Chapter 4
Priscilla did not say another word. She simply picked up her bag and walked downstairs. Just as she reached the curb, Brittany came running after her, grabbing her wrist.
She said sweetly, “Are you mad? Here, I’ll give you the concert ticket. I mean, you and Josiah only have a month together left, right? You might as well make some memories while you can. Otherwise, you’ll probably regret not having something nice to look back on when you’re older.”
Priscilla pulled her hand free and took a few steps back, her expression flat and cold. “No thanks. Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll be erasing all of it. There’s nothing about our past that I want to remember.”
Brittany gave a little pout, feigning sympathy while keeping her grip tight. “Oh, come on. Even if Josh only married you because I talked him into it, you still helped relieve some of my stress.
“I mean, it’s already sad enough that you never had his love. I’d feel awful if you didn’t even get a few happy marriage memories. That would make me look heartless, wouldn’t it?”
She tugged at Priscilla’s hand, unwilling to let her off so easily. As they were too absorbed in their struggle, neither of them noticed the black sedan speeding down the street toward them.
It was not until the driver began slamming on the horn that they turned to look. By then, it was far too late. At the last second, Josiah came rushing out of nowhere and pulled Brittany into his arms, dragging her to somewhere safe.
Priscilla, on the other hand, was hit head-on. Her body was thrown nearly 60 feet across the road before crashing down like a rag doll. A sickening thud rang out as blood gushed out from her mouth and nose, pooling beneath her on the pavement.
Every inch of her body felt like it had been shattered. Her bones were crushed, her muscles spasmed, and her nerves screamed. The pain was indescribable.
As her consciousness faded, she caught one last glimpse of Josiah gently cradling a trembling Brittany, murmuring reassurances.
…
Priscilla did not know how long had passed before the agony woke her again. When her eyes opened, she found herself in a hospital room. The first face she saw was Josiah’s. He was looking down at her, his face full of concern.
He asked, “Celia, how are you feeling? You’ve been unconscious for two days. I was so worried about you.”
But as she stared at his worried expression, all she could think about was that moment on the street before she lost consciousness. The irony almost made her laugh.
In the face of life or death, the person he chose to save wasn’t her. She had bled out on the ground, and he hadn’t even noticed. In his world, she had never mattered. So, how could he actually be worried?
She took a slow breath and hoarsely whispered, “I’m fine. You should go take care of Brittany.”
Josiah was stunned. He assumed that she was upset that he had not saved her and rushed to explain. “Brittany’s fine. You were the one who got hurt. I stayed here to look after you.”
“I’m tired. I just want to rest.” Priscilla simply shook her head and shut her eyes.
He did not press her further. Instead, he gently tucked the blanket around her, poured a glass of warm water, and ordered a light lunch for her. After that, he answered a phone call, told her that something urgent had come up at work, and said he would be back the next day.
When the nurse came in for her rounds, she saw that Josiah had left everything ready. She smiled and remarked about how lucky Priscilla was to have such a thoughtful husband.
Priscilla did not say a single word. She had just opened the container holding soup he had left for her when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Brittany.
Brittany: “Oops, sorry! That whole car thing totally freaked me out, so I messaged Josh. He’s having lunch with me now, and later, we’re going to an amusement park so I can blow off some steam. After that, we’ve got a movie lined up. Rest up, okay?”
Attached was a picture of a beautifully set table from one of the city’s upscale organic restaurants. Only Josiah’s hands were visible, but Priscilla could tell that he was sitting across the table, peeling a massive plate of Brittany’s favorite shrimp.
Priscilla stared at the screen for a long time. Eventually, she replied with just two words. “Have fun.”
…
Over the next week, Josiah dropped by the hospital every single day. Even so, he never stayed longer than ten minutes.
Meanwhile, Brittany never missed a chance to send her updates. She and Josiah watched the sunset by the ocean and collected seashells, arranging them in the sand to spell out their names. He even took her for long drives in the countryside, buying her flowers and helium balloons, treating her like a princess.
They went up in a hot air balloon above a flower field, and Josiah took thousands of photos—every one of them just of her. Nothing they did crossed the line of impropriety. However, it was still far too intimate to be called platonic.
Something deeper lingered between them, somewhere between friendship and the kind of love Priscilla had never known. After all, in all the time they were together, Josiah had never done any of that for her.
The contrast between love and obligation could not have been more apparent, and for the first time, Priscilla felt genuinely glad she had agreed to that ridiculous bet.
On her final checkup, the doctor handed her the discharge forms and prescriptions. “Nothing serious left to worry about. Just have your husband fill this out and pick up the meds, and you’re good to go.”
Priscilla took the papers and flatly said, “My husband? He’s long gone.”
Just as the words left her lips, the door burst open. Josiah stood there, stunned. He asked, “Long gone? What do you mean ‘long gone’?”
