When Fate Trumps Childhood Love

Chapter 1 The Car Accident from Ten Years Ago

Everyone at school says I'm just a doormat around Spark.

No matter how he treats me, I take it all in stride, and I never get angry.

They don't know that when Spark was twelve, he injured his head saving me from a car accident.

That's why I'm so devoted to him.

Whenever Spark participates in a debate competition, I'm always there.

He's one of the star debaters on the team, always taking the lead position.

In the heat of debate, his logic is clear and organized, and his handsome appearance attracts a lot of admiration from the girls.

When Spark speaks, the girls can't help but express their admiration.

I just don't get it.

After the debate, I went to give him water as usual, but he frowned impatiently.

"Why are you so slow?"

I thought to myself, I was only half a minute late, and there were so many girls fawning over you, why insist on my water?

After a few gulps, he handed the remaining bottle back to me naturally.

"Done drinking?"

"No, the debate team is going for dinner soon."

Just then, the debate team captain came over.

"Spark, are you ready? We're about to leave."

The captain was a pretty girl, and Spark's gaze at her was anything but innocent.

Spark nodded and glanced at me.

"I'm leaving now, you can head back on your own."

And with that, he and the captain left together, looking quite close.

I shrugged indifferently.

Spark's friends all know that I'm just at his beck and call, never getting angry no matter what he does.

I never miss his debates, I run out at 2 a.m. to buy medicine when he's sick, and I always get him whatever he wants to eat as soon as possible.

They don't know that Spark saved me when he was twelve.

We were neighbors and grew up together. When I was twelve, I ran onto the road to play, and a car happened to be coming straight at me.

Spark, hearing my parents call me home for dinner, saw what was happening.

He pulled me away, but got clipped by the car himself, hitting his head.

He suffered a pretty severe concussion, and he stayed in the hospital for a long time. His memories before the age of twelve became confused, and he was left with a big scar on his forehead.

The doctor said it might take ten years for his brain to recover to its previous state.

I will always remember that just before he pushed me away, he said, "It's okay, Marcella, I'll protect you."

Before he was twelve, during our days together, he often said that to me.

And he did it, he successfully protected me.

But it seems he doesn't remember me anymore.

From that day on, I vowed that whether he remembered or not, I would repay him for saving my life until his brain fully recovered.

So, throughout middle school, I was his shadow, obeying his every word, until we both got into the same university.

Everyone around him mocked me for pining after him for so many years without any official status, and he never seemed to explain our relationship, avoiding others' misunderstandings, as if he accepted my role as a pursuer.

I wasn't too bothered by it, since I owed him. If he wanted to use me to show off his charm, I couldn't blame him. I really couldn't get mad because I knew I owed him. So when he told me to do things, I didn't mind. But now, things have changed. I checked the date. As of today, ten years have passed, and his mind should have recovered to how it was before. I can finally repay my debt of gratitude. Feeling relieved, I happily got ready for bed early. No more worrying about Spark calling me anytime, yay! I almost fell asleep right away, but soon, the annoying ringtone went off again. I knew exactly who it was. Groggily, I answered and heard Spark's slurred voice. "I'm at Starlight Lounge, come pick me up." I forced my eyes open to check the time; it was 1 AM. Wow, even a workaholic boss wouldn't be this demanding. I angrily hung up and turned over to go back to sleep. The next day, when I slowly woke up, I found several missed calls on my phone. I could easily guess who they were from. After several missed calls, there was also a text message. "Not answering the phone, huh? Grown some guts?" I still ignored him. His mind should have recovered long ago, and I should happily make my exit. Seeing I didn't reply, Spark didn't bother contacting me for several days. I have to say, this feeling is really great. No more queuing to buy him the latest milk tea, no more following him to debate competitions, and no more being called up at dawn to run errands. My life has become much happier. My good friend and roommate, Julia, was surprised by my sudden change. "I advised you so many times before, and you never listened. Why did you suddenly decide not to revolve around him?" I just smiled. No one but Spark and I knew about that incident. Everyone else just thought I was head over heels for him, giving without expecting anything back. Spark, with his fuzzy memory, probably thought the same. "Maybe I just suddenly figured it out." I didn't explain much, but Julia was very relieved. "You should have done this long ago. Spark keeps stringing you along while getting close to that debate team captain. He's really not worth it." Not worth it? Actually, Spark used to be really great, as good as they come. Otherwise, why would he have pushed me out of the way of that car without hesitation, or said those words? In the twelve years we grew up together, he always acted like a knight, saying he would protect Marcella forever. But ever since the accident, he never said those words again. Julia and I chatted as we headed to our early morning class, grabbing the last two seats in the back row. Coincidentally, next to us sat Ted, who was in the same class as me. As Julia and I sat down, we greeted him. "Hey, top student, morning." Ted glanced up at me, adjusting his glasses. "Morning, did you have breakfast?" "Yes, I had some steamed buns from the second cafeteria." He tilted his head slightly, a hint of curiosity in his eyes."Didn't bring breakfast for Spark today? Did you two split up?"

I felt a bit embarrassed. Who knew even the class genius could be so nosy?

"We're not in the kind of relationship you think."

Ted's gaze seemed even more inquisitive.

"I thought you two were already at the 'meet the parents' stage."

I gave an awkward wave, unsure of how to explain.

It's understandable he'd misunderstand; after all, who would revolve around a guy unless they liked him?

But I didn't want to explain. It all came from my sense of indebtedness, so I just stayed silent.

Ted was the first to look away, calmly said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked so much out of curiosity. After all, it's your personal business."

I told him it was fine, and he looked down at the textbook on the table.

A gentle breeze blew in from the window, and for some reason, I felt his mood was quite good.

When Spark came to find me, I was walking out of the academic building with Julia and Ted.

In class, the teacher had asked us to team up for a group project, so naturally, Julia, Ted, and I formed a group.

He stood downstairs looking gloomy, waiting for me to approach.

Julia and Ted tactfully left us alone, saying they'd wait for me in the library.

I sighed and walked up to him. Spark watched Ted's departing figure with an even darker expression.

"Who is he? Your new flame?"

Oh, sure, sure.

I decided to play along. "What if I say yes?"

Spark's expression grew even more furious.

"Why didn't you answer my calls? Why didn't you reply to my messages? And why didn't you bring me breakfast?"

Three probing questions, and I didn't know which one to tackle first.

"Because I was asleep, because I was too lazy to reply, because I had an early class and no time."

I explained everything with the last bit of patience I had, but his face only darkened further.

"Marcella, don't play dumb. You know exactly what I'm really asking!"

"If you want to ask something, just ask directly. Don't beat around the bush."

He finally lost his patience, grabbed my collar, and pulled me closer.

"Marcella, are you messing with me?"

Heaven knows, in the past ten years, even if I dared to mess with my parents, I never messed with him.

I didn't understand why he was asking this, so I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Spark let go of me, laughing angrily, with a shadow in his eyes that wouldn't go away.

"Very well, Marcella, you're really something."

In the following days, Spark didn't come looking for me.

I didn't have time to deal with him either, as I was busy with Ted and Julia, working on our group project and spending every day in the library.

Someone was frantically messaging me on WeChat, and when I opened it, I found the class group chat in an uproar.

It was the debate team, saying someone had lost an expensive watch on the day of the debate.

Initially, it had nothing to do with me until the debate team captain mentioned that I was the only outsider who entered the lounge that day.

Like a stone thrown into a pond, it caused a thousand ripples, and suddenly, I became the prime suspect.

The owner of the watch started frantically asking for my information, saying they wanted to question me.

I was utterly confused. I did go to the lounge that day, but it was to find Spark. Besides, I didn't touch anything in the lounge.

I earnestly explained in the group chat, but that person wouldn't listen at all, insisting I prove my innocence, or they'd get the instructor involved.

I was at a loss, because at that time, only Spark could prove that I hadn't touched anything, since it was only the two of us there.

But Spark casually chimed in, "Yeah, explain yourself, won't you?"

My only witness seemed unwilling to back me up.

The watch owner started verbally attacking me, demanding an explanation, or else they'd report the matter to the police.

Others started to criticize me, assuming I was indefensible.

A wave of panic swept over me; being publicly condemned and labeled was truly suffocating.

I was clearly there to find Spark that day; he was the one who asked me to go.

I stayed in the lounge for less than five minutes.

He couldn't possibly forget; he could have spoken up for me.

He was doing it on purpose, like seeing me embarrassed was his idea of fun.

Spark wasn't like this before.

He used to be such a gentle and sweet kid.

Until, because of me, he hit his head, and I became his shadow, never resisting whatever he did.

He gradually picked up some typical rebellious traits, starting to tease me.

This teasing lasted for ten years.

First, he used me as a tool, loudly telling the class that I liked him and was chasing him, which got me called to the office for a whole afternoon of reprimands and criticism in front of the class.

Then he made me do his homework and told the teacher I copied him because our handwriting was similar.

That got me called to the office a second time.

This time, the teacher called my parents directly, explaining how serious it was.

My parents rushed to the school, furious, but went silent when they heard Spark's name.

Finally, when they took me home, my mom held me and cried for a long time.

She said, "We owe him; if it weren't for Spark, you would've been the one hit."

Mar, let's not argue with him.

We owe him.

In high school, he sent me to a distant suburb to fetch something for him, and when I got there, I found there was no way to get a ride back.

It was a full seven kilometers, and I had to walk back.

By the time I found him at his doorstep, it was already dark.

I handed him the item, panting heavily, and he took it with an expressionless face.

He sarcastically asked, "Marcella, do you even have a temper? Don't you ever get mad?"

He searched my eyes for something, but I just calmly replied.

"I'm not angry because I owe you."

His expression immediately turned cold.

He tossed the item back at me, his expression malicious.

"If you know you owe me, why do you still cling to me?"

His face showed no disgust, but his words were as sharp as knives.

That day, he tossed the item I fetched into the trash and never looked at me again.

I went home, staring at my blistered feet from all the walking, repeatedly telling myself.

Spark wasn't always like this; he once saved my life.

I have to put up with all of this.

It's just ten years, no big deal, ten years will pass in the blink of an eye.

This is all because I owe him.

The turning point came when Ted, who rarely spoke up, shared a legal fact in the group chat about the penalties for slander.

He added a nonchalant message:

"What's all the fuss? Isn't there surveillance in the lounge? Just check the footage."

The messages in the group seemed to calm down for a moment, and I couldn't help but privately message Ted.

"Thank you for speaking up for me."

Ted took a while to reply.

"Just stating the facts."

"If you didn't steal it, the truth will come out eventually."

As soon as they heard about checking the surveillance, the debate team captain, who had been aggressively accusing me, seemed to lose some of her steam, as if she hadn't been the one targeting me with her words.

I felt a tightness in my chest with no way to release it.

Ted sent another message.

"Don't worry, the debate competition was organized by both the debate team and our student council, so it's not just up to them."

I was stunned for a few seconds, then an inexplicable sense of security washed over me.

The owner of the lost item did report it to the police, and when they checked the lounge's surveillance, it proved that I hadn't touched anything in the lounge after entering.

The matter naturally ended there, and the impulsive owner apologized to me.

Those who had accused me in the group started to play dumb, until Ted casually spoke up in the group.

"Shouldn't those who slandered Marcella apologize to her?"

With the student council's words out, everyone naturally began to apologize to me, but neither the debate team captain nor Spark said another word.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got, so I decided to clear things up with Spark.

It would be better for both of us.

I met him at the bottom of Spark's dormitory.

When he saw me, he sauntered over.

"Here to admit your mistake?"

I laughed in disbelief, "Shouldn't I be asking you that, Spark?"

"You know very well that I was with you when I entered the lounge, and I left after only five minutes, yet you questioned me along with others?"

He looked at me with a strange expression for a long time before slowly speaking, "Can't I just not remember?"

"......"

"After all, thanks to you, I hit my head as a child, and my memory has been a bit poor lately."

I felt exhausted.

I didn't know why he had to bring this up again, especially when I had already decided to let go and move on.

"Marcella, why aren't you as good to me as you used to be?"

His voice was somewhat bitter.

"Maybe because I've come to terms with it."

I softly replied, but he cornered me against the wall.

"What do you mean by 'come to terms'? Do you think you don't owe me anymore?"

"But now my memory is getting bad again, Marcella, are you going to leave me alone again?"

I firmly pushed him away.

"The doctor said your brain would take ten years to recover. Now ten years have passed."

He stubbornly looked at me, refusing to avert his gaze.

"But my head still hurts now, and I still haven't remembered things from before the accident."

I averted my gaze, "You'll remember someday."

"Aren't you going to stay with me and help me remember?"

I was taken aback, then finally shook my head with a wry smile.

"No, Spark. I don't want to keep myself trapped in the past."

So I decided to let go, to live happier and more freely.

Ted, Julia, and I aced our group project.

To celebrate, the three of us went out for a meal together.

Ted didn't talk much, mostly listening to Julia and me, occasionally chiming in.

After dinner, back at the dorm, Julia confidently told me she thought Ted was interested in me.

I was puzzled, "Seriously?"

Julia was adamant, "I think the way he looks at you is telling! Very telling!"

I just thought she had watched too many dramas and didn't take it seriously.

Until Ted messaged me on WeChat asking if I was free to go somewhere with him over the weekend, I looked at Julia with some suspicion.

Julia had a triumphant look, urging me to agree.

"Go on, go on, who else have you had around besides Spark? Now there's finally someone, and since you're letting go of Spark, it's okay to get to know someone else, right?"

Under Julia's persistent persuasion, I agreed to Ted's invitation, but I didn't think Ted was interested in me.

Perhaps he just felt we had good chemistry during the group project and wanted to be friends, I thought.

To my surprise, Ted showed up with a car.

I sat bewildered in the passenger seat, watching him skillfully start the car.

"Come with me, Marcella."