Chapter 5
Lina didn’t want him to notice anything was off before she left–she couldn’t handle another scene. After a brief pause, she nodded.§
She braced herself, ignoring the throbbing in her ankle, and got up to pick out something decent from the wardrobe.
Half an hour later, they pulled up to the Morris Estate, which was lit up like a Christmas tree. Lina followed Bruno inside, and the first person she spotted was Kylie, lounging on the couch with effortless elegance.\
Kylie was dressed in a classic Chanel set, leaning in close to Bruno’s mother Amber, their laughter floating through the room. Bruno’s father Ashton sat nearby, nodding along, the picture of a happy, perfect family.
“Bruno, you’re finally here!” Mrs. Morris beamed, practically pulling her son into a hug while pretending Lina didn’t exist. “Kylie’s been waiting for you all night.”
Bruno paused, glancing back at Lina.§
He probably expected her to look hurt or at least a little upset, but Lina simply stood there, calm and collected, as if none of it mattered.
“Oh, Ms. Knotts, you made it too?” Kylie said, feigning surprise before flashing a gentle smile. “Come sit down, no need to be shy.”
Only then did Mrs. Morris bother to look at Lina, her tone icy. “Since you’re here, just try not to embarrass us, alright?”
Lina didn’t say a word.§
At dinner, Mrs. Morris and Kylie traded stories about the city’s social scene, while Ashton and Bruno got lost in talk about work. No one spoke to Lina. She felt invisible, just quietly eating whatever was on her plate, all the while listening to Mrs. Morris’s barbed little comments:
“A good match is everything in life.”§
“Some girls really don’t know where they belong.”}
“Kylie and Bruno grew up together–they’re just perfect for each other.“}
Lina had heard it all before.
In the beginning, Bruno would shut his mom down with a glare. Later, he’d just say, “Mom, enough,” with a frown. But now? He didn’t even bother frowning.
Lina lowered her head, sipping her soup. The hot broth slid down her throat, but it couldn’t chase away the cold in her chest.
After dinner, Bruno drove them home.
Kylie slipped into the front seat like she belonged there, leaving Lina alone in the back.
The radio played Kylie’s favorite songs. She laughed, chatting with Bruno about the evening, her voice filling the car.
Lina stared out at the blurred city lights, remembering a winter night years ago–Bruno pedaling a hand–me–down bike, taking her home. She’d hugged him from behind, slipping her frozen hands into his coat pockets.
“Lina, one day, when I’ve got money, I’ll buy a real car. I’ll never let you freeze again.”
Now he had the money, but the passenger seat wasn’t hers anymore.”
Suddenly, headlights blazed through the windshield. Before Lina could react, a truck came barreling toward them, out of control-
Crash.
The impact was brutal. Lina watched, dazed, as Bruno dove over the center console, shielding Kylie with his own body.”
Lina was thrown forward, her forehead smashing into the windshield. Blood blurred her vision in an instant.\
As her world went dark, she heard the sound of her own heart shattering.”
Even at the edge of life and death, he chose someone else.}
When she woke up, Lina was in a hospital bed.
Her forehead was bandaged, her ankle–already injured–throbbed with new pain, leaving her nearly paralyzed.
She tried to sit up, wincing, just as the door swung open and Mrs. Morris strode in, heels clicking sharply on the floor.&
“Lina, didn’t I tell you to leave the country?” Mrs. Morris looked down at her with thinly veiled contempt. “Why are you still here? Still clinging to the ridiculous idea of marrying into the Morris family?“@
Lina met her eyes, calm. “No. The paperwork isn’t done yet. Don’t worry, as soon as my visa’s approved, I’ll be gone.”
She hesitated. “I’ll go so far he’ll never find me.”
Mrs. Morris gave a cold, mocking laugh. “I hope you mean it.”
Before Lina could answer, the door swung open again.
Bruno stood in the doorway, his face dark. “Leave? Who said you could leave?“!
