When Time Betrays the Heart

Scarlett spent three days in the hospital.

Calvin and Eugene stopped by frequently, though their visits never lasted more than a few minutes before they'd head out again.

They never said it, but Scarlett could tell they were busy looking after Sharon. Every time they came, Sharon would send her snide texts.

"Calvin made fish chowder for me. I told him I couldn't eat it all, so I had him bring the rest to you. You've probably already had a taste of the leftovers, right?

"I dozed off for ten minutes, and Calvin and Eugene went to see you, didn't they? I mean, it makes sense. They're always busy trying to keep me entertained when I'm awake. How would they have time to think about you otherwise?"

Her eyelashes fluttered as memories of the time she'd been hospitalized for appendicitis at 16 came rushing back. Back then, Eugene and Calvin had stayed by her side without leaving for a second.

They took turns blowing on her soup to cool it down before she could drink it. Every time she went for a check-up, they were more nervous than she was, worried something might go wrong.

But everything had changed for good. She no longer needed a boyfriend or a brother like either of them.

On the day she was discharged, Scarlett took care of the paperwork on her own. She saw Calvin, Eugene, and Sharon when she reached the entrance.

Sharon took her hand and offered her a warm smile. "Calvin and Eugene have been so busy trying to find time for me that they've fallen behind on work, Scarlett. How about we all head back together?"

A chill ran through Scarlett at the look on Sharon's face, and she turned her down without hesitation. "I'll take a cab."

Calvin's and Eugene's expressions darkened. "You're not fully recovered yet. Why take a cab? I'll have the driver take you both home."

With that, they shoved Scarlett into the passenger seat and closed the door. After Sharon slipped gracefully into the back, the car pulled away.

The persistent feeling that something bad was about to happen kept gnawing at Scarlett.

When they reached the outskirts of the city, Sharon, who hadn't said a word the entire ride, suddenly ordered the driver to pull over. She sent the driver on his way, slid behind the wheel, and turned to face Scarlett.

"Relax, it's been five years. I've gotten a lot better. I'm not going to get us killed this time," she said.

Cold sweat prickled Scarlett's skin, her hand reaching instinctively for the door handle. But Sharon snapped the locks shut, slammed her foot on the gas, and shot the car forward at full speed.

Scarlett's heart pounded as she clung to the seat, holding on with all her might.

Noticing the fear in her eyes, Sharon chuckled, her voice calm and measured. "You weren't the one who bolted after the crash. What's got you so rattled? Are bad memories coming back? I can see why. Those years behind bars really left their mark on you, didn't they?"

She turned on the car's screen, and a surveillance video appeared on the screen.

When Scarlett saw herself cornered and assaulted in a restroom by a group of people, her eyes went wide with shock. Her own screams—sharp and agonizing—echoed in the car.

It was as if unseen hands had grabbed her, yanking her back to the dark days she'd endured in prison. Against her will, her mind replayed the relentless assault of hard fists and wooden clubs that had battered her without mercy.

The cold wind outside the window brushed against her, and more than once, she had the feeling of being trapped in that walk-in freezer once again.

Scarlett watched the footage on the screen and felt the scars she thought had healed begin to throb faintly. Overcome by a raw, visceral reaction, she started pounding on the car door like someone possessed, desperate to break free.

Sharon seized the chance to turn off the video, unbuckled her seatbelt, and switched on the car's dash cam. The camera immediately captured Scarlett's frantic screams as she begged to be let out.

She gripped Sharon's hand, her nails pressing in hard enough to leave marks. Sharon pretended to be in pain, striking the steering wheel several times.

With a deafening crash, the car slammed into the guardrail on the right side.

Scarlett was thrown violently against the window. A streak of crimson blood trickled down the shattered glass, and her vision blurred as she began to fade in and out of consciousness.

After the blare of sirens, Scarlett barely caught a surge of loud voices. With all the strength she had, she forced her eyelids open and saw Calvin and Eugene.

The two men stood by Sharon's hospital bed, their voices shaking with desperation as they demanded answers from the doctor. "Why hasn't the surgery begun? What if something happens to Sharon?"

"Mr. Letcher, Mr. Eugene, please try to stay calm. The hospital's blood bank is running low, and we only could handle one surgery at the moment. Ms. Sharon's injuries aren't as severe. I strongly recommend we prioritize Ms. Scarlett's surgery. If we don't, her life could be at risk."

Eugene and Calvin exchanged a look, uncertainty flashing in both their eyes.

In the tense silence that followed, a nurse hurried in and announced that the operating room was ready, asking which patient should be taken in first.

Without hesitation, Calvin and Eugene shouted the same name in unison, "Sharon!"

At that moment, Scarlett felt the last of her strength fade away. Her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, and she allowed herself to sink into the darkness.