I Saw Her Regret Post Ten Years On

Gregory's POV

My breath hitched. The blood in my veins ran cold.

I would've been alive? Did that mean I would be dead ten years from now?

I forced myself to stay calm and cautiously tested the waters with Winter, asking how I had died, but she didn't seem interested in hiding anything. Her replies came in rapid succession.

"Because he was stubborn.

"After I forced him to call off the engagement, his grandma died. But it was just an accident.

"The day my man went to see her, he accidentally let it slip about us. She got too worked up and didn't make it through the emergency."

A chill ran through my body. She was talking about Simon visiting Grandma, who was the only family I had left in the world.

"Of course, he didn't mean it. He only wanted to invite her to our engagement party."

I couldn't hold back anymore. "And you believed whatever he said?" I asked, my heart breaking,

She didn't seem to mind. "Of course. I know him. He's straightforward and doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve, unlike that person."

My hands went slack.

Fine. Simon was straightforward and generous, the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve. Meanwhile, I was nothing more than a rat in the gutter, always calculating and scheming.

"And what happened next?" I asked.

"He lost it after that. He tried to go after my man.

"I lost control and shoved him. He lost his balance and fell into the path of a car changing lanes.

"There was blood everywhere. He almost didn't make it."

Winter's replies were concise, but each one struck me like a blade driven straight into my heart.

"I felt a bit of regret afterward, so I tried to take care of him. But after he woke up, his mental state deteriorated.

"So, I had him sent to a psychiatric hospital. But then…

"Last week, he suddenly relapsed and killed himself in the hospital."

My screen dimmed after a few minutes of inactivity. By then, I was already in tears.

So that was my ending, huh?

I could barely breathe. Cold sweat broke out all over my body. My hands wouldn't stop trembling, and waves of nausea kept rising in my throat.

In the end, I bolted out the door and rushed to the nursing home.

…

Grandma was sitting peacefully by the window, basking in the sunlight. When she saw me, her eyes crinkled with a smile. She opened her mouth, like she was about to say something.

I cut her off in a hurry. "Grandma, I've thought it through. I want to study abroad instead. Would you come with me?"

No matter what, I couldn't leave her here alone.

Grandma froze for a moment, not understanding what was going on. Still, she nodded. "Well, of course, Gregory. I'll follow you wherever you go. But what about Winter? You two—"

"She has nothing to do with me anymore, Grandma," I said firmly. "You must remember this from now on. I don't like Winter, and I am never going to marry her."

She looked at me in confusion, but still agreed in the end. The weight in my chest finally lifted. I let out a breath of relief.

After chatting with Grandma for a while, I got up to leave. To my surprise, two figures blocked me at the door.

Winter's expression was gloomy as she stared at me. My heart tightened. I had no idea how much she had heard.

Beside her, Simon spoke first. "Gregory, did you and Winter have a fight or something? Is that why you said you don't like her? Come on, don't argue anymore. If you're upset, just take it out on me."

He even spread his arms wide. "Here. Punch me. Let it all out."

The moment he stepped forward, Winter immediately grabbed his wrist in panic. "What are you doing? Your injury hasn't healed yet."

A small bandage sat on Simon's finger. I lowered my gaze, looking at the thick bandages that had wrapped around my hand for a week. It was still bleeding through the gauze.

Winter followed my line of sight. She looked somewhat awkward before clearing her throat. "Let's talk at home. Your hand—"

"No," I cut her off, looking up at her with a faint smile. "You heard what I said. Let's stay out of each other's lives from now on, Winter."