Justin's focus was absolute, his worried gaze glued to her, oblivious to everything else.
I didn't wait for him to decide. I opened the door and stepped out onto the roadside.
"Take her to the hospital. I can walk the rest of the way."
The car idled for a moment—a brief hesitation from the man behind the wheel.
Then the engine roared. He whipped the car into a U-turn and sped away, leaving me standing alone in the dust.
A bitter smile curved my lips.
I had seen this coming, yet a dull ache still throbbed in my chest.
Kneeling before my mother's grave, my mind drifted back. After Justin's parents died in that accident, it was Mother who had taken him in. She didn't just give him a roof over his head or food on his plate—she treated him exactly as she treated me, her own flesh and blood.
I still remembered the day Mother passed away. Justin had stood there, eyes bright, face flushed with emotion as he swore an oath.
"Ava, I will never forget your mother's kindness. I swear to cherish and protect you for the rest of my life."
Now, only a few years later, he had forgotten everything.