Chapter 5

Ethan jogged after me, grinning when he heard me ask for the lucky charm doll. "The day before yesterday, I cut my hand while peeling fruit. Ms. Johnson was so worried about me. She said she couldn't stand seeing me hurt, so she gave me that doll."

"She said its silly expression reminded her of me—clumsy but cute."

"Lucas, don't you think she's blind? How could someone as handsome as me look like that ugly thing—"

My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.

I glared at Emily. "Who said you could touch my things?"

"My mother knelt for three days and nights to get that for me. What right did you have to give it away?"

She smirked. "Oh, it was yours? My apologies. It looked so cheap, I thought it was some flea-market junk—"

I grabbed her slender throat.

Emily didn't flinch, meeting my gaze calmly.

Ethan shoved me away. "Are you insane? Attacking someone over a stupid doll?"

He stormed out but returned moments later, clutching my lucky charm.

"Here!"

He hurled it at me. "Who the hell wants this trash?"

The ceramic doll shattered on the floor.

I watched as the base—engraved with my birth details—split into pieces, like my broken life, impossible to put back together.

Suddenly, breathing became difficult.

I couldn't die yet. My mother was still waiting for me.

I was afraid she'd linger on the other side, never moving on if I didn't come.

"That was all I had left of her!"

I punched Ethan in the face, my voice raw. "Of course it hurts! Damn right it hurts!"

Tears spilled over.

I seized Ethan's collar, but Emily stepped between us.

I stared at her with bloodshot eyes and suddenly laughed. "I'm dying, and this is how you treat me. Emily… did you ever care about me at all?"

She wiped the tears from my face. "First faking an illness, now this melodrama. Lucas, do you really find this amusing?"

"Stop crying. Your tears—"

A drop of blood splashed onto her hand.

My nose gushed, worse than ever before.

My legs gave out as agony tore through me, and I collapsed.

"Call an ambulance! Now!"

Emily dropped to her knees, cradling me as her white blouse soaked crimson.

Her arms trembled, powerless as my life slipped away.