A Heart Imprisoned by Compassion

I signed the agreement with trembling hands.

Wayne finally smiled in satisfaction and handed the papers to Alma.

She grinned triumphantly, waving the agreement at me.

“Thanks so much, Jocelyn.

“I’ll bring my mother over so she can officially live in the old house with me. She’s going to be so happy!”

I was too furious to reply. I just turned around to look at Wayne.

“You’ll release BunBun now, right?”

He nodded and signaled the bodyguards to let BunBun go. He bent down and was about to help me.

Suddenly, Alma screamed in panic.

“Ahh! Help!

“My wheelchair is acting up!”

She yelled as her electric wheelchair suddenly surged backward.

In a flash, the wheelchair rolled straight over BunBun, crushing him under its weight before hitting the wall and stopping.

“Ouch! My leg! It hurts!”

She could still scream in ‘pain’.

Meanwhile, BunBun could not move at all. The full weight of the wheelchair combined with Alma had rolled over him, crushing him. He let out one last pitiful, piercing yelp before going completely still.

Wayne did not even spare him a glance. He stepped over BunBun’s lifeless body.

He scooped up a pale-faced Alma and comforted her in a gentle voice, “It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Then, he left in a hurry.

I scrambled and crawled toward Bunbun, only to see blood already trickling from the corner of his mouth.

I grabbed the vet’s hand and screamed, “Save him!

“He’s not breathing! You’re a doctor. Do something!”

The vet checked BunBun’s nose for breathing and shook his head.

“Miss Peay, he’s gone.”

A ring exploded in my ears.

I could not even remember how I went through the motions of carrying BunBun’s body to the crematorium. I was like a walking corpse that afternoon.

I had no family left.

My mother was long gone. My father had been unfaithful.

The only other ones who ever truly loved me were my fiancé and my dog.

Now, Wayne had betrayed me, and BunBun was dead.

As I stood beside the blazing furnace, I felt a chill that pierced every bone in my body.

My phone vibrated.

It was a message from Wayne.

[It was just a little pressure. BunBun could still make a sound, so he should be okay, right?]

[Alma was more shaken than he was. I’ll stay at the hospital with her tonight. Since the agreement is signed, I’ll cancel tomorrow’s lawsuit. Don’t be upset. From now on, I’ll love you even more!]

I did not reply.

I picked up BunBun’s ashes. My gaze fell on the ring on my middle finger, and all I felt was bitter irony.

Love?

Screw love.

Wayne knew exactly how much that would hurt me, yet he did it anyway.

That was not a mistake. That was a choice.

Given the choice between love and pain, he chose pain, and he did it so deliberately.

It was unforgivable.

I did not cancel the lawsuit scheduled for the afternoon. I spent the night packing and left our home.

I pulled off the ring that had once proven we were in love and threw it on the coffee table.

The ring felt like trash, and Wayne’s love felt even worse.

My phone buzzed again.

It was a flight alert.

[Miss Jocelyn Peay, your ticket for CA8785 from North City to San Francino has been successfully booked. Departure time: 10:15 AM, the day after tomorrow. Wishing you a safe trip!]

There was another vibration. This time, it was from a number I did not recognize.

[Miss Peay, I looked into it. Alma was never in any car accident.]