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Chapter 3
Chapter 3
In that hazy moment, I suddenly recalled when Benson and I first got together.
We met through a mutual friend’s introduction, and we clicked surprisingly well on our first meeting.
Neither of us liked spicy food or strong flavors.
We both loved watching movies and documentaries, enjoyed growing plants, and adored cats and dogs.
I once thought Benson and I were soulmates, and I naively believed he felt the same.
After all, he was always attentive and caring, and he even swore at my deceased parents‘ graves that he
would take good care of me forever.
I never imagined Benson could be harboring feelings for someone else.
Everyone said Benson loved me deeply, and I foolishly believed it.
Until Celine, his first love, returned from abroad.
On a stormy night, she called Benson after we’d already gone to bed. Despite my protests, he threw on
clothes and rushed out.
Perhaps that’s when I should have seen how important Celine was to him.
Instead, I softened when he casually explained that she had depression and he was her only support.
But why couldn’t she see a doctor, take medication, or find someone other than my fiancé to lean on?
And why did these emergencies always happen late at night, when they would be alone together? I refused to believe she had no ulterior motives.
To make matters worse, Celine added me on social media through Benson’s introduction.
They became increasingly brazen, claiming their relationship was innocent and they just didn’t want me to misunderstand.
Yet this supposedly pure and kind–hearted Celine whom Benson praised would habitually send me intimate photos.
Sometimes it was a movie screen they were watching together.
Sometimes Benson’s back as he cooked for her.
Regret Him? Nah. I Prefer Watching Him Burn
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Chapter 3
Sometimes Benson’s profile as he slept from exhaustion, or their hands intertwined.
These provocative pictures caused countless arguments between Benson and me.
But each time, he would just tiredly rub his temples, as if I were being unreasonable: “Olivia, I’m really exhausted. I’m just trying to keep Celine from hurting herself, there’s nothing between us.”
“Can you please stop making a scene?”
Thinking now about his reaction after Celine’s death, it certainly didn’t seem like there was “nothing”
between them.
He was actually capable of killing me and our child for her sake.
Reborn into this life and pushed to the edge once more by him.
My heart held no more illusions.
Benson had never loved me.
I had chosen the wrong man.
I was fortunate, in a way.
As I fell, several kind–hearted neighbors reached out to catch me, preventing me from hitting the ground
directly.
But despite their help, the impact was still significant for a pregnant woman.
Blood flowed uncontrollably from between my legs. When Jason finally arrived with a few off–duty colleagues, this was the scene they encountered-
I was surrounded by people, deathly pale, with multiple burns on my body, my white dress stained with an alarming amount of blood.
“O–Olivia…” Jason pushed through the crowd, clearly panicked.
“How did this happen? Benson said you were just pretending!”
The pain in my abdomen left me breathless, but I still managed to give him a cold look.
“Does your entire fire department only listen to Benson?”
“Is whatever he says automatically true?”
The neighbors joined in the criticism.
W—hina Uim Burn
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Chapter 3
“What kind of work ethic is this? Completely irresponsible! We waited nearly an hour before you showed up! With a fire this big, someone could have died! She’s pregnant, for God’s sake!”
“Look at her condition now! This doesn’t look good at all…”
Jason couldn’t respond, knowing they were right. He hung his head, unable to meet my eyes.
When the ambulance arrived, he voluntarily accompanied me to the hospital.
Throughout the journey, he kept apologizing.
“I’m so sorry, Olivia. I truly had no idea this would happen.”
“It’s my fault. I trusted Benson too much…”
A nurse interrupted his endless apologies: “Please don’t disturb the patient. She’s in critical condition. Are you a relative?”
Jason shook his head, prompting the nurse to say: “Then you need to contact her family immediately. What if consent forms need to be signed?”
Only then did Jason hurriedly call Benson.
The call connected quickly.
“Hey, Jason, what’s up?”
Jason put the call on speaker, presumably so I could hear.
From Benson’s end came background noise, including what sounded like a woman crying.
Jason, not noticing this detail, blurted out the news of my condition.
“Benson, there really was a fire at your place. Olivia jumped from the building. We’re head to the
hospital now. You need to get here–they might need your signature for something.”
He didn’t expect that after hearing what he said, Benson would let out a scornful sneer, as if he had seen
through everything.
“Jason, how much did Olivia pay you to help her trick me?”
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