The Way We Were

Before I left, there was only one person I wanted to say goodbye to.

After that, I would have no more ties, no more attachments.

The cemetery caretaker recognized me and smiled as he greeted me. "Hello, Miss. Back to see Ms. Lane again?"

Every year around this time, I made it a point to visit Mia.

I placed a bouquet of white lilies in front of her grave.

"Mia, I'm leaving."

A gentle breeze swept by. In the photo on her tombstone, she still looked as warm as ever.

After that, I left the cemetery and wandered aimlessly down the street.

The sweet scent of baked goods wafted from a nearby cake shop.

I suddenly remembered the cakes Timothy and Christopher had bought for me a long time ago. Even though the frosting was cheap, it was the truest form of sweetness.

My phone vibrated incessantly, and I opened it to see birthday messages for me.

It came from the Kingsley family members, accompanied by a large sum of money. Even though I refused to return to the Kingsley family, they still routinely sent me holiday greetings and gifts every year.

Isabella had posted something two hours ago. It was a photo of three movie tickets, the latest ones.

Before I realized it, I found myself standing in front of the old orphanage. It had been turned into an amusement park, and even at night, it was still bustling with activity.

"Lena!" Isabella spotted me and came running over, a smile on her face. "You're here too? I'm a little down today, and Tim and Chris insisted on bringing me out to have some fun."

Her sudden closeness made me instinctively uncomfortable.

Then, a strange smile flashed across Isabella's face. She suddenly grabbed my hand and fell backward.

A speeding electric bike came out of nowhere, knocking us both off our feet.

From Timothy and Christopher's perspective, it looked like I had pushed her into the path of the bike.

All the way to the hospital, Timothy and Christopher's faces were visibly dark. Isabella's forehead and leg were bleeding, but they didn't spare a glance at me, even though my face had gone as pale as a ghost.

The electric bike had run over my right hand, and it felt like it didn't even belong to me anymore.

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse informed Timothy that there was only one doctor on duty that night.

"Get Bella into surgery first! She's a young woman—she can't have scars!" Christopher shouted as soon as he stepped into the hospital.

Isabella's injuries, though shocking at first glance, were superficial and mostly just scrapes. It was something any person with basic first-aid knowledge would recognize.

The nurse glanced at my twisted hand. "Mr. Spencer, we can treat Ms. Stewart's injuries, but this young lady's condition is more severe. If she isn't treated immediately, her right hand…"

"Just start with Bella's surgery!" Christopher and Timothy's voices were in unison, their tone firm and final.

My face had turned ghostly pale. If I lost this hand, I wouldn't be able to hold a paintbrush again.

"Tim, Chris... Can I please get surgery first? My hand hurts so much!" I pleaded.

"Helena, why are you doing this to Bella?

"Don't forget—you're an orphan! If I hadn't taken you in, you would've starved on the streets!" Timothy shouted. "From today on, Bella is my sister. Don't even think about hurting her!

"If it weren't for you, Bella wouldn't have been hurt in the first place! Your injury didn't even break skin! Stop acting like it's a big deal!"

He slapped me, sending me crashing to the ground. My face drained of color instantly.

It wasn't until my hand hung limply at an unnatural angle that he finally realized something was wrong.

"Lena... are you okay?"