He fell for me in the game

chapter 3

Less than half an hour later, Simon burst into the hospital room, breathless.

He slammed into me, sending me sprawling. My arm hit the nearby metal cabinet.

"You were supposed to have moved out. Why were you even here, near Lydia?"

He took out the soup from the meal tray and carefully fed it to Lydia. He then thoughtfully propped a pillow behind her back, before fixing me with a cold stare, his voice laced with accusation. "You knew Lydia's situation was delicate. Why didn't you stay away from her?"

Lydia gently wrapped her arms around his neck, whining softly, "Simon, it hurts so much. I can't walk like a normal person anymore."

But her triumph was impossible to hide in her eyes.

Someone genuinely suffering from depression wouldn't have that look in their eyes.

Yet Simon hugged her tenderly, gently rubbing her leg. "Lydia will get better. Simon's here for you."

His entire focus was on Lydia, he didn't notice my bleeding arm, covered in cuts.

I comforted myself countless times, telling myself Simon was only acting out of guilt.

Every time, I compromised. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

He knew Lydia's illness wasn't severe to this extent.

But later, on a mountain drenched in a downpour, amidst a howling blizzard, on a deserted highway in the dead of night, even at our own wedding, Simon abandoned me without a second thought and chose Lydia.

This was his last chance. I ran after him. "Simon, have you really thought this through?"

Simon's footsteps faltered. From a distance, I saw guilt in his eyes.

"Hilary, I'm sorry. I can't abandon Lydia. Her leg is like this because of me."

The outcome was clear long ago. For the first time, I used a hidden ability and heard Simon's inner thoughts: "Hilary, I'll make it up to you properly when I get back."

I shook my head, my voice raw and strained. "Simon, no need. We're breaking up."

Simon finally turned and walked towards me, his brows furrowed, his tone filled with displeasure. "Stop being unreasonable! Our relationship and helping Lydia recover aren't mutually exclusive. Why do you have to make it a competition?"

"Lydia's by the ocean, it's dangerous. Her life is on the line, what are you even thinking about?"

The atmosphere between us instantly solidified.

People around us cast curious glances, eager for drama. A lump formed in my throat, choking back the words.

It was useless because Simon's mind was completely consumed by Lydia at the beach.

I managed a faint smile, opening my mouth to speak.

But before I could say anything, Simon's phone rang.

It was our mutual friend, saying Lydia's condition was very bad.

In just a few seconds, Simon made his choice. He abandoned me again without a second thought.

Right then, I thought my decision to give up a prestigious university's exchange program for Simon was absolutely terrible.

I dialed that number, hidden at the very end of my contacts for a long, long time.

"Rex, I'm giving in. I accept your offer."

Back home, I threw away all my things that were connected to Simon.

I only took a few pieces of clothing.

Yes, I left. I walked away from Simon.

My name is Hilary, because my mom hoped I'd live my life open-minded, optimistic, kind, and proactive.

But I failed not only to do that, I even lost myself.

"Hilary, long time no see."

Rex, long time no see.

I looked at the man before me. He was still as radiant as he'd been years ago.

"How did you end up so miserable without me around?" Rex took my suitcase, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

Hearing his familiar voice, my nose stung, and my voice involuntarily caught in my throat. "Yeah, I'm pretty miserable. And I'll have to trouble the great Rex, top influencer, for a while."

Rex haughtily snorted twice. "Hilary, I told you long ago to leave him."

"Rex, I'm pregnant."

Rex's grip on my hand tightened abruptly. He seemed agitated. "And you? Do you want to keep it?"

I pulled my hand from Rex's grasp. "I'm ready to start a new life."

In the following days, I steadily began my new life.

I paid no attention to the chaos that had erupted back home.

When Simon returned home the next day, he unexpectedly noticed many things missing from the house.

He called our mutual friends. "Has Hilary contacted any of you?"

All he got were words of advice: "Simon, I'm just telling you, in this toxic relationship with Lydia, you might as well let Hilary go."

Everyone's consistent answer was that they had no idea where Hilary went, until Hilary's family was asked.

"Hilary has a really good friend overseas. You actually know him Rex."

Simon didn't understand why everyone thought he had wronged me.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the prenatal check-up results on the vanity table.

Simon left the country that very night, taking Lydia with him.

The next time I met Simon was at the supermarket downstairs.

"Hilary!"

Rex reacted faster than I did, swinging a punch at Simon's face. "You bastard! How dare you show your face?!"

They wrestled, their identities too prominent. If no one pulled them apart, tomorrow's headline would be "A-List Celebrity and Corporation Heir Brawl in Public: What's the Real Story?"

"We broke up. Don't come looking for me anymore." I shielded Rex behind me, casting a cold gaze at the man and woman opposite us.

Simon pulled out the prenatal check-up results. "Hilary, stop messing around. You can't let our child grow up without a father."

"I terminated the pregnancy."

He froze.

He threw down the suitcase he was holding and clamped my arm tightly.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?"