My Love Died With My Broken Body

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After three long years, I could finally lift my hand. This sudden, miraculous ability made me forget the stiffness in my body as I slowly, painstakingly, crept towards the bedroom door. The gasping sounds from beneath the crack in the door were like ice picks stabbing into my ears. Kris Essen's profile, illuminated by the warm glow of the monitor, looked utterly alien. On the screen, Mindy Hickey's smug smile shimmered with triumph.

"Regret it?" Mindy's voice, full of mockery, cut through the air. "If it weren't for Summer Bloom saving you back then, you wouldn't be begging me like a dog for her treatment money."

The air solidified for a few seconds, until the flush on Kris's ears betrayed his answer. "Regret it." The two words slammed into my chest, making my heart ache. So, all those nights of devoted care were just an act; he had been tired of this life for a long time.

I turned and crawled back, the floor scraping my skin raw. My fingernails tore back, oozing blood, but I felt nothing. As the wind from the balcony whipped into my collar, I suddenly smiled. Kris, the release you want, I'll give it to you. The moment I plunged off, I heard myself say: I'm free.

The wind howled past my ears, yet I felt a freedom I hadn't known in years. Warm blood pooled beneath me. A cold gust blew, making me shiver. Before my eyes closed, I felt a deep sense of relief. At least it was night. No one would come out, no one would be scared. I hoped when Amelia Price found out I was dead, she wouldn't be sad. Thinking of what she had just said, I felt even more at ease. She wouldn't be sad.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the room. Amelia had just finished getting dressed and was heading towards my bedroom. She must have heard the thud of my fall. She called my name, asking if I was okay. But before she could pull open the bedroom door, Kris Essens voice stopped her.

Amelia, get back here! Do you have to ruin my mood right now?

Amelias hand rested on the doorknob. She paused, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She returned to the computer, attempting to negotiate with Kris. Thats enough. I have to take Leo to his doctors appointment tomorrow morning. I need to prepare the necessary documents in advance.

Kris clearly paid no mind to her refusal. Im not done yet. Go to the supermarket downstairs and buy a box of condoms. Come over to my place and well continue.

Amelia glanced at the time. Its too late today

Kris leaned closer to the screen, a smirk on his face as he stared at her. Late? Usually at this time, were just getting started, arent we? He chuckled. Its right next door to your place; youll be here in minutes. Oh, you havent tucked him into bed yet, have you? What, afraid hell hear us?

I froze. I suddenly remembered that I would often vaguely hear passionate sounds in the middle of the night. Each time, I thought it was some neighbor. It never once occurred to me that it was Amelia. Once, in the middle of the night, I needed to use the restroom. Getting no response from Amelia, I tried to climb onto my wheelchair myself. The wheel slipped, and I fell heavily, breaking my arm, unable to even lift it. I could only lie on the floor, enduring the agonizing pain until she returned.

At the time, I thought she was working so hard. To earn money for my medical treatment, she even took a night job. She must have been exhausted. I kept comforting her, lying that I wasnt in pain. I never expected she was indeed exhausted. But not because of me. All this time, they had been intimately involved in a room just a wall away from mine. While I struggled to even turn my head, they had already tried every position imaginable.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The old me hated crying. Whenever Amelia saw my tears, her eyes would well up too, her heart aching for me. I didn't want her to suffer with me, so I always swallowed my tears and smiled at her. But now, I wanted her to know that I could feel pain too. My tears hit the ground, but left no trace. She couldnt see them anymore.

Amelia, her thoughts clearly exposed, lowered her head and said nothing more. Kris, displeased, his smile abruptly vanished. "Amelia, don't forget, his treatment money tomorrow is also coming from me!" He warned. "I'm giving you ten minutes. One second late, and you can forget about getting any money tomorrow!"

The video call ended. Amelia stared at the screen, stunned for a few seconds. She sighed, grabbed her phone, and shut down the computer. Before leaving, she looked at the closed door of the master bedroom. "Leo, don't worry. I will definitely cure you." Her voice was firm. So much like the countless times over the years she had held my hand and told me, "Don't worry about the money. You just focus on getting well, for my sake."

But only today did I realize that all the money she earned was by appeasing Kris Essen. If I had known, I would rather not have had the treatment than put her through such trouble. I was like a fixed puppet, following behind her as she left the apartment. To go to the supermarket downstairs, she would have to pass by the path next to the ground beneath the balcony. I saw Amelia glance in my direction. I tensed up immediately, my heart pounding.

Luckily, the night was dark. Plus, with the cover of trees and bushes, my body wasn't so glaringly obvious. Amelia didn't discover me. I secretly sighed with relief. Good thing she didn't see. My current appearance was truly gruesome. Covered in blood, my skull slightly deformed. My legs, now so thin they were almost just bones, bent at an incredible angle. They must have been broken. I felt a pang of regret. Those were once the legs of a dancer. They chronicled my past, carried my future. Now, they had met such an end. But if Kris Essen saw me, he would surely gloat. After all, his grudge against me wasn't new. He had always wished for something bad to happen to me.

Years ago, our two families were on the same tour bus. There was an accident on the road. My dad desperately pushed Kris and me out of the bus window. He said he could only rest easy if he saw Kris and me safe and sound. Those were his last words. He had wanted to save Kris's parents too. But the next second, the vehicle exploded. No one who hadn't escaped survived. Kris, however, believed my dad had caused his parents' deaths. If my dad had let him stay on the bus, maybe he could have pulled his parents out. But my dad had insisted on pushing him out first. He said my dad was a busybody and deserved to die. I called him a venomous snake, ungrateful to a fault.

Now, all of it was finally over. In the supermarket, the clerk noticed Amelias interest in purchasing something and proactively picked up a box to recommend. Miss, this brand is on sale right now, would you like Amelia said calmly, No need, hes allergic. Then she reached for another brand. She went to the checkout counter and paid, all in one smooth motion. Her actions were very practiced, as if she had bought them countless times. But ever since my condition had worsened, we hadnt been intimate at all. It was obvious who these were for.

In that instant, I suddenly regretted my decision to save her three years ago. That was my first time on the stage I had always dreamed of. And it became my last. After the awards ceremony, I bowed in thanks. As Amelia came onto the stage with flowers to celebrate me, a thick beam fell without warning. I pushed her away, but I was struck. She tried to lift the beam to rescue me, but that only caused me secondary injuries. The repeated impacts triggered my ALS. On the day I was diagnosed, she crouched beside me, tears streaming down her face, her features etched with regret and guilt. Leo, Ill always be by your side and take care of you. Thank you.

It turned out her promise of "always" only lasted a mere three years. Just like during the time she pursued me, when she kept all my preferences in mind. Was it experience? Habit? Or did she truly fall in love? I shook my head, forcing myself not to dwell on it. Such needs were only natural. Moreover, I had been ill for so long; she was bound to have needs that had to be met. Amelia took care of me all day, practically on her feet constantly; she was already exhausted enough. If she couldnt even get a moment of mental relaxation, then I would be too harsh on her.

Despite trying to convince myself of this, when I thought that the man was Kris Essen, and the fact that Amelia might not love me as much anymore, I still couldn't control my irritation.

Unconsciously, Amelia had already returned to the building next door. She went upstairs and opened Kris Essen's front door. She saw Kris lounging on the sofa, clad in a silk robe with an open collar. Amelia's pupils widened slightly. Her gaze lingered on his toned abdomen. Her throat involuntarily bobbed up and down. I turned my head away, no longer watching. In the past, Amelia wouldn't have even glanced at such a scene. But now, she was clearly captivated.

Kris Essen seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He walked up to her, grabbed her collar, and pulled her into his embrace. Amelia stumbled, falling against Kris. After a brief, lingering hug, she pushed against the wall to straighten up. Kris leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Why the act of modesty? You weren't like this in bed before." He paused. "Or perhaps you don't like this place today? True, we've tried every spot in this apartment; it's getting a bit boring. How about this: it's very close to Summer Bloom's balcony. We could climb over there, right in front of him. Wouldn't that be more exciting?"

Amelia subtly recoiled, her brow furrowed, and said coldly, "Don't be ridiculous." She insisted, "Leo must not know about me and you." I keenly picked up on her wording. I instantly understood her meaning. It was "cannot," not "do not want to." Perhaps she had considered giving up on me, considered confessing the truth to me. But she was coerced by the so-called life-saving grace. Bound by past vows of love. Repeatedly suppressing the restless thoughts in her heart. Duty and guilt had triumphed over retreat. She had to be the responsible, patient good girlfriend.

My heart turned completely cold. The love I thought I had had long since withered away with the worsening of my illness, gradually eroded by Amelias increasing care. Kris Essen, naturally, understood the underlying meaning that I could grasp. He flashed a satisfied smile. One hand wrapped around the back of Amelias neck, pulling her close. His other hand unbuttoned her shirt. Amelias collarbone was covered in a dense pattern of red marks, stinging my eyes. Kris lowered his head, burying his face in her neck. Amelia bit her lip, her brows furrowed, seemingly enduring pain. When Kris finally lifted his head again, a fresh bite mark appeared on her collarbone. Kriss finger pressed on it, causing Amelia to flinch back with a slight gasp. "That's your punishment for refusing me," he said. "I'm in a good mood today, so I won't make it hard on you, but don't let there be a next time."

He dragged Amelia into the bedroom, pushed her onto the bed, and then leaned over her. Cupping Amelia's face, he said, "The thought of you spending every day with Summer Bloom, it pains me a little." He sneered, "With him looking like that, what's the difference between living and being dead?" He continued, "Don't you get disgusted watching his shriveled, deformed legs every day?" Kris made a face of disgust as he spoke, as if he completely forgot that during that stage accident, I saved more than just Amelia. I saved him too.

Though I suspected he had intended to disrupt my focus and see me make a fool of myself that day, and though I hated him because of him, I lost my father, in that instant when the accident happened, I had only one thought. Kris was the person my father had risked his life to save. That was my dad's dying wish; I didn't want, and couldn't allow, that hope to be dashed. So I pushed them both away with all my might. The result was an outcome more cruel than my father's. Because I couldn't bear to betray Amelia's love and hope, for these past three years, I had barely been able to live, yet unable to die. And the person I had personally saved was now verbally humiliating my body and physically stealing my beloved.

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and raised my hand to slap him, but my hand passed right through his face, unable to even create a gust of wind. Amelia opened her mouth. Before she could speak, Kris Essen's apartment door was suddenly knocked upon. "Open up! Police! We need to ask some questions." The two exchanged a look, straightened their clothes, and after confirming the officers' identities, opened the door. "Someone jumped from a building and committed suicide in your complex. Did you hear anything just now?"

Upon hearing this, Amelia's face immediately changed. Perhaps thinking of the sounds from earlier, she seemed lost in thought for a moment. I began to feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe she had thought of me, maybe she still cared. Seeing the police about to question her further, Kris immediately cut in, pointing to the paused movie on the TV. "My girlfriend and I were watching a movie! A horror film, with lots of background noise." He continued, "We're both easily scared, but we love watching them, so we covered our ears and closed our eyes in many parts." He clutched his chest. "See, just now, your knocking startled me." He faked a scared expression. The police nodded, then turned to knock on other doors.

I floated in mid-air, a bitter smile playing on my lips. Amelia, if you knew it was me who died, would you still help Kris Essen lie? Or were you just afraid of a commotion, afraid of waking me, who was supposedly sleeping soundly? Between me and Kris Essen, she ultimately chose the latter.

Seeing the police leave, Kris's eyes gleamed with excitement. "How about we take advantage of this dark, stormy night and do something thrilling?!" "What?" Amelia hadn't fully recovered her senses. Kris was quite displeased with her reaction and pushed her away. "Still thinking about Summer Bloom even when you're with me?" "He's sick. My concern is only natural." Kris scoffed. "Stop acting! Do you dare say you haven't thought of me when you're with me?" He growled, "If you truly cared about him that much, you should hate me as much as he does, instead of moaning happily in my bed!"

Amelia clenched her fists, wanting to retort. But she found that Kris was right. She had nothing to say. I looked at her, laughing with a few tears. See, everyone saw it clearly. Even Amelia knew her own heart. Only I, from beginning to end, was treated like a fool, kept in the dark.

After a long silence, Amelia changed the subject. "What did you say you wanted to play just now?" Kris didn't argue with her, simply going along. "How about we try at the crime scene? I bet you've never tried that!" Amelia resisted repeatedly, but eventually couldn't withstand Kris Essen's combination of hard and soft tactics.

The two crept downstairs, immediately noticing the police tape surrounding the building. The on-site investigation was still underway. Police officers shone flashlights, searching for evidence in the vicinity. Kris Essen pulled Amelia, heading straight for the small path next to the building opposite. After confirming no police noticed them, Kris pushed Amelia into the grass. The complex's landscaping was well done; every building, front and back, had waist-high bushes and dense trees. The dark shadows they cast became a natural curtain in the night. Kris Essen eagerly reached his hand into Amelia's clothing. Not forgetting to whisper in her ear, "It's so close to the crime scene here. You'll have to keep it down later, okay?" He added, "Wouldn't want the police to find out."

Amelia's ear tips were bright red. Just as she was about to tilt her head up to meet Kris Essen's kiss, her peripheral vision caught something sparkling on the ground across the way, illuminated by a flashlight. Curiosity compelled her to squint, carefully discerning what it was. Suddenly, her breathing hitched, and her mouth dropped open, but no scream escaped her lips. She had seen it clearly. It was a ring on the hand of the corpse. It was a matching set with the one on her left ring finger.