I Dive Into Ocean, Leaving You Behind

The next second, I heard Jace Langford speaking to her in a low, gentle voice. "She stole your honor. She should spend the rest of her life paying for it. If you were not afraid of the pain of childbirth, I would have thrown her off this ship long ago." Luna Jardine let out a soft laugh. "What if she finds out I never died?" "So what if she does?" Jace replied coldly. "She cannot leave me." I stood outside the door as nausea suddenly churned in my stomach. My hand shook, and the bowl of soup slipped from my fingers and shattered on the floor. Jace turned sharply, panic flashing across his eyes for a brief second. But before he could speak, Luna suddenly cried out softly. "Ow! It's burning!" Jace immediately dropped to one knee and grabbed her ankle to check for burns. Only after confirming that a few drops had splashed onto the edge of her shoe did he finally relax. He carefully wiped it clean for her. With reddened eyes, Luna asked quietly, "Jace, is Bianca upset because she found out I am still alive?" "Bianca Sinclair, if you had not cheated and stolen Luna's championship back then, she never would have tried to kill herself. The only reason you were allowed to stay on this ship for the past five years was so you could atone for what you did to her." Five years ago, during the final round of the National Pastry Championship, Jace suddenly collapsed from stomach pain halfway through the competition. I left the venue to take care of him. By the time I rushed back, Luna was already in his arms with tears streaming down her face. "Bianca changed my cream recipe while I went to check on you," she sobbed. "She wanted to win no matter what." Back then, Luna's mother had been my sponsor. I clenched my fingers tightly, but in the end, I said nothing to defend myself. "Why are you still standing there? Clean this up already. Do not dirty Luna's feet." My body stiffened as I crouched down. Broken porcelain pierced my palm, and the pain made my fingertips tremble. But compared to the past five years, this pain meant nothing. The night the drainage pipe in the kitchen exploded, I knelt alone in filthy wastewater and cleaned until after midnight. The night the freezer malfunctioned, I spent hours carrying frozen fish. By morning, all ten of my fingers were split open and bleeding from the cold. Jace never once helped me through any of it. He only told me to endure it a little longer and said things would pass soon. Jace looked at the cuts spreading across my hand from the broken porcelain and frowned slightly. "Enough. Stop cleaning and get out. Call someone else to handle it." Luna suddenly grabbed his arm, and her eyes instantly filled with tears. "Are you feeling sorry for her? Back then, when I slit my wrists, I lost so much blood. Jace, even now, my wrists still hurt in my dreams at night." My fingers curled tightly. "I never changed her recipe, and I never forced her to commit suicide." The moment the words left my mouth, tears immediately rolled down Luna's cheeks. "I am sorry. I should not have come back. I will leave right now, okay?" As she spoke, she climbed out of bed. But the moment her bare foot touched the broken porcelain on the floor, a sharp shard sliced open her sole. Luna gasped softly in pain. Jace's expression darkened instantly. "Bianca, are you not satisfied until you destroy her again?" The next second, he shoved me hard onto the pile of broken porcelain. The moment my knees slammed into the floor, sharp shards stabbed deep into my skin. Pain exploded through my body. My vision went black, and even breathing became difficult. "If you have time to stand there acting pitiful, then hurry up and clean this place before getting out." Instinctively, I protected my lower abdomen and did not dare say another word. By the time I picked up the last shard of porcelain, my palms were already covered in blood. The moment I stepped out of the captain's quarters, the gossip in the hallway drifted straight into my ears. "She is just a cook who washes dishes. Does she seriously think she deserves Captain Langford?" "She is nothing more than a parasite clinging to the ship and refusing to leave." "Miss Jardine has been on board this entire time for the past five years. Captain Langford protects her like treasure and cannot bear to let her suffer even the slightest grievance." My fingers slowly tightened. Just then, the ship's broadcast suddenly echoed through the cabin. "The cargo freighter will dock at Rotherhaven Port in three days. All crew members are requested to prepare for port arrival procedures in advance." My footsteps halted. I looked up at the overhead speaker before turning toward the infirmary. First, I needed to treat my injuries. Then I needed to find out the exact docking time three days from now.