After His Cruel Joke, I Left Him Behind

Chapter 5 Rushed Away from This City

I stepped out of the hospital room and could not hold myself up any longer. I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

Tears poured out before I could stop them.

A nurse walking by spotted me and helped me to my feet right away.

She checked my temperature—it read 103 degrees.

Shocked by the number, she quickly took me to the emergency department.

I lay in bed while receiving IV treatment. Cold liquid flowed through my entire body.

Even that chill could not compare to how hollow and cold I felt inside.

I was sick for a whole week.

Lane never made a single phone call to check on me.

Hattie, however, sent me multiple messages on w******p.

Hattie: [Isabella, are you alright? Lane is really worried about you. It was my mistake that day. I should not have let him ask you to pick up things. Don't stay upset with him. He just has a bad attitude, but he does care about you.]

Every line was a quiet way to mark her place beside Lane.

Each message made it clear that he was hers, and I was just someone standing in their way.

I did not reply to any of the texts—I deleted them all.

As soon as I got better, I reached out to my aunt, Gloria Upton. She was an artist who lived far away in Stellara City.

Gloria owned a big art studio there. She had earned a solid reputation in the art circle.

She always believed I had natural talent and had been wanting me to learn from her.

Gloria called me back soon after, sounding absolutely delighted. "Sweetie, you finally decided to come? I'll book your flight tickets right away!"

I hung up the phone and felt a huge sense of relief.

I did not tell my parents the truth. I just said I wanted a new place to stay and focus fully on my schoolwork and exams.

I completed all the withdrawal and school transfer paperwork as fast as possible.

I left town without telling a soul.

I rushed away from this city, where every corner held nothing but painful memories for me.