Love Ends Before Dawn

"I'm sorry, Noria. I know you don’t want me here. I’ll leave right now…"

She suddenly stood up and ran out, forgetting to put on her black cloak. Without a moment's hesitation, David chased after her and I felt a twinge of panic as I hurried out after them.

But as I reached the sunlit ground floor, I saw Claire collapsed on the ground, her face pale.

David pushed me aside and quickly lifted her into the car. I intended to follow them inside, but he locked the car doors and slammed down the accelerator. The sudden movement caused me to stumble forward and I fell to the ground, my knee scraping painfully against the pavement.

The sunlight was warm and inviting, something I usually loved, but at that moment, I felt a chilling dread wash over me.

Later that evening, David returned to grab a change of clothes. I covered my injured knee and hurriedly asked, “How is Claire?”

“She’s going to be hospitalized for a day. I’ll have to compensate for that. You need to stay home and reflect on your mistakes!”

David didn’t even spare me a glance as he turned and headed down the stairs.

Confusion welled up inside me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that her condition couldn’t possibly be severe enough to cause her to faint at the mere sight of sunlight. I wanted to go to the hospital to see if her fear of light was really that extreme.

But as soon as I stepped into the elevator, it malfunctioned.

A piercing noise rang out and then the elevator came to a standstill, the internal lights flickering off. I frantically pressed the alarm button, but there was no response. In the tight, enclosed space, my claustrophobia kicked in, making it harder to breathe.

David shouldn't have gone far and he might be able to help me call the property management, so I quickly dialed his number.

“David, help me! I’m stuck in the elevator and it’s really dark in here…”

David was silent for a moment before responding, “What are you trying to pull now? Noria, I’ve had enough of you. There has to be a limit to your jealousy.”

My voice trembled with unshed tears as I tried to explain that I was really stuck in the elevator. But the next moment, I heard the sound of an engine starting.

“Noria, jealousy has its limits. I don’t have time for your nonsense! Claire was so scared that she was crying. I need to get to the hospital right away.”

He hung up the phone without hesitation.

He was just in the underground parking garage, only a few steps away from the elevator, yet he refused to come up. Fear washed over me like a tidal wave as I curled up on the floor, my consciousness slowly fading.

When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital room. It turned out that the maintenance workers for the elevator had discovered me and promptly taken me to the hospital.

I hung my head, a deep sense of disappointment washing over me.

This time, it wasn’t David who came to my rescue.

He walked in with a furrowed brow and when he saw I was awake, he snorted dismissively. “I told you there was nothing to worry about. Those property guys always overreact...”

I stared at him blankly, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. “Why don’t you believe me? David, I have claustrophobia. I suffered from severe shock when I was trapped in the elevator. I’ve never lied to you. But when I needed you the most, you were with another woman?”

My outpouring of tears seemed to take him by surprise. But in an instant, his expression shifted to anger. “What claustrophobia? That’s just a made-up condition for people with nothing better to do. It’s like those who fear the ocean, do they never go to the beach? It’s all just making a big deal out of nothing. Noria, you have no idea how much Claire envies your ability to be unaffected by light. If she had even half your luck, she wouldn’t be causing trouble like you do every day!”