Chapter 1

Upon hearing that Edmund Stone had been in a car accident from speeding and was bleeding heavily, Cecilia Hardin rushed to the hospital and donated a full 1000cc of blood for him.

His friends urged her to go home and rest, and she reluctantly agreed. But just as she reached the door, her worry got the better of her, and she turned back—only to see the nurse pouring all five bags of blood she had donated straight into the trash!

At that moment, a burst of deafening laughter erupted from a nearby ward. "Cecilia fell for it again! What an idiot!"

Cecilia froze, her gaze darting toward the half-open door of the ward. There, she spotted a man in a hospital gown amidst a crowd of people.

Edmund was lounging lazily against the headboard, his head bent over his phone. Although his face was partially obscured, Cecilia could still make out his sharp nose and deep-set brow.

He looked perfectly fine, not at all like someone who had been seriously injured. Cecilia blinked again, wondering if her grief had conjured up some kind of hallucination.

"Hey, guys. Let's count how many times we've gotten her now," someone chimed in.

"The first time, we told her that Eddie had lost the necklace he was going to give her, and she spent the whole night searching in the snow. She ended up with a 104-degree Fahrenheit fever but still refused to rest.

"Then there was the time we told her that Eddie was in a coma, and she climbed some mountain to get a blessing charm for him—the one that Eddie then threw to a dog."

Another voice added, "And don't forget when we framed her for cheating and ruined her graduation. The way she desperately tried to prove her innocence… I still laugh just thinking about it."

"Tricking her into donating five bags of blood this time makes it the 96th time, right? Just three more, and our revenge game will be complete. It hasn't been easy, but Eddie's suffered for years because of her."

"Well, what can you expect? She had the nerve to steal Leena's dance championship, making her cry all night.

"Leena is Eddie's one true love. How could he let that slide? That's why he decided to date Cecilia—to enact revenge 99 times.

"Too bad he'll dump her once it's over, and we'll be out of entertainment."

…

Cecilia's ears rang as if a thunderclap had exploded above her. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart. She clutched her chest, bending over as she struggled to breathe. The pain of it nearly suffocated her.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She couldn't believe that Edmund had only been with her to exact revenge. After all, he knew exactly how much she loved him.

Edmund, the most sought-after wealthy heir of Woodswhite Bay, was the epitome of perfection. He excelled academically, had an impeccable family background, and was strikingly handsome.

Back then, it was said that no woman who laid eyes on him could resist falling for him. Cecilia was just one of those countless women.

She chased after him for three years, even throwing aside her pride, but he remained indifferent. Then, one day, he accepted her confession out of the blue. She thought that she had finally gotten her wish, only to realize that it was all part of a cruel revenge plot.

The truth was, he had rejected her before because his heart already belonged to someone else. He had only accepted her later because she had taken the championship from Leena Berger, making her cry.

Edmund pretended to be with Cecilia just to get back at her, using 99 deceptions to push her into an abyss of despair. Tears streamed uncontrollably down Cecilia's face, her throat clogged with something that made it hard to breathe.

She looked at the group of people laughing shamelessly in the ward and at Edmund's cold, indifferent face. She suddenly felt like a complete joke. She had offered her heart to him, only for him to crush it mercilessly and toss it into the trash, treating it as something absolutely worthless.

Just then, someone in the ward seemed to notice something and glanced toward the door. Panicked, Cecilia turned and hurried away. She walked faster and faster until she was almost running.

She didn't know where she was going. She just wanted to escape this place. She had to escape Edmund and this absurd nightmare. When she could no longer run, she crouched down as tears came flooding out like a burst dam.

She covered her face, and muffled sobs escaped her throat as if she were trying to cry out all the pain and humiliation she had endured.

"How ridiculous, Cecilia Hardin. You're a complete and utter fool," she muttered to herself.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the phone in her lap started ringing. She answered the call with trembling hands, and her mother's gentle voice came through.

"Cece, your dad and I are about to move abroad. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Not long ago, Cecilia's parents, Ethan Hardin and Betsy Booker, received work transfer orders to relocate overseas. Initially, the whole family planned to move, but Cecilia hesitated as she was unwilling to leave Edmund behind.

She had delayed repeatedly, even considering staying in Woodswhite Bay permanently for him. Now, the thought felt bitterly ironic.

"No," she said, wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath.

Her voice was hoarse but firm. "Mom, Dad, I'm coming with you."

Chapter 2

Betsy's delighted voice immediately came through the phone. "That's wonderful, Cece! We'll start the paperwork then. Once it's done, there won't be any turning back."

Cecilia gripped her phone, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she replied with determination, "I won't regret it."

Just as Betsy was about to hang up, she hesitated and asked tentatively, "By the way, what about that boyfriend of yours? Didn't you try for so long to be with him? Weren't you crazy about him?"

The word "boyfriend" felt like a thorn, stabbing deep into Cecilia's heart.

Her mind immediately flashed back to the harsh laughter in the hospital ward. The moment when Edmund was lounging lazily on the bed playing with his phone, the group's shameless mockery, and the cruelty of him wasting three years of his life just to take revenge on her for Leena's sake.

Her heart clenched violently as if an invisible hand had seized it. The pain was so intense she could barely breathe.

"I don't like him anymore," she heard herself say, her voice hoarse but calm. "And I'll never like him again."

After hanging up, Cecilia stood by the roadside, letting the cold wind tangle her hair. She looked up at the gray, overcast sky before taking a deep breath and turning to walk in the direction of her "home".

A familiar scent washed over her when she pushed the door open. Cecilia paused at the doorway, staring at the familiar layout of the living room in a daze.

This was Edmund's house. He had given her the key after he agreed to be with her.

That day, he had leaned casually against the doorframe and said offhandedly, "Let's move in together."

Back then, Cecilia had been shy and overjoyed, thinking that it was the beginning of their love story. She had even secretly fantasized about a future where they would marry, have children, and spend their lives together in this very place.

Now, it all felt like a cruel joke.

Moving in together? It was probably just to make it easier for him to carry out his revenge.

She wondered how much Edmund loved Leena to go to such lengths to waste three years on her. He had lived with her and even slept with her many times. He had done all that just to make Cecilia believe that he loved her.

For the next three days, Cecilia didn't visit Edmund in the hospital once. She shut herself inside the house and began sorting through everything that reminded her of him.

She pulled out the diary she had kept during her years of secretly loving him. It was a thick notebook filled with her innermost thoughts on every page.

"Today, I saw him again in the library. He was wearing a white shirt, and he looked so handsome.

"He spoke to me today. It was just a polite request to pass him something, but it made me happy all day.

"He agreed to be with me. Am I dreaming?"

Cecilia flipped through the diary page by page as tears silently streamed down her face. She tossed the diary into a trash bag as if stripping away the love she once felt for him piece by piece.

Next, she tackled the gifts she had given him. There was a necklace, a watch, and a coat. Each item carried the joy and anticipation she had once felt.

Finally, there were all the photos she had secretly taken of him. In the pictures, Edmund was either giving a speech, playing basketball, or leaning against a hallway chatting with someone. Every single one had made her heart flutter.

She threw all these into the trash as if bidding farewell to her past self.

By the evening of the third day, Cecilia finally finished sorting through the last item. She stood in the center of the living room and looked around the now-empty house, feeling an unexpected sense of relief.

Just then, Edmund walked through the door. His eyes scanned the noticeably emptier space, and his brow furrowed. "What did you throw away?"

Cecilia looked up. Her gaze was calm as she said, "Nothing important. Just some things I didn't need anymore."

Edmund took a few steps closer, his tone tinged with displeasure. "I was badly injured. Why didn't you come to see me?"

Cecilia's lips curved into a faint, cold smile. "Aren't you already discharged? If you were that badly hurt, how could you come back so soon?"

He paused, then explained, "I heard you donated a lot of blood for me. I was worried about you, so I returned to check on you."

His gaze fell on her arm, and his voice softened unusually. "Does it hurt?"

Cecilia pulled her arm back and said indifferently, "No. It doesn't."

Edmund noticed her coldness, and his frown deepened. "What's going on lately? Why do you seem so different after I was hospitalized?"

Cecilia's lips twitched into a faint smile. She then asked, "How am I different?"

Edmund didn't respond, but both of them knew the truth.

The old Cecilia would have looked at him with eyes full of adoration. Even if he caught a cold, she would have acted as if it were a crisis, wanting to stay by his side every second. But now, after three days in the hospital, she hadn't even called him once.

Edmund's gaze lingered on her face as if trying to decipher something from her expression.

Suddenly, he said softly and gently, "Are you feeling a bit more tired lately? They're throwing a welcome-back party for me. Come with me, okay?"

Chapter 3

Before Cecilia could refuse, Edmund grabbed her hand and led her to the car.

The car stopped in front of an upscale club after a while. Edmund got out, walked around to her side, and opened the door for her.

Cecilia glanced at him but said nothing, silently stepping out of the car. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a familiar figure when they entered the club.

It was Leena.

She wore a white dress, and her long hair was cascading over her shoulders. There was a gentle smile on her face as she chatted and laughed with a group of friends in the center of the room.

Leena was Edmund's childhood friend. Although the two had grown up together, Cecilia and Leena had never crossed paths in all the years Cecilia had been with Edmund. So, it had never occurred to Cecilia that Edmund was in love with Leena.

The way Leena looked at them, her eyes half-smiling as they walked in hand-in-hand, seemed to confirm that she was also aware of the 99 acts of revenge.

Cecilia suddenly found it hard to breathe. Edmund seemed to notice Leena's presence, too. His fingers stiffened slightly before he let go of Cecilia's hand.

He turned to Cecilia and said lowly, "I need to make a phone call. Go ahead and mingle. I'll be back soon."

Cecilia stood there, watching Edmund's retreating figure while her heart turned cold. Before she could say anything, Leena followed Edmund out in graceful steps. Their figures then disappeared around the corner of the club, one after the other.

Cecilia didn't have time to dwell on what they were doing outside because Edmund's buddies soon surrounded her.

"Yo, Cece! Come have a drink!" one of them said, grinning while handing her a glass of alcohol.

Cecilia shook her head. "I can't drink."

"Don't be a buzzkill! Just one glass. It won't hurt!" he insisted, shoving the glass into her hand and pushing her forward.

Cecilia tried to break free and leave, but one of them suddenly gave her a hard shove.

Cecilia let out a cry as she lost her balance and fell into the nearby pool.

The icy water instantly engulfed her body. She couldn't swim. Her arms and legs flailed wildly, but she only sank deeper.

Water rushed into her mouth and nose, choking her until she could barely breathe. Her consciousness began to fade, and her vision turned dark until she completely blacked out.

…

When Cecilia woke up again, she found herself lying in a familiar room. Her head felt heavy, and her body burned as if it was on fire. She struggled to open her eyes and finally saw Edmund sitting by the bed, holding a glass of water and a few pills.

"You have a fever. Take these," Edmund said, his voice low and tinged with concern.

Cecilia, still dazed, took the pills and swallowed them with the water. Too disoriented to think, the only thing she felt was her parched throat, and her body that was drained of strength.

She closed her eyes, wanting to fall back asleep. Even so, her body grew hotter, as if something inside her was burning. After what felt like an eternity, she forced her eyes open again, only to find that Edmund was no longer in the room.

Cecilia managed to sit upright. She touched her forehead, only to discover that it was frighteningly hot. She knew that she couldn't delay any longer. She had to go to the hospital.

Dragging her heavy body, Cecilia made her way to the hospital with incredible difficulty. The doctor administered an IV, and her fever gradually subsided a little.

After examining her, the doctor frowned and said, "It's good that you came early. Any later, and this could have turned into pneumonia."

Cecilia leaned weakly against the hospital bed. She hoarsely asked, "Doctor, I took some medicine earlier. Why did I get worse?"

The doctor paused, then asked, "What medicine did you take?"

Cecilia pulled a small pill bottle from her pocket and handed it to the doctor. "Just some aspirin my boyfriend gave me."

The doctor took the bottle, opened it, and his expression immediately turned serious. "These aren't aspirins. The bottle is labeled as such, but it's filled with sugar pills.

"They have no medicinal effect and could have worsened your condition."

Cecilia's heart sank, and her fingertips trembled slightly. Suddenly, her phone buzzed repeatedly. She mustered the strength to lift her hand and glanced at the screen, only to see that messages were flooding in.

They were from Edmund's close friends.

"Hahaha, the 97th revenge is a success!"

"Who came up with this idea? It's genius! First, we accidentally pushed her into the pool, then Eddie swapped the pills.

"She's probably suffering like hell right now."

Then, someone panicked and sent a message that read, "Holy crap! You sent this to the wrong group! Cecilia's in this one!"

Chapter 4

Soon, those messages were quickly deleted, as if nothing had happened.

Cecilia's hand trembled as she held her phone. Her heart went cold and numb as if soaked in icy water. It even became hard to breathe.

So even her falling into the pool, her fever, and the "medicine" she took were all part of their carefully planned revenge. Even the "pills" Edmund had given her were only meant to make her suffer more.

Not long after, Edmund called her.

"Where are you? Why aren't you at home?" His voice was low, carrying a hint of urgency he tried to hide.

Cecilia took a deep breath, forcing her voice to sound calm. "My fever got too bad. I'm at the hospital."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by Edmund's voice. "I'll come right away."

"No need," she interjected. "I just need to stay one night after the IV. You've been busy lately, so focus on your work."

Edmund paused for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Did you check your phone earlier?"

So that's why he called. He was afraid that she had seen those messages.

Cecilia lied, "No. The doctor said that my fever was almost life-threatening. I didn't have time to look at my phone."

Another silence followed. Edmund's voice seemed to carry an unreadable emotion. "I'm here, so you'll be fine."

Cecilia tightened her grip on the phone, and her heart was filled with sorrow. She didn't understand what he meant. After all, wasn't he the one who had caused all this pain?

After a while, Cecilia was discharged from the hospital. But just as she stepped out to hail a cab, a group of people suddenly rushed up from behind her, covering her mouth and nose without saying a single word.

She lost consciousness before she could even begin to struggle. When Cecilia woke again, she found herself lying in a dimly lit hotel room with her hands and feet tied. Several thugs surrounded her, and their faces twisted into disgusting grins.

"Are you awake? Don't be scared, sweetheart. We'll take good care of you," one of them said, reaching out to tear at her clothes.

"Who are you? Let me go! Let me go!"

Cecilia fought back with all her strength, but she was too weak to overpower them. She threw things, kicked at them, and even screamed at the top of her lungs, but nothing worked.

As the men began to strip off her clothes, despair filled her heart, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open.

"Get the hell out!" Edmund's voice roared like it had risen from the depths of hell, filled with overwhelming fury.

Terrified by his presence, the thugs scrambled to their feet and fled the room. Meanwhile, Cecilia curled up on the bed, still trembling uncontrollably.

She looked up at Edmund, and for the first time, she saw urgency and panic in his eyes.

"Cece…" he called out as he rushed to her side, his hand trembling as he reached out to hold her.

However, Cecilia shrank back abruptly like a frightened rabbit, her eyes filled with fear. Edmund's hand froze mid-air. There was even a flicker of pain that flashed in his eyes.

Cecilia wanted to say something, but her vision darkened, and she fainted once more.

Sometime later, Cecilia groggily stirred awake. She heard voices in the hospital room, speaking in hushed tones, but the anger in their words was unmistakable.

"Why wasn't I told about this revenge plan?" It was Edmund's voice.

"Didn't you want to finish the 99 acts of revenge quickly so you could be with Leena? We thought you were too busy, so we handled it for you," one of his friends replied casually and indifferently.

"I never told you to have her assaulted!" Edmund's voice rose sharply, the anger in his tone almost palpable.

The others were startled, unable to believe their ears. "What's the big deal? Didn't we agree to make her suffer from the start? Why are you so angry?"

Edmund didn't respond. Instead, he kicked over the coffee table, causing a loud crash.

Why was he so angry? Well, he didn't even know why he was so angry!

Over the years, Cecilia had always chased after him like a bright little sun, unwavering in her pursuit. He still remembered the day he agreed to be with her—how she had stood there in disbelief, then burst into tears of joy.

Edmund had never seen her like this as she lay there, like a withered rose, utterly devoid of life.

He didn't know why, but it terrified him. He couldn't stand to see her like that. Something inside him ached when she looked at him with those lifeless eyes.

The others began to sense something was off at Edmund's prolonged silence.

One of them couldn't help but ask in alarm, "Eddie, something's not right with you… Don't tell me that after all these years, you've actually fallen for her for real?"

Chapter 5

The hospital room fell into dead silence as if even the air itself had frozen.

Edmund, who had been furiously confronting the mastermind behind the incident, suddenly stiffened. His mind began echoing with those words.

"Don't tell me that after all these years, you've actually fallen for her for real?"

Fallen for Cecilia? That was impossible!

Edmund quickly dismissed the thought. He dismissed it so quickly as if that could erase the inexplicable emotion stirring in his heart.

He had always loved Leena. And Cecilia was just a tool he used for revenge.

But if Edmund felt nothing for Cecilia, why had he been so enraged when he saw those thugs on top of her? Even when other men flirted with Leena, he had never felt this impulsive!

His silence plunged the room into quiet once more. Meanwhile, his friends exchanged glances, seemingly breathing a sigh of relief.

One of them patted Edmund on the shoulder as he said lightly, "You should've said so earlier. You scared us. We really thought that you'd fallen for her.

"It wouldn't be worth it to get caught up in your own revenge game. Leena would be devastated if she found out."

Edmund didn't respond. He simply suppressed the strange emotion in his chest and said coldly, "I could never fall for Cecilia Hardin in a million years."

Only then did his friends relax. They smiled as one of them said, "Alright, alright. She's about to wake up anyway, so we'll head out first."

After everyone left, Edmund slowly walked to the bedside and looked down at Cecilia, who was still unconscious. Her face was pale, and her brows were slightly furrowed as if she were sleeping restlessly.

His fingers unconsciously reached out to brush her cheek, but the moment they made contact, he jerked his hand back as if he had been burned.

Edmund turned, walked to the window, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. He was trying to numb his chaotic thoughts with nicotine.

When Cecilia woke up, Edmund was the only one left. He was sitting by the bed while holding a glass of water.

When he saw her wake up, he asked in a low voice, "How do you feel? Do you still feel unwell?"

Cecilia didn't answer. She simply turned her head away and avoided his gaze.

Over the next few days, Edmund stayed at the hospital to take care of her. Even so, he would occasionally step out to answer phone calls, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible softness in his expression each time he returned.

Cecilia knew that he was probably comforting Leena. Now that she thought about it, he had always been like this back when they were together. He would step out to take calls, always claiming that it was something urgent.

But she had never doubted him. It wasn't until now that she realized the person on the other end of those calls had always been Leena.

Just then, a doctor entered the room to change her bandages. Cecilia looked up and noticed that it was a young, handsome doctor.

She paused momentarily, then asked softly, "You weren't my attending physician before, were you?"

The young doctor, Peter Wilkinson, smiled before gently replying, "No, that was my mentor. I'm his intern.

"He's doing rounds today, so I'm here to change your bandages."

Cecilia nodded and didn't say anything more.

Peter began tending to her wounds. His movements were careful and light, though his face kept flushing slightly.

As he was about to leave, he hesitated before suddenly asking, "Can I… get your contact information?"

Cecilia was taken aback, but Edmund walked into the room before she could respond.

His gaze swept coldly over Peter, his voice carrying a hint of warning as he said, "She has a boyfriend. Can't you tell?

"Why are you even hitting on patients? Do you even still want to be an intern here?"