It was chaos.
Mizuki ran down the sterile hospital corridors, her breath hitching with every step. "Where is he? Where's Pablo Rossi? I'm his wife!" she cried, her voice breaking as she grabbed the arm of a passing nurse. The nurse, startled, gestured hurriedly toward the emergency room. Mizuki's pulse roared in her ears as she bolted toward the double doors, her thoughts a whirl of dread and disbelief.
A doctor intercepted her just as she reached the ER. "Ma'am, please, you need to stay calm—"
"I need to see him!" Mizuki interrupted, her voice trembling with desperation. Her heart felt like it was being crushed. Fear, anger, and sorrow swirled within her, each vying for dominance. Anger at the cruel circumstances. Anger at fate for Pablo's selfless nature that led him to risk his life. But mostly fear—the gnawing, overwhelming fear of being left completely alone.
The nurse led her into the rows of beds, past the cold fluorescent lights reflecting off sterile white walls. Each step brought her closer to the man who had been her anchor through so much turmoil. Her parents' fractured marriage, the bitter revelations of their lies, Nancy's unforgivable betrayal just weeks ago—Pablo had been her only constant. If she lost him now, there would be no one left.
I can't do this. I can't lose him too.
Finally, they reached his bed. Mizuki froze. The sight before her was a nightmare she couldn't wake from. Pablo lay pale and motionless, his handsome face bloodied and bruised. The usual warmth in his features was gone, replaced by a chilling stillness that sent a dagger of panic through her chest. His broad shoulders, once her haven, now sagged lifelessly against the stark white sheets.
"Ma'am, we're sorry to say, but please say your goodbyes before we intubate him," the doctor said softly, stepping aside.
The words barely registered. Mizuki's knees threatened to give way. She stumbled forward, clutching Pablo's cold, bloody hand as her world began to shatter. The doctors' solemn expressions were heavy with unspoken truths. His injuries were catastrophic. The odds were insurmountable.
"No," she whispered, her voice cracking. "What do you mean? You can save him. You have to save him."
The doctor didn't reply, only bowing his head. Mizuki's fingers trembled as she stroked Pablo's hand, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. She leaned closer, her voice desperate and trembling. "Pablo, it's me. It's Mizuki. Please, wake up. You can't leave me. You promised we'd grow old together. You're all I have left."
Her pleas seemed to reach him. His lashes fluttered, and his eyes opened—a faint glimmer of life, though unfocused and distant. Mizuki felt a fragile hope ignite in her chest. She smiled shakily, though her heart was racing with terror. "Pablo, I'm here. It's okay. I'm here."
His lips moved, and she leaned in to catch his faint words. "I'm sorry," he rasped, his voice barely audible. Tears slipped from his eyes as he added, "I love you..."
Mizuki nodded, gripping his hand tightly. "I love you too," she whispered back, clinging to the fragile thread of hope.
But then, his lips formed a name—a name that wasn't hers. "Forgive me, Stella..."
Time seemed to stop. The world around her blurred as the name echoed in her mind. Stella. Who was Stella? Mizuki's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn't move. A cold realization began to seep into her heart, but there was no time to process it.
The heart monitor let out a piercing alarm. Doctors and nurses surged forward, pushing Mizuki back. She stood frozen, watching in horror as they fought to save him. The defibrillator paddles were charged, his chest heaved under the force of shocks, and voices shouted commands over the chaos. But deep down, Mizuki already knew.
They worked tirelessly, but Pablo flatlined. The room fell silent, save for the monotonous beeping of the flatline. A nurse finally turned to Mizuki, her eyes brimming with sympathy. "We're so sorry."
Mizuki sank to her knees, her hands clutching at the air as if trying to pull him back to her. He was gone. Her anchor, her one source of strength in a world that seemed bent on breaking her, was gone. And the cruel truth that accompanied his death—his last words, spoken to someone else—twisted the knife deeper.
He didn't even fight, she realized, her heart shattering. He chose to leave. To leave me.
Mizuki buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She had lost him, but perhaps she had never truly had him in the first place. And now, with no family, no friends she could trust, she was utterly, terrifyingly alone.
Mizuki sat alone in the present, her hands clasped tightly around a steaming cup of tea. The memory of that night haunted her still, a cruel specter that refused to let her go. She had thought she was everything to him, but his final words revealed a truth she had never suspected.
Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she whispered to herself, "Relax, Mizuki, that never happened yet, and it never will."
This was her second chance at life—a chance to change the course of her fate. It had already begun when she severed ties with Nancy. The thought sounded harsh, but she knew it was necessary. In her past life, she had been used and taken advantage of for far too long.
When she married Pablo and moved to Singapore, she had foolishly trusted Nancy, leaving her with an extension of her black card to make up for her absence. Nancy had freely indulged in Mizuki's wealth—clothes, vacations, beauty regimens—while Mizuki remained oblivious. It wasn't just the betrayal that had stung; it was the realization of how blind she had been.
In her previous life, it took Mizuki too long to absorb what had happened and confront Nancy. Before she could take back her card or even process the betrayal, her world fell apart. She discovered her father's affair, and soon after, Pablo's accident left her reeling. The series of tragedies paralyzed her, leaving her unable to fix anything.
Not this time.
This time, Mizuki had already dealt with Nancy. That chapter was closed. She would not let the same mistakes drag her down again. This time, she was ready for Pablo.