chapter 5

Kieran looked at me again.

"Esme, is that what this is about?"

It was not.

Zara had already told me that Kieran had promised to move in with her.

But when a heart was already broken beyond repair, one more crack did not matter.

I just wanted to get away from him. I couldn't stand watching him put on that act anymore or listening to his lies, so I forced myself to nod in silence.

"You said your marriage to her was only on paper. Then why are you living together?"

Kieran hurried to explain, "If we don't, how would anyone believe the baby is mine?

Esme, living next door won't stop me from taking care of you. Since we're helping her, let's see it through. After all, she saved your life. Don't make a fuss over something so small. Don't be petty, all right?"

I nodded, pretending to agree, though inside I could only laugh bitterly.

If I had never got my memory back, would he have kept lying to me for the rest of my life?

Would he keep testing how far I would bend, pushing a little more each time, until there was nothing left to break?

But I still did not understand why.

Was this his way of repaying me for saving his life?

I could not bring myself to ask.

If I confronted him, I had no idea how deep the lies would go. Luckily, we were legally divorced now. I only had to endure a little longer, wait until he was not around, and then I could finally leave for good.

So when Kieran offered to drive me back to the hospital, I did not refuse. I just insisted on taking my luggage with me.

My behavior clearly upset Zara. She thought that even after learning the truth, I still wanted to fight her for Kieran. The next day, she showed up at the hospital.

"You really are pathetic, aren't you? You know Kieran has always loved me, that he's been supporting me, and you still pretend not to know, waiting for him to marry you again?"

I had stayed up all night, waiting for a moment when Kieran was gone so I could leave.

When he finally went out to get breakfast, I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door. But Zara was waiting on the stairs.

I was too exhausted to respond and tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my arm.

We struggled, and I fell hard onto the floor. My right leg twisted against the step, and the pain was so sharp I could barely breathe.

I sat there on the ground, shaking, too broken to even stand.

"Are you okay?"

The next second, Kieran dropped his burger and ran straight toward Zara, who had a small cut on her forehead.

Zara's eyes turned red.

"I'm fine. Go check on Esme. She was trying to leave again, and I was worried she'd hurt herself, so I tried to stop her. I didn't expect her to get so angry and try to push me down the stairs."

When Kieran looked at me, his eyes were cold.

"Where are you going?"

The pain in my leg was unbearable. I reached out to him.

"Help me up. I think I broke my right leg."

Kieran let out a short, bitter laugh.

"Still pretending? Esme, I could take care of you when you lost your leg, but if you've lost your conscience, I can't help you.

"Zara saved your life. You don't have to be grateful, but why hurt her? Why go that far? I've told you before, the marriage between me and Zara was just on paper, only to give her baby a father on record and some protection. Are you really going to keep making a scene over something this small?"

For a moment, I could not even feel the pain in my leg anymore.

Something inside me tore open, so raw that it numbed everything else.