, his voice shaking as he promised he’d never let me get hurt again—that he’d protect me for the rest of my life.

Now? He was the one hurting me.

My eyes stung with unshed tears. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I forced myself forward and yanked open the car door.

The ride to the church felt surreal.

In the front car, Alexis and Janice acted like they were on some casual road trip, frequently stopping to admire the view.