After Died for Justice, He Lost Himself

Chapter 3

A perfect match... Hearing that phrase, I felt a little dazed.

Someone had once described Michael and me that way too.

He was a doctor, and I was a cop, both dedicated to public service. Back then, we were absolute soulmates.

Now, I looked at the female doctor beside him. That was Hannah Sheffield, Michael's junior from medical school.

I remembered that she seemed to have pursued Michael back in college, but by then Michael and I were already together, so she gave up without making any real moves.

I never expected she would now be working at the same hospital as him.

I suppose proximity really is the best matchmaker... Are they together now?

It's actually quite nice, all things considered. He was brilliant and sharp; she was gentle and refined—they truly suited each other.

Michael deserves a good ending: a promising career and a happy, fulfilling relationship, yet a dull, phantom ache still throbbed in my chest.

I pressed my hand to my chest; my wound hadn't split open this time, so why did it hurt just as badly?

I couldn't stand to watch any longer. I shut the ward door quietly, locking out every sound that no longer had anything to do with my life.

Over the next few days, my injuries gradually healed.

Michael never came again. A young nurse saw that I was always alone and couldn't help asking me. "Ms. Ziegler, where are your family members?"

I tugged the corner of my mouth into a faint smile, trying my best to keep my tone light. "They're all dead. I'm the only one left."

The forced lightness in my voice failed miserably.

The nurse pressed her lips together apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's fine." I shook my head and spotted a stack of forms in the young nurse's hand. "What's that?"

She turned the pages toward me. "They're organ donor registry forms."

I froze for a moment, then held out my hand. "Can I have one?"

The young nurse looked stunned. "You? But you're so young..."

"There's a saying, 'You never know what tomorrow will bring—or if it will even come.' I'll sign it now, just in case. It's nice to be able to do some good even after I'm gone."

The nurse ended up giving me a form.

After filling it out, I whispered to myself, "Happy 28th birthday, Luna Ziegler."

On my birthdays when I was younger, no matter how busy my brother was, he'd always bake me a birthday cake.

But now, it was just me.

Just as the nurse left, my phone rang.

It was a message from Zack: Your injuries are almost healed, right? Get discharged now. There's a gathering tonight; I'll be waiting for you downstairs.

I'd waited days for him to contact me.

Not daring to keep him waiting, I hurried through the discharge paperwork, then got into the black Cayenne parked downstairs.

It was already dark when we arrived at the club.

Zack put his arm around me and led me to the VIP booth, where several of his buddies stood up one after another.

"Hey, Zack's girlfriend here."

"Hello, Luna."

Zack pulled me down to sit beside him. "I told them about our plan to get married, and they insisted on meeting you."

My heart sank. I knew I'd have to drink myself half to death just to survive the night.

I forced a faint smile, took the initiative to pour myself a full glass, and said, "I'd like to propose a toast to everyone."

The rest of the night blurred into a haze.

I couldn't remember how much alcohol I'd drunk or how I'd stumbled away in a mess and bolted for the bathroom.

It wasn't until I'd thrown up most of the alcohol I'd consumed that my mind cleared a little.

My stomach was still burning, and the recently healed cuts on my body had begun to throb, the skin tightening uncomfortably under the influence of the alcohol.

As I walked out of the bathroom, I couldn't help scratching the wound on my arm.

Suddenly, a figure blocked my path. "Luna, are you really that desperate for a man?"

I froze for a moment, then looked up and met Michael's gaze. The sheer disgust in his eyes cut through me like a blade.

When I was discharged from the hospital today, I heard the nurses say they were having a team-building event tonight. I never expected they would come to this exact place.

Huh, talk about a small world.

I clenched my teeth and forced a smile. "Of course. I need to make money. Unless you're looking to pay me yourself?"

When I faked cheating to break up with him back then, I'd used money as my excuse too.

Michael's expression turned even colder. "How you debase yourself is none of my business, but don't ever show up in front of me again."

With that, he turned to leave.

But the next second, he stopped in his tracks.

I followed Michael's line of sight, and my heart skipped a beat.

Zack was standing at the far end of the corridor, and I had no idea how long he'd been there.

A cruel, mocking smile played on his lips. "Darling, why didn't you tell me that you have an ex-boyfriend? C'mere. Let your ex see exactly how you beg for me like a good little dog."

He crooked a finger at me, beckoning me over.

My heart plummeted, but I had no choice.

Under Michael's sharp glare, I walked stiffly past him and over to Zack's side.

Then I knelt down beside Zack and placed my chin slowly into his open palm.