Chapter 7

Back then, when Gianna had kissed Ezra's cheek in front of their friends without asking, he had been so angry that he ignored her for days. So, he was never the reserved man she thought he was. It turned out he had only been cold as ice when he was with her. Gianna felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat. She quickly got up and walked toward the exit. Just as she stepped outside, Ezra saw her. Startled, he shoved Maya away. It was only then that the others realized Gianna had been there all along. She had just stepped out the door when Maya ran after her, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Gianna, it's not what you think—" "Let go." Gianna frowned, not wanting to hear another word. However, Maya refused to release her. Her grip only tightened. "Say, if I were to slip and fall here, do you think your family would believe it was you who pushed me?" The moment those words left her lips, Maya let out a dramatic scream and flung herself backward, crashing straight into the restaurant's glass wall. The shattering sound echoed through the air. When the Ramsey family rushed over, they were met with a shocking sight. Maya lay sprawled amidst the broken glass. There was blood streaming from a gash on her forehead, and fresh wounds covering her body. "Gianna, are you insane? Were you trying to kill her?" Gabriel screamed, pulling Maya into his arms. Before Gianna could even speak, Christopher's hand swung violently across her face. "You wretched brat." The force of the slap sent her tumbling to the ground. A sharp, metallic taste filled her mouth. She then spat out blood mixed with a broken tooth. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain herself. But when she looked up, all she saw were the faces of her family that were twisted with anger and disgust. Their eyes filled with hatred as if they wanted to tear her apart. The words lodged in her throat. No matter what she said, it would never matter. Her own blood relatives would always believe an outsider over her. To them, no matter what she did, she was always lying. Nothing she did was unforgivable in their eyes. Meanwhile, Maya trembled in Gabriel's arms, choking on her sobs. "Gianna… If you hate me, just say so. I'll disappear from this world forever. If you're mad because I took Ezra from you, I'll give him back. I'll do anything to make you happy. Just… Please, don't hit me again…" Her pitiful act was so convincing that the Ramsey family members' eyes turned red with emotion. "Gianna, is that why you did this to Maya? Because you think she stole me from you?" Ezra stared at her in disbelief. Gianna met his gaze in a daze. Then, she suddenly laughed while choking on blood as it spilled from her lips. So, this was what it felt like to be so utterly frozen to the core that even despair could make a person laugh out loud. Seeing her still able to smile at a time like this, Ezra's disappointment in her reached its peak. "You know what? I don't even hate you anymore. What I hate is my past self—the blind fool who once loved someone as vile as you. "You're disgusting. I hope you die." With that, he turned away, leaving with Maya in his arms while following the Ramsey family to the hospital. Gianna simply watched as their figures disappeared, and the laughter wouldn't stop. She must have looked insane to the passersby. She lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up. Her heart had already been ripped to shreds, so full of wounds that it could no longer feel pain. There was no hatred in her dark eyes, nor any anger. Only an overwhelming, hollow numbness. It didn't matter anymore. In three days, they would never see her again. When she returned home, the lively chatter inside came to an abrupt halt. Every pair of eyes turned to her, and their disdainful expressions were clear as day. They were wondering how she dared to come back. It was as if they were looking at a stray dog—one that had been beaten, thrown out into the streets, and yet still had the audacity to drag its wounded body back to the doorstep.