Chapter 11
Side Story
Patrick’s POV
The first time I spotted her was at the Huxley’s residence.
She was small, holding tightly onto my father’s pants, quietly greeting others. When someone joked with her, she looked startled like a baby bunny, cheeks and nose turning red.
In my head, I swore that she was insanely adorable.
Inside, I kept whispering her name over and over again.
Georgia.
What a beautiful name.
The next time we ran into each other was right in front of the Huxley’s residence.
She had been thrown out, her stuff packed into one small bag.
I didn’t know why, but seeing that made me feel awful.
She acted like she was fine, holding her head up, but once everyone left, she broke down in the rain–where the sound of her sobs vanished into the downpour.
Her tears were full of sadness and loneliness, and they hit me hard.
I couldn’t ignore her. I brought her back with me.
Chapter 11
I never got along with my parents growing up, so I mostly stayed elsewhere with a housekeeper. My family barely cared what I did.
But when I looked at her, I saw someone just like me.
My family was ruthless. Anyone who couldn’t contribute to the family’s development was simply discarded.
I always hated how fake they were, but because of her, I returned anyway.
My family found out pretty fast that I had taken her in, so they sent someone to take her away.
I stood in front of her and took 20 hits, and I even handed over the patent I had invented.
Only then did my family see the potential in me. And so, she was allowed to stay.
I didn’t want to stay in Huxley’s residence, so I came straight home every day after class.
I lived with the fear that she might be gone one day.
But then I realized that she was scared too.
To her, I was everything. She relied on me more than anything else.
I loved that feeling, that she needed me, and it made me want to treat her even better.
But no one can watch over someone all the time.
One day I noticed she had made a new friend at school. Her eyes lit up when she talked about him, and it hurt me.
Chapter 11
That’s when it hit me that I didn’t just care for her like a little sister. I didn’t want to share her with anyone.
Back when that boy was in middle school, I played a few tricks to get him sent abroad for school.
She was heartbroken and locked herself in her room, crying all day.
Later on, other annoying people came back around her, so I used the same method to drive them off again.
In a selfish way, I thought she would finally be mine and only mine.
Just like I had hoped, she started to like me too.
It made me happy every time she said my personal nickname, Rick.
Even though it was just a simple word, the way she spoke them sounded so soft and lovely.
Right before her SAT exams, my family officially named me as their next heir.
Then, the older members of the family gave me a serious warning.
“If you want to keep the one you care about safe, focus on your heir position and don’t have any inappropriate thoughts.”
That night, I got completely drunk. When she came to get me, I confessed my feelings, hiding behind the haze of alcohol.
I still remember how happy she looked, her eyes sparkled and curved like
crescent moons.
But deep down, I felt nothing but sorrow.
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Chapter 11
I thought that this might be the one time I could be true to myself.
But the truth is, we were never meant to be.
To keep my position in the family, a family–arranged marriage was inevitable.
Under their arrangement, I met Eva.
She was really pretty, but that was all.
She liked me a lot and kept asking us to decide on a wedding day.
I didn’t have the strength to say no and just went along with everything like a robot.
After Georgia finished her SAT, she stopped hiding her feelings for me.
The day before she told me she liked me, I had a feeling something was up.
She looked hopeful and told me I had to show up.
I knew I already had plans with Eva, but for some reason, I still said yes to her.
Whenever I’m with Eva, I always space out.
I kept thinking, what if I didn’t show up? Would she cry?
She probably cried a lot, and I wasn’t even there to comfort her.
I really am no good.
Being someone so weak and pathetic, it made sense that I ended up losing
her.
Chapter 11
It was me. I kept pushing her away again and again.
I’ve wished many times that I could go back. If I had kept my word that day, would things have turned out another way?
I honestly don’t know.
Spending the night by myself feels endless and empty.
I stared at the only photo I had of her the whole night, and in the end, I couldn’t stop myself from crying.
Georgia, I miss you more than words can say.
