Eliana's POV
"I checked every flight. Every city. Every option."
Her voice trembled as she held the printed letter in her hand—the ultimatum.
"They've frozen my accounts. Canceled my enrollment. My father even threatened to fire anyone who helps me leave."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn't bother wiping them away. She wasn't trying to look strong anymore.
"They'd rather see me disappear than let me be with you."
He said nothing. Just looked at her like he was trying to memorize every part of her—the way her lips quivered, the way her breath hitched.
She stepped closer.
"So if I can't live with you…"She exhaled, broken and brave all at once."...then I'll die beside you."
His hand found hers.
"I'm not being dramatic," she said, a bitter laugh catching in her throat. "I'm just done. Done fighting a war I can't win. Done choosing between love and survival."
He swallowed hard, blinking away the sting in his eyes.
"You are the only real thing in my life. You always have been."
He cupped her face.
"And if this is the only choice they've left us with... then I'll make it with you."
She nodded. Wordless. Resolute.
They sat beneath the willow tree—their place since everything began.
Two glasses.
One small vial.
And nothing left to lose.
They toasted—not to love, but to freedom.
And as the poison slipped through their veins, they held onto each other, not in fear…
…but in peace.
The world had taken everything from them.
This time, they were taking something back.
The wind blew softly.
And then—silence.
THE END.
...
WHAT. THE. HELL.
They both died?!
What kind of twisted, soul-crushing movie was that?
Who wrote this cinematic pain machine?
I just wasted two whole hours of my life—two hours I'll never get back. And for what?
For emotional damage. 😑
Today is cursed.
First, I fainted during my very first surgery like I was filming a blooper reel for Surgical Disasters.
Then the patient actually died.
Died.
But in a weird, morbid way, that tragedy bought me a day off. Dr. Waylon said I needed rest.
And even though I was mentally and physically drained, I had zero intention of going home.
I couldn't face my over-controlling, image-obsessed parents.
I'm already hanging by a thread.
What if one day… I actually break?
What if I end up like those characters in the movie?
Dying because I couldn't live my own life?
No.
I don't want that.
I haven't even started living yet.
And if I keep following my parents' script, maybe I never will.
"Your phone's been ringing. If you don't wanna answer it, just hang up,"
A guy muttered from the next table, pulling me out of my existential spiral.
I looked down.
Mia. My best friend.
Obviously, I answered.
"Eliana!" she practically screamed. "I need your help!"
"Mia? Are you okay? Wait—did you break up with your boyfriend?"
"No! Not yet. But he might break up with me if he finds out—"
"You cheated?"
Yes, I interrupted. Judge me later.
"WHAT?! I didn't cheat! Are you insane?"
"Then why would he break up with you?"
"It's my parents," she groaned. "They set me up on another blind date with one of their business partners."
I sighed. "You're crying over that? You've survived, like, a hundred blind dates. Just sabotage this one like usual."
"I can't," she whispered. "This guy's different. His name is Hendrix Parker. You can't just mess with him. Plus, my parents hired someone to spy on me. If I mess this up, they'll ship me abroad."
"Wait. Abroad? As in banishment abroad? Are our parents even real?"
I rolled my eyes. "God forbid we live our own lives."
"Please, Eli. Help me."
"Fine. Send me the time and location. I'll think of something."
"I knew it! You're the best. Sending it now. Love you—bye!"
A moment later, my phone pinged:
Mia: Grayshire Café. 5:00 PM.
I glanced at the time.
4:00 PM.
I had exactly one hour.
Time to plan a beautiful disaster.
Grayshire Café
The place screamed "perfect blind date location."
Soft jazz, fairy lights, too many fake smiles.
Gross.
Too bad I am on a full-blown sabotage mission.
I scanned the room—and there she was.
Mia. Sitting at a table with… him.
And holy heartbreak.
Hendrix Parker.
Tall. Suited. Sculpted jawline.
The living embodiment of a designer fragrance ad.
He looked like the kind of man who had a black card, a tragic past, and women crying over his Instagram stories.
Focus, Eliana.
This is sabotage, not a swoon-fest.
I marched toward their table and stopped right in front of them.
Mia's face went pale.
She had no idea what I was about to do.
I ignored her completely and locked eyes with the man.
Expressionless. Calm. Almost bored.
Perfect.
Time to ruin everything.
"Who is this girl?" I asked, dramatically pointing at Mia.
"Excuse me?"
He raised a brow, voice smooth like iced whiskey.
"Oh, now you want to excuse yourself?" I gasped.
"You told me you'd only marry me—and now you're sitting here with her?"
"Marry...?"
His brow twitched.
"You liar!" I sniffled dramatically, touching my belly.
"And what about our child?"
His eyes widened.
"What the f—?"
He flinched. "What child?!"
I stared at him with mock betrayal.
"The child you're going to deny?!"
"I don't have any children! That's not even possible becau—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Oh? He was about to say something interesting.
"Because you can't?"
I smirked. Yep. I went there.
His face turned beet red.
Anger? Embarrassment? Panic?
All of the above.
Just as he opened his mouth to fire back, a child suddenly ran into me.
I stumbled—nearly crashing to the floor—before Mia grabbed me.
My bag, unfortunately, didn't survive.
It spilled onto the floor.
"Are you okay?"
A woman—probably the child's mother—rushed over.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
I smiled and bent down to gather my things.
But then… I noticed Hendrix wasn't looking at me anymore.
He was staring at something on the floor.
I followed his gaze.
My ID card.
It must've fallen out.
I snatched it up and shoved it into my bag.
When I looked up again, he was staring at me—Really staring.
Those deep, dark eyes weren't bored anymore.
They were focused. Sharp. Like he'd just recognized me.
...Why is he looking at me like that?