Selena's phone buzzed.

It was a post from Vanessa, letting everyone know she was fine.

"Thank you all for your concern. I'm okay now. And thank you, Ian, for always being by my side when I need you. I'll use the rest of my life to repay you."

The attached photo showed Vanessa lying in a hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with Ian's as he sat beside her. They looked like the perfect couple.

Selena barely glanced at it before locking her phone and tossing it aside.

She and Ian were over.

Whatever Vanessa's intentions were—whether to flaunt her victory or provoke her—Selena didn't care. She would feel neither joy nor sorrow.

That night, she made herself a warm dinner and went to bed.

For the first time in years, with the house empty, she finally slept soundly.

The next morning, she brewed herself a cup of hand-ground coffee, sat in a wicker chair in the yard, and listened to the morning radio as she stretched.

For the first time, free from the weight of family burdens, she truly enjoyed the feeling of simply being alive.

She should have done this long ago.

After breakfast, she returned to her room, intending to gather all the gifts Ian had given her and send them back to him.

But as she went through them, she realized there were barely any.

The few gifts he had given her over the years were nothing but cheap trinkets, things that had meant the world to her at the time, things she had carefully stored away in a drawer like treasures.

Yet now, as she pulled them out, she saw they had yellowed with age, mold creeping along their edges.

It was just like Ian's so-called love.

Selena shook her head.

Ian was a germaphobe. He wouldn't want them back.

So, she tossed everything into a metal bin, along with every photo of them together, and set it all ablaze. The flames roared, devouring every last trace of the past.

Once this was over, she went to collect the paperwork to withdraw from school. She planned to spend the last few days traveling and clearing her mind.

She was scrolling through travel guides when Ian showed up.

Unlike her, relaxed and at peace, he looked like he hadn't slept all night.

Ryan had told him about the returned gifts and how Selena had barely reacted. He didn't believe it. He knew how much she had loved him. He couldn't accept that she would be so indifferent.

However, he saw the burned gifts and photos in the metal bin outside.

These were things Selena had once cherished, but now she had discarded them like garbage.

"Why did you burn everything?" His voice trembled.

Selena lifted her gaze to his pale face.

"They were moldy, so I burned them," she said in a flat voice.

Ian froze. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he scoffed. "You did this on purpose. You knew I'd come, so you put on this whole act, trying to play hard to get, hoping I'd come back to you. Selena, why do you always have to be so unreasonable?"

He turned to leave, frustration boiling over, until his eyes landed on the papers on her coffee table.

It was the withdrawal paperwork.

His mind went blank.

"You're withdrawing from school? Was it because we asked you to hand over the patent to Vanessa?" His voice was shrill.

"Say something. Where are you going?"

Panic surged through him as he grabbed her arm.

Selena was right in front of him. He could see her and touch her. Yet, for some reason, he had this feeling that she would disappear forever.

Selena wasn't planning to tell him the truth just yet.

"I'm a little tired. I'm taking time off from school for a few days to travel nearby. I won't go far."

She turned her phone around and showed him the travel guide she had been reading.

Seeing that she wasn't lying, Ian finally relaxed a little and let go of her arm. "That's more like it. I knew you wouldn't be so petty. It's just a patent. You can always come up with another one."

Just then, his phone rang. It was Ryan from the hospital.

"Ian, where did you go? Vanessa woke up and freaked out when she didn't see you. Her condition got worse, and now she's throwing herself against the walls. She's bleeding a lot. Get back here now!"

Ian rushed to leave, but before stepping out, he turned back to remind Selena, "Go ahead and travel if you want, just don't go too far from home."

Selena smiled without saying a word.

'Don't worry. I won't go too far. Just far enough that you'll never find me.'

As he passed by the pile of burned ashes in the courtyard, Ian frowned, feeling strangely uneasy. But he quickly brushed it off. She had already been so heartless. There was no reason for him to feel guilty about someone like her.

Yet, he still couldn't shake the feeling that Selena was hiding something from him.

'Don't overthink it. Where could she even go? Right now, taking care of Vanessa is what matters. I can't afford to get distracted.'

With that thought in mind, Ian turned away and left Selena behind once again.

-

Over the next few days, Selena joined a tour group and visited all the major landmarks in the city. Everyone around her was her age, and the atmosphere was lively. They watched the sunset from mountaintops, sang songs, and barbecued under the stars.

Here, there was no family to disappoint her and no love to break her heart. The more she experienced, the more she realized that people should live for themselves.

The last stop of the trip was a high-end restaurant by a garden.

Selena found a seat by the window, ready to enjoy a quiet afternoon.

The restaurant doors swung open.

It was Vanessa.

Today was also the day she was due to be discharged from the hospital.

The entire family was here to celebrate.

They took the most prominent table in the room. There were gifts, champagne, and a cake. Everything Selena had never received was now laid out in front of Vanessa. She was like a princess with endless treasures at her feet.

Zachary poured Vanessa a drink.

Ian frowned at the sight. "Zachary, Vanessa just got out of the hospital. She shouldn't be drinking."

"Oh, come on," Zachary scoffed. "If she doesn't drink with me, this wine will just go to waste. If that's the case, why don't you drink on her behalf?"

"Don't worry, Ian." Vanessa leaned in close to Ian, her voice soft. "Zachary is in a good mood today. I don't want to spoil the fun. Just a little won't hurt."

The way she pressed close to Ian made it obvious that they were a loving couple.

Ryan immediately chimed in, "Forget the drink. Why don't you two just kiss instead?"

Zachary's eyes lit up. "Now that's a good idea. If you kiss, I won't make Vanessa drink."

Vanessa's face turned bright red, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she glanced up at Ian, her gaze filled with coy anticipation.

Ian felt his throat go dry under her heated stare.

As he hesitated, Vanessa suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

Ian was caught off guard and instinctively wanted to push her away. But as her soft lips pressed against his, her warm body molding against him, he finally gave in to her advances. His breath quickened, and his resolve crumbled. He kissed her back just as passionately.

Before, Selena had once given him a light peck on the cheek in front of their friends without asking first, and Ian had been so angry that he had ignored her for days.

So, it turned out Ian was never the reserved type. He was only as cold as ice when it came to her.

Selena felt sick.

She got up and walked toward the exit.

As she stepped outside, Ian caught sight of her. Startled, he shoved Vanessa away. Only then did the others notice Selena's presence.

Just as she reached the door, Vanessa caught up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Selena, it's not what you think–"

"Let go." Selena frowned. She was unwilling to listen to any explanation.

However, Vanessa refused to let go. Instead, her grip tightened.

"Tell me, if I fell down right here, do you think your family would believe it was you who pushed me?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Vanessa let out a piercing scream and dramatically threw herself backward, shattering the restaurant's glass wall.

When the Carter family rushed over, they were met with a gruesome sight. Vanessa lay amidst the shattered glass, blood streaming from her head. Her body was covered in deep cuts.

"Selena, are you insane? Were you trying to kill her?" Ryan shrieked and rushed to cradle Vanessa in his arms.

Selena hadn't even spoken before Zachary slapped her across the face.

"Vile woman."

The force sent Selena crashing to the ground, blood spilling from her mouth mixed with a broken tooth.

She opened her mouth to explain.

But when she met the eyes of her own family, she saw that they were filled with hatred, fury, and an almost desperate desire to tear her apart.

The words got stuck in her throat.

Her blood relatives only believed Vanessa, an outsider. No matter what she said, it would be seen as a lie and a crime beyond redemption.

Nestled in Ryan's embrace, Vanessa let out a choked sob.

"Selena, if you hate me, just say so. I'll disappear from this world forever. If you blame me for taking Ian away, I can give him back to you. As long as it makes you happy, I'll do anything. Please just don't hit me again."

Her pitiful performance left the Carter family on the verge of tears.

"Selena, did you do this because you think Vanessa stole me from you?" Ian looked at Selena in disbelief.

Selena stared blankly at him.

Then, she let out a chuckle, spitting blood as she laughed. It turned out laughing was still possible even when one was emotionally numb.

Seeing her laughing at a time like this only deepened Ian's disappointment.

"You know, I don't even hate you anymore," he said. "What I hate is my past self. How blind I was to have ever loved someone as vile as you. You should just die. I hope you drop dead this very second."

With that, he turned away and left, carrying Vanessa to the hospital with the rest of the Carter family.

Selena watched them leave, but her laughter wouldn't stop.

Passersby thought she had lost her mind.

She lay there for a long time and couldn't get up.

Her heart had been torn to shreds and left in ruins. It was so hollow and broken that it no longer felt pain. Her gaze held neither hatred nor anger. Instead, there was only a numb indifference.

It didn't matter anymore.

In three days, they would never see her ever again.

-

When she returned home, the laughter inside immediately fell silent. Everyone turned to look at her with the same expression.

'How do you still have the nerve to come back?'

She was like a stray dog that had been beaten and thrown out, only to crawl back on broken legs.