Back to the Love We Left Behind

Chapter 3

Her last flicker of hope extinguished, Maren's complexion drained to a ghostly pallor.

The show's on-site medical team rushed over to check on her.

Even as the crowd pressed in around her, Maren's eyes locked onto Callum, his face a mask of cold indifference.

"Why?" she demanded.

Why did he stand there like a statue, deliberately throwing the match? Just because Nadia had declared, 'I want to win'?

The thought barely formed when Callum's voice sliced through, icy and final. "Because I don't want to date you."

In that instant, a knife twisted in Maren's heart. The throbbing in her ankle vanished, swallowed by a far more savage agony. Even as the medic guided her away, she craned her neck to look back—only to catch Callum's back as he walked toward Nadia.

Inside the medical room, the doctor worked the knotted tendon, sending searing waves of pain through her. Maren's fingers clawed at the bedsheet, twisting it into a tortured ball.

The doctor shook his head, chiding, "Why push yourself so hard for a reality show? This time it's just a twist. But if you mess up your tendons and bones, that's a lifetime of trouble!"

Tears streamed down Maren's face, the pain robbing her of words.

Once the ointment was applied, she brushed off the doctor's protests and limped back to the beach.

The competition was over; now the guests had broken into small groups, casually rallying back and forth in volleyball games.

Callum and Nadia were on the same team.

Unlike his earlier half-hearted performance, Callum now moved with precision, handling every ball with solid, confident strikes. Under the blazing sun, the muscles of his forearms rippled with each motion, their sculpted lines strikingly beautiful.

So, teaming up with Nadia makes him go all out. Does he want to win that badly?

A sudden thought struck Maren: the medic was a quack. Her ankle had to be broken, because this pain was searing, raw and vicious enough to wrench sobs from her chest. Yet she knew, with bitter, razor-sharp certainty, that the ache didn't come from any twisted bone. It tore through her heart.

Still, like a glutton for punishment, Maren's gaze clung to Callum, a desperate tether she couldn't bring herself to sever.

Evening finally descended, and the production crew herded the guests together again.

The director raised a megaphone and boomed, "All right, everyone! It's time for our very first Heartbeat Moment! Each of you will send a message to your crush through the production team, then we'll forward it for you! If you both message each other, that's a match, and tomorrow you'll automatically be partners."

Maren gripped the phone the crew handed out, her fingers icy as she stole a furtive glance at Callum.

Nadia was pressed against him, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered something. And there, on his face, a soft, rare smile bloomed. It was the kind of smile Maren had barely witnessed, not even back when they were together.

Maren choked down the bitter tang clawing at her throat, ducked her head, and typed out her message with trembling fingers, then hit send.

Maren: Cal, is there still a chance for us to be partners?

The instant the screen flashed Message sent, Maren's gaze darted to Callum, and she caught him looking right back at her.

But his eyes slid past her, as if she were invisible.

Beside him, Nadia gleefully looped her arms around his neck, chirping, "We'll be partners tomorrow, Callum!"

Maren heard those words, and the desolation welling up in her eyes became impossible to hide.

So... there was no chance after all.

Meanwhile, the cameras were already live-streaming the guests' every interaction in real time.

Online, viewers were already sick of Maren's antics.

A: [Who's she scowling at? She's a grown woman—at least try to act like a decent human being!]

B: [Tell me about it! From day one, her eyes have been glued to Callum, like she's afraid everyone won't notice she's here to snag a rich husband!]

C: [Could Maren just back off from Callum? She's clinging to him like a damn leech that won't let go. So annoying to watch!]

D: [Isn't Callum making it obvious enough? Maren is just shameless!]

The barrage of comments kept rolling, and eight out of ten were tearing into Maren.

The director, thrilled with the buzz, announced, "Tomorrow, two guest stars will be joining us. Those without a partner, now's your chance to find one! All right, everyone, go get some rest."

With that, the director cut the livestream.

Everyone headed back to their rooms.

Maren watched Callum and Nadia, stuck together like glue, and her chest tightened so much she could barely breathe.

In the end, all she could do was hobble up the stairs, alone, each step a fresh stab of pain.

The next day, everyone gathered in the villa's main hall to greet the new arrivals.

As a red-hot movie star who had just returned to the country after a recent recovery, Wesley Carrington's entrance drew every eye in the room.

But Wesley breezed past everyone, heading straight for Maren.

He slung an arm around her shoulders, flashed a grin at the camera, and said, "Hello everyone, I'm Maren's fiancé, Wesley."