Chapter 9
The operating room lights were brutal.
Even with my eyes shut, I could feel that harsh white glare burning through my eyelids.
The doctors were saying something next to me–probably trying to reassure me.
“Hang in there, sweetheart. We’re gonna do everything we can.”
“It’s pretty serious, but you’re young. Your body can bounce back from this.”
“Just stay with us, okay? You gotta stay strong.”
I wanted to tell them I wasn’t scared.
Compared to having your heart ripped out, what was a little physical pain?
But I couldn’t get the words out. My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
The surgery went on forever–so long I started thinking time had just stopped.
I was semiconscious through most of it.
I could feel them cutting away the dead tissue, feel the solution washing over my wounds again and again.
Every touch was torture.
“The patient’s condition is worse than we initially thought.”
“The acid concentration wasn’t super high, but it was in contact with her skin for too long.”
“Third–degree chemical burns across most of her face. She’s gonna need skin grafts.”
“There’s likely to be permanent scarring.”
Permanent scarring.
Those words kept echoing in my head.
Twenty years old. Permanent scarring.
I knew exactly what that meant.
After surgery, they wheeled me back to my room.
As the anesthesia wore off, the pain hit me like a freight train.
I bit down hard, refusing to make a sound.
Not because I was brave–I just didn’t want to look weak in front of Alistair.
Yeah, he was still there.
Sitting by my bed, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
His eyes were bloodshot, stubble all over his face, clothes wrinkled to hell.
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My Childhood Ex Ruined My Face for His Crush? Cute. I Ruined Their Lives
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Chapter 9
He looked more messed up than I did.
So what?
Was his guilt gonna give me my face back?
The doctor said my case was complicated.
“Extensive chemical burns to the face. The concentration wasn’t extremely high, but it still caused severe damage.”
He paused, like he was trying to find the right words.
“Recovery is going to be a long process, and…”
“There will likely be permanent scarring.”
Permanent scarring.
There were those words again.
Like a knife twisting in my chest.
I asked the nurse to bring me a mirror.
They all just looked at each other, too scared to move.
“Bring it!” I croaked.
My voice didn’t even sound like mine anymore.
Finally, one of the younger nurses nervously handed me a small mirror.
The person staring back at me was a stranger.
My entire face was wrapped in gauze, with just my bloodshot eyes showing.
The bandages were already soaked through with blood, this dark red color.
I could see fluid seeping through.
I knew what was under those bandages had to be horrific.
30
“Get me a lawyer,” I told my parents when they arrived. “I’m pressing charges against Seraphina.‘
My voice was eerily calm.
Mom collapsed against me, sobbing. “My baby, my poor baby…”
“I’m gonna make that evil witch pay for what she did!”
Dad’s eyes were red with rage. “I already called the best attorney in town and filed a police report.”
“That girl’s not getting away with this.”
They were both crying.
I was the only one who wasn’t.
Not because I didn’t want to–I just couldn’t.
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My Childhood Ex Ruined My Face for His Crush? Cute. I Ruined Their Lives
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S
Chapter 9
Sometimes tears are a luxury you can’t afford.
That afternoon, the cops came to take my statement.
They asked about everything–from when I first met Seraphina to every detail of that night.
Alistair got called in for questioning too.
When he came back, he was white as a sheet.
“Aurelia, Seraphina… she knew it was acid.”
His voice was shaking, like he couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“The police found her purchase records, and… and text messages where she told someone she was giving it to you.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “And?”
“In the texts, she said she wanted to teach you a lesson you’d never forget.”
“She also said…” His voice broke. “She said she was gonna turn you into a freak so I’d finally see you weren’t good enough for me.
“And?” I asked again.
Suddenly Alistair dropped to his knees beside my bed.
Actually got down on his knees like he was begging.
“I’m so sorry, Aurelia, I’m so damn sorry…”
“This is all my fault. How could I be so stupid…”
“How could I believe her lies…”
TRE EL
小
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Y =
He was crying like a little kid, tears and snot all over his face.
A twenty–one–year–old guy, completely falling apart.
I just watched him, feeling absolutely nothing inside.
“Alistair, as of today, we’re done. We’re nothing to each other.”
“No, Aurelia, please don’t…”
He tried to grab my hand. I pulled away.
E
“You can go back to protecting your precious Seraphina. After all, in your mind, she’s always the victim and I’m always the jealous bitch.”
“That’s not true! I see how evil she is now!”
He was shaking his head frantically, like he was trying to rattle his brain loose.
“I’ll testify against her! I’ll tell the police everything!”
“I’m gonna make sure she gets what she deserves!”
I closed my eyes. “Too little, too late.”
Too late.
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My Childhood Ex Ruined My Face for His Crush? Cute I Ruined Their Lives
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Chapter 9
Everything was too late.
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