Lost Me Forever

He paused for a moment, shaking his head with a gentle smile.

"No, why?"

I met Julian's sincere gaze and slowly closed my eyes.

Fine, Julian.

I wish for a future where you're not in it and may we never miss each other.

When I blew out the candles, Julian asked about my wish, but I kept it to myself.

I took the fork from him and forced myself to eat the cake, one painful bite at a time.

I thought pineapple must be the worst fruit in the world!

Sticky and cloying, bitter and astringent.

It wasn't until I was sobbing and hives covered my face that Julian realized something was amiss and tried to take the fork away.

"Wanda, stop eating!"

He snatched the fork away and threw it into the trash.

Holding onto my shoulders, he looked both guilty and furious.

"Why didn’t you say you were allergic? Why did you still eat it?"

I looked at him, smiling through my tears. "Julian, isn’t this version of me ugly?"

Was the me who loved you ugly, too?

Julian took me to the hospital.

While I was on an IV drip, the nurse asked if I had any medication allergies. Julian was about to answer when his phone rang.

I turned my head and saw the caller ID—my Jennie.

Such an intimate name!

Even though she had wronged him for eight years, he still loved her deeply.

Watching him hurry off to take the call in private, I turned back and answered the nurse’s question myself.

When Julian returned, the medicine had left me exhausted and weak.

He propped my head with his hand and bent down to look at me.

"Wanda, I have something urgent to take care of. Be good and stay here for the infusion. I’ll come back to pick you up later."

I grabbed the hem of his shirt and stared directly into his eyes as he turned back to look at me.

"Julian, I'm having an allergic reaction."

His brow creased in annoyance, a look I'd never seen on him before.

"Wanda, you're not a child anymore. I’ve already told you—I have something urgent to handle. Don't be childish."

I slowly let go of his shirt.

At that moment, I finally understood. He was no longer the Julian who would do anything to protect me.

Seeing me let go, Julian ran out without looking back.

I watched his retreating figure and memories of when I was fifteen resurfaced. Back then, a group of debt collectors had shown up at my school.

Julian was in the middle of a vast business deal when he got a call from my teacher. He abandoned the deal worth millions and rushed to my school without a second thought. He broke three debt collectors' ribs at the school gates with his bare hands.

His hand was injured, blood streaming from his knuckles, but he still stood in front of me and warned them.

"His brother said he’ll pay off all the debts in five years. But if any of you dare to bother her again, I, Julian, will do whatever it takes to banish you from Blouver."

After they left, he pulled me into his arms and comforted me softly.

"Don’t be scared. As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you."

I stared at his bloodied hand and clung tightly to his waist.

At that very moment, my heart fluttered and I fell irrevocably in love with the man who'd shielded me, drawn to his warmth.

Even billion-dollar deals couldn't be considered 'urgent' to him, but now a single phone call from Jennie had achieved that.

Despite my best efforts to stay awake, the medication eventually took hold. I didn't know when I fell asleep, but I was awakened by a nurse gently patting my face.

When she saw me open my eyes, she sighed in relief.

"Where is your boyfriend? How could he leave you alone here for an infusion? This isn't just a common cold, allergy patients can't be left alone. What if you faint or go into shock? What if you miss the best chance for rescue?"