Chapter 4
Arthur went quiet on the other end of the line.
It was hard to tell how long the silence stretched before he scoffed. “Sylvan, did Cindy tell you to go along with her little charade?”
Sylvan was seething, his voice broke with emotion as he shouted, “Cindy-”
But before he could get another word out, a frail hand tugged at him. He glanced down and saw Cindy, who had been out cold past moments
with visible effort, she shook her head, her lips moving soundlessly. “Don’t let him come ”
ments before, now awal
hist then, the heart monitor beside her started to tick upward, slow but steady.
Arthur’s raspy voice crackled through the phone. “What’s wrong with her?”
But Sylvan had no time to explain Relief flooded him as he watched the numbers climb on the monitor. He hung up the phone and bolted out the door to find the
After a thorough examination, the doctor removed his mask, sweat listening on
g on his face, and exhaled deeply. “Her vitals are leveling out. Get her to the observation coom, now!”
With that, Cindy was wheeled away, the doors of the observation room closing behind her
On the other end, after Sylvan hong up on him, Arthur stared at his phone for a long time.
Annette noticed how distracted he was–again, because of Cindy and a flicker of envy and resentment crossed her eyes.
“Arthur, they’re obviously conspiring to deceive you, Cindy’s just trying to get your attention. Hasn’t she gotten tired of these mind games after all these years?” She reached for his hand as she spoke, but he stood abruptly, leaving her grasping at air.
“I’ve got work to finish. You should head back for now,” Arthur said quietly.
Annette had been sure she’d finally get to stay the night, but now, frustration and anger boiled inside her. Reluctantly, she had no choice but to leave.
Alone in his study, Arthur sat in front of his computer. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. No matter how hand he tried, he couldn’t concentrate.
Finally, he diaded his other assistant, Kevin Ackennan
“Get me Cindy’s location now,” he directed, heating the quiver in his voice.
Kevin assured him he’d take care of it
Alittle over ten minutes later, he called hack. “Mr. Forsyth, Ms. Tessier was in a car accident a few hours ago. She’s at Luminova Hospital, but she’s stable now.” Arthur held his phone, lus silence stretching on for what felt like forever.
The stillness lasted so long that Kevin couldn’t help but ask, “Do you… want to go see her?
The pause dragged on until Arthur finally said, “Don’t let her know I asked about her.”
Startled, Kevin agreed anyway. Then, the call ended abruptly.
Arthur said nothing more. That night, the light in his study reinained on, glowing through the hours until
dawn
The next day, Cindy’s spirits had improved slightly in the hospital.
Sylvan, who hadn’t left her side, spoke with a note of desperation in his voice. “Cindy, you can’t puthis off any longer. You need to be admitted and start chetotherapy inmediately. Otherwise, you’re not going to make it much longer!”
But Cindy just smiled and shook her head. “That’s fine. I’ve been looking forward to that day for a while now.
Sylvan was utterly stunned.
A sharp pain shot through his chest, and his voice shook as he asked, “Do you really have to punish yourself like this?”
“Death isn’t a punishment for me. Sylvan, thank you for staying by my side all these years. If you truly care about inte, let me make this choice on my own, please Five years ago, her soul had already died. Now, it was finally her body’s tum.
A few days later, despite Sylvan’s protesis, Cindy was determined to leave the hospital. All because Winter’s death anniversary had come around
Cindy carried a bouquet of lilies as she made her way to the cemetery. She stood before the tombstone, her eyes fixed on the black–and–white photo of Winter—so young and beautiful.
Winter had been vibrant and kind, but her life had been cut short, frozen forever on that day,
“Winter, you probably don’t want to see me, do you? All these years, I’ve dreamed of you every night. And in those dreams, I keep telling you how sorry I am I wish
ould go back to that day. If could, I’d never have run away.”
She sank to the ground, leaning against the tombstone, kust like she used to w
to when they’d sit together and share secrets.
Do you know? I’ll be with you soon, but I’m scared. I’m scared that you’ll lute seeing me. I’m scared you’ll hate me, too.
As slie spoke, tears rolled downberchrelu
The biting wiyd cut through the cemetery. Cindy traced herfingers over Winter’s photo, a wave of indescribable pain rising in her chest. Her wire cracked with emotion as she said, “I’ll come for you, whether you hate me or not. We promised we’d be best friends forever ”
Chapter 5
Cindy lingered in the cemetery for a long time. Just as the Tumed to leave, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt at the sight of a group of people heading her way.
Artbur noticed her right away. It was the first time they’d laid eyes on each other since Cindy’s car accident. His eyes darkened as they fell on the lilies resting
before Winter’s gone.
Barlow, standing beside him, caught sight of Cindy. She charged forward, seized Cindy, and struck her in a fit of rage
The next moment, his mother, Monica B
“Who said you could come here? Get out! Leave now” Monica bellowed.
The force of the slap lett Cindy reeling. She stumbled back
“Mn. Forsyth, 1only came to see-
“shut up!” Monica roared, cutting her off. “You have no right to be here. Winter’s dead because of you. Now go!”
Cindy’s left cheek bumed, the skin already swelling and reddening. She bit back the pain, too afraid to speak another word,
Stephen Forsyth, Arthur’s father, quickly stepped in to restrain Monica “Cindy! Just go. Don’t ever come back!”
But Monica wasn’t having it. Her gaze landed on the lilies lying on the ground, and she wrenched herself free from Stephen’s hold. She grabbed the flowers and flung them at Cindy with everything she had, her sobs tearing through the air like a storm.
“Don’t you show up here acting like you care! If you hadn’t run off that night and had stayed to help Winter, she wouldn’t have died the way she did!
“Five drunkmen. You left her defenseless against five drunk men. Not a single part of her lower body was left unscathed when she died!” Monica’s hatred for Cindy bumed fiercely.
Deep down, everyone knew that if Cindy hadn’t run, the two of them might’ve both ended up suffering the same fate.
But Winter’s death had been too devastating. It had left everyone drowning in grief and fury, their judgment clouded. They couldn’t forgive Winter go first that night.
Cindy for not letting
They made sure those men would rot behind bars for the rest of their lives. And as for Cindy, they wanted her to carry the weight of her guilt forever. Manica continued to strike her, her blows relentless as she wept. “My sweet Winter was so young and land–hearted, Why did you run? Why did you leave her there all by herself…”
In the end, she shoved Cindy with a desperate cry. “Why did Winter have to die? why couldn’t it have been you instead?”
Cindy stumbled back from the force, her head slamming against the edge of another gravestone. Blood instantly spilled across her forehead.
Arthur clenched his fists. The moment Cindy got back on her feet, he gripped her arm tightly.
“Mom, don’t get worked up in front of Winter. I’ll make her leave right now.”
Without another word, he hauled her out of the cemetery. Once outside, he shoved her away roughly
Arthur’s eyes were shadowed with emotion as he hissed through gritted teeth, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? I told you never to come back here.”
His eyes Lumed with rage, but something else simmered beneath it.
litiemess rose in Cindy’s chest as she said, “I wanted to see Winter
Arthur’s voice was cold and cutting “You don’t deserve to
Without another word, he spun on his heel and marched back into the cemetery, signaling to the bodyguards nearby to drive her away.
Hi_words “You don’t deserve to“-stabbed her straight in the heart
Cindy staggered away, tears pouring down her cheels as she made her way down the road. But then, Winter’s voice echoed in her ears, bright and crisp. “Cindy, this bracelet’s for you, and this one’s mine. We’re best friends for life. You’d better not leave me belund.”
“Cindy, Taught Arthur looking at diamond rings yesterday. I bet he’s going to pop the question soon.”
“Oner he’s watching you like a hawk, it’ll be harder for me to steal you away. Let’s catch a movie tonight, okay?” “Cindy, run! Just run!”
Cindy’s face was already steraked with tears,
Winter, do you have any idea how much I regret not stepping in front of you that day, not letting you go first? It wouldn’t have shattered so many hearts if I had bren the one to die,” the thought.
For someone like her, with no family, being gone would’ve just meant being gone. Mayber Arthur would’ve loved her forever it she had died back then. Maybe they never would have ended up like they were today.
The more Candy dwelt on it, the deeper the pain sank its claws into her in the e dropped to the ground, crying her heart out.
end, she couldn’t hold herself together any longer. Her emotions broke loose, and she
