Our Vows Were Fake, Theirs Were Real

Chapter 14

The doctor told me that Timothy was lucky, the incision had missed his heart, and he had been rushed to the hospital in time. So, he made it through.

While he was recovering, I brought him some fruit. His eyes lit up when he saw me, hope flickering in them.

"Thank you, Timothy," I said softly.

He shook his head. "Evie, you don't have to thank me. You know how I feel about you..."

I was silent for a moment, then met his gaze, my words steady.

"Timothy, I need to tell you something. The man who attacked me last night... he was caught."

He blinked, his confusion clear. "He wasn't acting on his own? He wasn't just some random criminal?"

I nodded. "No, Mia hired him. She couldn't handle you leaving her, so she hired that thug to come after me."

Timothy's eyes widened, shock replacing the haze in them. "I didn't know that."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Look at everything I've gained after being with you all these years." My voice trembled slightly, but I kept going. "You left me at the altar. You dug up my grandfather's grave. You even threatened me after I donated my liver to save you. All of that was on you, Timothy."

I paused, the weight of it all crashing down on me. "Timothy, I truly loved you."

My tone softened, and for a second, I could see the woman I used to be, the one who had been so desperate for love. "But loving you... it cost me too much."

"I barely felt happy with you. The pain you caused me is unforgettable."

I turned my head away, trying to hide the tears. "Loving you is exhausting. It's painful."

"I wanted to hate you so badly," I admitted, voice breaking, "but you saved my life. So, I can't even hate you."

"Timothy... You hurt me so much. And now you've saved me. Let's just call it even, okay?"

His face went pale as I spoke, his lips trembling, eyes filled with regret and sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Evie," he whispered. "I didn't know I caused you so much pain. So many painful memories..."

"Evie, go live your life. I won't bother you again."

I stood up, taking one last look at him. As I reached the door, I paused and turned back to see Timothy slumped in his bed, alone.

"Timothy," I whispered softly, my heart heavy. "Farewell."

A long time passed before I heard that Mia had died in prison, and no one came to claim her ashes. I never saw Timothy again. Some say he was disabled in a car accident. Others say he died young. But some say he became a monk.

In the end, none of it mattered to me. I had my own life to live, and I wasn't looking back.

[The End]