Chapter 3

In a photo studio, Genevieve sat quietly in front of the camera.

The cameraman praised her grace and asked what the picture was for

“For my funeral,” Genevieve answered calmly.

The cameraman’s hands shook, almost dropping his camera.

When Genevieve waited for her photo, she heard a familiar laughter coming through the front door.

Elaine and Nathaniel walked into the studio, arm in arm. She froze when she noticed Genevieve.

“Genny, what are you doing here?” Elaine looked at her curiously.

“I took a photo for my ID.” Genevieve pocketed her photo. “What are you doing here?”

Elaine put her head on Nathaniel’s shoulder and said sweetly, “A photo album is an important part of a couple’s experience. We took some pictures a few days ago and are here to collect them.”

“I only did it as Lainey insisted,” Nathaniel explained as he looked at Genevieve lovingly. “We can make a photo album too, once you recover.”

Genevieve’s heart broke a little more, but she said nothing.

One of the staff members came over, informing them they could start selecting photos for the album. As Genevieve already had her photo for her funeral, she wanted to leave. But Elaine stopped her. “Genny, help us pick the photos!”

Without waiting for Genevieve’s answer, Elaine sat her down in front of a computer.

Looking at the intimate photos of Elaine and Nathaniel, Genevieve felt her eyes prickling.

In a photo, Nathaniel and Elaine were holding hands and looking at each other’s eyes fondly.

Elaine and Nathaniel were kissing with the setting sun behind them. Elaine’s dress blew in the wind.

Nathaniel, in an identical white shirt to Elaine’s, was hugging her from behind.

Each and every one of the photos was so sweet that it hurt Genevieve’s eyes.

The heartbreak was making it hard to breathe, yet she still had to endure Elaine’s high- pitched voice as Elaine urged her to pick a nice shot. Lips trembling, Genevieve opened her mouth, but her words were stopped by a loud noise.

The metal shelves in the studio fell!

At that critical moment, Nathaniel lunged at Elaine without thinking, protecting her with his body.

Meanwhile, Genevieve was…

With a deafening noise, the heavy mental shelf hit Genevieve’s delicate shoulder. The sharp edge pierced through her clothes, tearing her flesh. Blood flooded out, staining her clothes in no time.

“Nate, it hurts!” Elaine cried with tears in her voice, pointing at a barely noticeable scratch mark on her arm.

Nathaniel checked it over nervously, his brows knitting into a knot. “I’m getting you to a hospital!”

He carried Elaine up bridal style and turned to leave. However, he paused at the door as if he had remembered something. Nathaniel looked over his shoulder.

Genevieve was struggling to crawl out from under the metal shelf. Blood ran down her arm, forming a small pool of blood on the floor rapidly.

Her eyes found Nathaniel’s.

One second.

Two seconds.

Nathaniel broke eye contact and carried Elaine out without a word.

Genevieve willed herself to stand up and go to the hospital alone.

“You’re severely injured! Why didn’t you ask someone to bring you over?” The doctor asked with a frown while stitching Genevieve’s wound. “A young woman came over just earlier. She only had a mild graze, but her boyfriend was so worried about her. He asked for a consultation.”

As the needle pierced her flesh, the pain made Genevieve want to pass out. She smiled bitterly. “The boyfriend is my boyfriend too.”

Shocked, the doctor snapped his head up and almost dropped the tweezers.

He opened and closed his mouth. In the end, he said nothing and went back to stitching Genevieve’s horrible wound in silence.

Nathaniel returned in the middle of the night.

He opened Genevieve’s bedroom door and found her trying to change her dressing. She was struggling.

She lifted the graze, revealing the ferocious wound underneath. Nathaniel’s pupils shrank when he saw the bloody wound.

“How?” He closed the distance in a few strides, his voice hoarse.

Not bothering to raise her head, Genevieve answered, “I got hit by the shelf.”

Nathaniel’s hand poised in mid air, shaking. “Genny, it was complete chaos. Lainey was hurt and was crying. So, I left with her. I didn’t mean to…”

“You did nothing wrong. You should save her.” Genevieve cut him off, her voice steady. “After all, she’s your girlfriend.”

Genevieve pushed Nathaniel’s hand away, but he forcefully grabbed her hand, not letting her escape.

His hand was warm, and his voice was filled with worry to an unprecedented level. “Genny, I told you many times. I’m nice to her only because of her kidney!

“You’re the only one I love. Please don’t do this to me…”

“I know.” Genevieve lowered her eyes, hiding her heartbreak. “So, I didn’t take it to heart.”

Nathaniel heaved a sigh of relief and carefully bound the bandage around Genevieve’s wound. “Get some sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

His hands were dry and warm as always.

Genevieve closed her eyes and felt like they were in the past. Every time she was ill, Nathaniel would stay by her bedside.

The blaring ringtone broke the peaceful night.

“Nate…” Elaine was sobbing. “I miss you. I’m scared as I can’t find you…”

“I’ll be there.” Nathaniel said in a low voice. Once he hung up, he looked at Genevieve with guilt. “Lainey is scared because she’s alone in the hospital. I need to keep her company.”

He left in a hurry, taking away the remaining warmth in the room.

Genevieve curled into a fetal position in her bed, having a hard time breathing due to her broken heart.

Nathaniel didn’t come home for the next two days.

Genevieve stopped caring. She took her meds and changed her dressing in time every day, healing in peace.

One afternoon, when she was reading a book by the window, her phone rang.

“Hello? Genny.” Elaine said with barely concealed smugness in her sickly sweet voice. “Do you know that Nate risks his life for me?”

Genevieve froze.

“I was just saying that I liked the jewelry for the champion of a car race. He signed up immediately, though it was super dangerous!” The excitement grew in her voice. “You should see it! To win the championship, he drove so fast that his car almost flipped! And he chanted my name when they rolled him into the operating room.”

Genevieve closed the book and looked outside. It was a beautiful sunny day. However, the sunlight was making her eyes hurt.

“He needs someone to take care of him now. Genny, would you like to come over?” Lainey drawled, waiting for Genevieve’s reaction.

“He got hurt for you,” Genevieve said, deadpan. “You’re boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ll leave it to you.”

With that said, she hung up and tossed her phone aside.

Leaves of the phoenix trees outside rustled in the breeze. Suddenly, Genevieve remembered something and called the graveyard.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***