Survived His Betrayal, He Tried to Own Me Again

Chapter 4 She's Different

The slap echoed sharply through the room. Doris's head snapped to the side, a red handprint quickly appearing across her pale cheek.

"Cathy..." Covering her face, Doris let silent tears roll down her cheeks. She didn't defend herself, didn't fight back.

She only kept repeating softly, "I'm sorry..."

Cathy's hand trembled violently. Her throat felt clogged shut, like she couldn't breathe, couldn't even make a sound.

She'd completely lost it.

Cathy rushed forward and grabbed Brian's sleeve tightly, tears finally bursting free. "Why?! Brian, tell me why!?"

Brian let her grab him. But he didn't respond to her touch.

He lowered his eyes and looked at her breakdown without the slightest hint of emotion. There was nothing in his gaze except cold, stagnant emptiness.

Then he said flatly, "Let go."

When Cathy didn't move, Brian frowned and pried her fingers off one by one.

He used so much force that her knuckles ached. Then he shoved her away.

Cathy stumbled backward from the impact and slammed into the cabinet behind her with a dull crash.

She stared blankly at the angry red marks around her wrist. Then slowly looked back at Brian.

But Brian had already turned around. And he was standing beside Doris.

"Brian, don't treat Cathy like this..." Doris sobbed softly behind him, clutching the corner of his shirt. "It's my fault. This is all my fault..."

"It has nothing to do with you." Brian didn't even turn around, but his tone had clearly softened. He even raised his hand and gently patted Doris's arm in comfort.

That tiny difference in treatment felt like a poisoned needle stabbing straight into Cathy's eyes.

Cathy couldn't understand it. How could the person who had spent every day beside her suddenly become a complete stranger?

Like a madwoman, she grabbed everything within reach and smashed it onto the floor. One thing after another shattered violently as tears blurred her vision.

Finally, Brian turned around. There wasn't a trace of emotion on his face. As if this entire scene had nothing to do with him.

"Are you done?" he asked calmly, terrifyingly calm. "Look at yourself right now."

Before Cathy could even speak, Doris suddenly stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front of her.

Crying desperately, she said, "Cathy, please... I know I wronged you, but Brian has been suffocating all these years. I'm the only one who truly understands him! You both saved me, but we really do love each other! Please, can we just pretend none of this happened? Brian already said he won't leave you."

Brian bent down and helped Doris back to her feet. With his back facing Cathy, his voice drifted toward her coldly. "Cathy, what's done is done. None of us can change it now. Doris is right. After all these years, she's the only person who actually understands me. You know what? All these years, all you've ever done is follow me around. Whatever school I applied to, you pushed yourself to get into the same one. I chose medicine, and you followed me into that too. I asked you what your dream was, and you didn't even have an answer. Your whole world just revolved around me. Do you have any idea what that's like? It's like watching someone live without a soul."

He continued, "But Doris's different. She knows exactly what she loves, and she's always chased after it. When I'm with her, I can feel that she's truly alive... and that's something you've never had."

After saying those words, Brian never looked at Cathy again. He simply left with Doris.

Every word he said felt like another cut straight to Cathy's heart. In that moment, she felt something inside her break.