The Heart I Gave You

But now, what's beating in his chest is my heart.

When he looks at me, there's only endless coldness left.

Alex's words didn't calm Lola's anger. To vent her fury—and rid herself of the jealousy gnawing at her—she grabbed my hair and dragged me from inside the house all the way outside.

My calf scraped across broken glass, leaving a winding trail of blood. Lola looked disgusted and grabbed a basin of cold water, dumping it over me.

"Back then you made Alex kneel here and let people mock him." She sneered down at me. "Today I'll let you experience what that feels like!"

I knew she wanted to humiliate me. I knew none of them wanted me to have it easy. I knew how much Alex hated me.

Chatter erupted all around. Everyone was laughing at me—laughing at me for not knowing my place, for bringing this on myself, for being fickle and willingly cheap.

Even Alex's little brother couldn't help but chime in. "Back then Alex treated you so well. If you hadn't left, the Mrs. Harding today would've been you..."

If I hadn't left, if I hadn't done what I did, Alex wouldn't have lived to see today at all.

I clenched my teeth, refusing to let my tears fall. But my body still trembled uncontrollably from the cold.

Winter in Harbor City doesn't freeze people to death. But that surgery had left my body weak. An ordinary chill could take my life at any time.

I curled up on the ground, rubbing my arms over and over, but I still couldn't hold off the bone-piercing wind—or Alex's icy gaze.

Seven years. I'd endured alone in this swamp of a place for seven years. The beating of the artificial heart was gradually weakening. My life was coming to an end.

I lifted my head to look at Alex one last time. And suddenly, I understood how he felt seven years ago.

At the end of life, at the last moment of a lifetime—I was just like he'd been back then. Humble. Helpless. Begging for the person I loved to turn back and look at me one more time.

But there was nothing.

Seven years ago, I didn't turn back. Seven years later, Alex didn't either.

Until the moment the darkness of death swallowed me, all I heard was an unfamiliar voice.

"Alex Harding, what the hell are you doing!" Third Master's voice cut through the noise. "Josephine gave her heart to you to save you. If you don't know how to be grateful, fine—but do you have to make her die one more time before you're satisfied!"