Sinead was woken up by a barrage of messages from Nelson.

He had sent dozens in a row, all asking when she was coming over. All she could feel was bitterness in her heart. 'Nelson, do you have any idea how cruel you are?'

Her hand trembled as she typed a single line: [I'm not feeling well today. I'm not coming.]

A short while later, Jackson and Liana knocked on her door.

"Sinead, even if you're mad at Nelson, this isn't the time for that," Liana said.

"Hurry up and get changed, then go over to his home. You have no idea how seriously he's taking this date. He has liked that girl from the Johnson family for years. As soon as he heard she was back in the country, he went straight to me and asked me to make the introduction," Liana continued.

"That's right," Jackson added. "She studied piano with me for a while, so I personally went over there to set this meeting up. Everything's quite formal, from what I heard, whether it's the dinner or the gifts. He asked you to go over so you can liven things up and make her feel less awkward. Nelson is serious this time. How can you not help him when you two are so close?"

So, when Nelson realized she was not going, he had actually called her parents?!

Listening to their earnest words, Sinead could only choke back her tears, wash up, and go downstairs.

The two families lived close to each other. Ten minutes later, she was already standing at the Lanes' front door, opening the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

It was empty. Her little bunny slippers were gone. She searched for them several times before finally finding them in the trash can outside the door. Along with the slippers were a mug, a toothbrush, a towel, pajamas... All of them belonged to her.

"Ms. Green, Mr. Nelson threw all of these out," the maid said. "Please use these disposable slippers for now."

Sinead stared at the trash can for a long time without a word. The Greens and the Lanes had been close for generations, and she had come over almost every day growing up, often staying the night.

Nelson had set up a bedroom just for her and bought her all the everyday items, carefully picking out the little bunny designs she liked. He had told her that this was her home too, and she did not need to worry about formalities.

Behind both families' backs, they had hugged and kissed at the front door, held hands together under the dining table, and even made love in the study.

Now that Irene was back, he was worried the girl he had secretly liked for years would get the wrong idea. So, he had thrown away everything that had to do with her.

It took Sinead such a long time to steady herself before she finally slipped on the slippers.

As soon as she walked in, she saw Nelson peeling fruit for Irene, with the two of them talking and laughing. He sat on the sofa in a custom satin suit, hair carefully styled, with a trace of cologne on him. He was alluring in a cool way… proper on the outside, a little mischievous on the inside.

Back in school, Sinead had heard plenty of girls say he was so handsome he would look good even if he were poorly dressed, and if he ever bothered to dress up, the pretty-boy celebrities in the entertainment industry could all go home.

But by nature, Nelson was wild and careless. On normal days, he simply threw on a T-shirt and never bothered to dress up.

So… he didn't mind dressing to impress when he was in front of the person he liked.

The man who had been wrapped up in bed with her just yesterday now acted as though he had never met her. He glanced at her once, then looked away and focused entirely on Irene.

He kept the conversation going without pause, from hobbies to the weather, from work to jewelry brands, from childhood stories to their school days.

Sinead lowered her eyes, quietly mocking herself in her mind as she watched Nelson tirelessly search for topics to talk with Irene on and on. So, he could be this proactive in front of the person he liked.

"It was quite a coincidence back in high school," Irene said with a laugh. "You were a year above me, and we weren't even in the same building, but we kept running into each other at school. It really felt like fate."

Hearing her bring up the past, Sinead looked at Nelson's reddening ears and let out a quiet smile.

Fate?

Nelson was behind every single one of those coincidences.

She used to follow him around, watching him try everything for the girl he liked, and it made her heart ache. Later, when Irene had gone abroad, she had thought she had finally gotten what she wanted.

But looking at things now, it was Nelson who had gotten his wish.

While Sinead was lost in thought, she suddenly heard her name being called. "I heard back in high school that you had a childhood sweetheart you were really close to. That must be Ms. Green, right?"

Sinead paused for a moment, and when she raised her head, she met Irene's probing gaze. Before she could answer, Nelson's parents, Kenny and Opal Lane, cheerfully cut in.

"They're very close," Kenny said. "Those two have been inseparable since they were little. We even thought about arranging a match for them when they were kids..."

Nelson's face darkened halfway through, and he cut them off. "Dad, Mom, let's not joke about that anymore. No matter who I like, it won't ever be Sinead."

Sinead lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment in them and forced a smile. "Same here. No matter who I end up with, it won't ever be Nelson."

At that, Nelson's expression froze for a second, then quickly returned to normal. He then extended his arm over her shoulders the way he would with a good friend and said, "Exactly. We're just friends."

For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room eased.

Sinead laughed along with them, and she heard Nelson let out a quiet sigh of relief and a soft thank you. "Not bad. Thanks for making things less awkward for me."

She said nothing as she just shifted a few steps to the side, putting some distance between them.

Making things less awkward?

No.

Every word she had just said was the truth.

By evening, the Lane family had a car ready to take them to the restaurant. Nelson, Irene, and Sinead sat together in the back seat.

Nelson, who was in the middle seat, paid constant attention to Irene throughout the entire trip.

He adjusted the air conditioning for her, found a blanket for her, handed her water, and even twisted the cap off the bottle.

Sinead watched them chat as she sat on the left, quietly staring out the window. They were only halfway there when it started to rain cats and dogs.

The road outside was dim, and the car in front had its high beams on. As they went downhill, the driver was dazed by the light and drove straight into the guardrail, unable to make the turn in time.

In that instant, Nelson moved on instinct and wrapped Irene in his arms.

Bang!

The glass shattered inward. Sinead, sitting on the side, was slammed into the broken window and left covered in blood.

A wave of searing pain tore through her body, and she felt as if she were coming apart. As her mind grew hazy, she saw the door on the right side of the car swing open.

Nelson stumbled out with Irene in his arms, phone pressed to his ear as he called for an ambulance, his voice gentle as he comforted her.

It was as if he had forgotten there was someone else in the car. He did not look back even once.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics said they should treat whoever was hurt the worst first.

Faced with Sinead lying in a pool of blood and Irene in a daze in his arms, Nelson hesitated only a few seconds before choosing to send Irene to the hospital first.

Watching the ambulance carry them farther and farther away, Sinead's vision slowly lost focus, and her tears finally spilled over.

Oh, Nelson...

In the end, their years of relationship could not compare to one panicked look from Irene.

As her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, the pain that had been gnawing at her began to fade. She did not last long enough for the next ambulance as her vision went black, and she slipped into darkness.

-

Sinead did not know how much time had passed before she heard murmurs of voices.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Liana holding a hand to her chest with a worried look on her face. She sounded relieved when she said, "Thank goodness, Sinead. You finally woke up. You lost so much blood that if the ambulance hadn't gotten you here in time, even the hospital's blood bank might not have been enough to save you. There were three of you in that car. How did that young lady from the Johnson family end up with just a scrape on her hand while your condition deteriorated this badly?"

Jackson finally let out a long sigh and raised a glass of water to his lips. "That's because Nelson was protecting her, of course. Irene was so moved because she saw who truly cared about her in an emergency. I just visited Irene's ward next door and happened to see Nelson feeding her using a spoon. If you ask me, they're as good as together already just from the way those two were looking at each other."

Sinead listened quietly.

Only after they finished their gossip did she ask in a hoarse voice, "How long was I asleep? Are the immigration papers ready?"

"You were unconscious for two days and scared us half to death. You don't need to worry about the paperwork. It'll be ready in about twenty days. You just focus on getting better," Richard said.

Hearing that there was less than a month left, a sense of relief washed over her.

Over the next two or three days, Sinead kept hearing from the nurses about all the things Nelson was doing for Irene.

Nelson would stay in Irene's ward without leaving her side every day. If he heard her cough in the middle of the night, he would be worried enough to go to the nurses to ask for hot water. He tested the temperature of every drink himself and kept sweets ready, worried that the medicine would be too bitter for her. When he was worried she would be bored in the ward, he went out of his way to find toys and games to cheer her up.

Sinead listened in silence and said nothing.

When a nurse wheeled Sinead out of her ward for a follow-up exam some time later, there was a commotion in the corridor. As they passed the next ward, she turned her head and saw Nelson standing there with a huge bouquet of roses in his arms, confessing his love for Irene.

"Irene, I fell for you at first sight eight years ago. All those chance meetings were really me trying to get close to you. I remember everything you like, and I know what you dream about. I never got the chance to confess back then. Will you give me a chance now?" Nelson confessed.

Hearing the nervous expectation in his voice, Sinead could not help remembering how Nelson had already started preparing this confession a month before Irene had gone abroad.

Back then, a twist of fate had made them miss that moment, but it had finally arrived a few years later.

When Sinead heard Irene say yes, she quietly scoffed and continued toward the examination room.

The moment she turned away, the crowd gathered around them broke into warm applause. Nelson looked over and saw Sinead's lone figure.

The smile on his face froze, and something in his heart shifted. That discomfort lasted only for a heartbeat before it was drowned beneath all the joy he was feeling.

He opened his arms without hesitation and pulled Irene into his embrace.

That night, Sinead opened the ticketing app and searched for a direct flight from the city of Lunacoast to the city of Aragon, a major city in the country of Espada.

As soon as she was done purchasing the ticket, Nelson walked in with Irene. "Sinead, I've got good news. Irene has agreed to be with me. You're the first person I'm telling. I'm a pretty good friend, right?"

Looking at their tightly clasped hands, Sinead nodded, her tone calm. "Congratulations."

Irene's eyes were full of happiness as she gave a shy smile. "Thanks for the good wishes. Liana said you were badly hurt. Are you feeling any better? I brought you something to eat. Why don't you give it a try?"

As she spoke, she urged Nelson to hurry up and pour the seafood stew.

Sinead froze for a moment before she reacted as she watched him obey her every word, "Thank you, but I'll have to pass."

Nelson's expression instantly went cold as he looked at Sinead with displeasure. "Irene cooked this herself. I originally didn't want to share it with you, but she was worried about your injury. That's the only reason I even agreed to bring you a bowl. How could you be so ungrateful?"

As he spoke, he filled a bowl and shoved it into her hands, insisting she eat it on the spot.

Sinead wanted to explain, but he clamped down hard on her wrist. In the struggle, the bowl tipped, and the hot stew splashed straight onto her wound.

"Ah!" Sinead let out a sharp cry.

The pain was so intense that cold sweat broke out on her forehead as her whole face twisted and paled. Irene jolted in surprise, guilt flooding her expression as she quickly got some paper towels to try to wipe them off.

Worried Irene would get burned, Nelson quickly pulled her behind him to shield her. "This isn't your fault, Irene. She's been tough since forever, and this is nothing serious. Don't blame yourself."

Sinead's hand holding the tissue trembled again and again, her chest tightening.

The next moment, Jackson pushed the door open. When he saw his daughter's wound bleeding through the bandage again, he went pale and yelled for a nurse at once.

Liana's heart was aching, yet she still took the seafood stew with forced patience and explained to Irene, "She's allergic to seafood and can't have the stew. We appreciate the thought, so thank you."

Nelson stood there in a daze, his expression going stiff. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Staring at the gauze soaked red with blood, there was only bitterness in his throat. He had always remembered what she could not eat in the past. Every time they went to a restaurant, he would remind the servers repeatedly. No seafood. No scallions. No cilantro.

Now that he had Irene, his heart was full of her. Of course, he no longer remembered these small things. A heart only had room for one person after all—the one he loved the most.

After a long silence, she forced a smile and answered, "You never even gave me a chance to speak."

The ward went dead quiet. Irene looked so guilty that she was on the verge of tears. Nelson's heart ached for her, but he said nothing and simply left with her.

-

Sinead had to stay in the hospital for three more days before she was discharged because the wound became infected.

As the date of their relocation drew closer, everyone in the Green family was busy packing. Jackson and Liana did not have the time, so they prepared a generous gift and asked Sinead to make a trip to the Lane family home.

As soon as she walked in, Nelson's parents, Kenny and Opal, took her hands and kept apologizing. "We're so sorry, Sinead! Despite the years between you and Nelson, he only looked out for Irene in that dangerous car crash, and you ended up getting so seriously hurt. We really feel awful. We'll make him apologize to you."

Sinead shook her head and spoke gently to calm them down. "Ms. Johnson is Nelson's girlfriend, so it's only right for him to protect her. I'm fine now. Nothing really happened, so please don't worry."

Seeing that she truly did not seem to mind, Kenny and Opal finally let go of some of their guilt.

After the three of them chatted for a while, Sinead brought up the real reason she had come and told them that the Green family was moving abroad.

Kenny and Opal stared at her in shock, caught off guard by the news. "Why so sudden?"

"Because of the recent changes in the company, we actually started preparing half a year ago. We only confirmed the move recently. My parents asked me to come tell you in person," Sinead said.

Kenny and Opal were sad to see their long-time friends go. Their voices were full of reluctance as they asked, "Will you come back in the future?"

Sinead smiled, and in the quiet living room, her voice sounded especially clear. "We won't be coming back once we leave."

Just then, Nelson came home and pushed the door open, frowning as he looked over. "Who's not coming back?"