A Hopeless Love

I accidentally wear the gown Miles Graham prepared for his childhood sweetheart. To my horror, he forces me to take it off in public.

"I prepared this for Nora—do you think you're worthy of wearing it? Take it off! You're dirtying it!"

He knows I have serious PTSD after almost being violated, yet he insults me with those words. I look at him tearfully and beg him not to say anymore. That's when the gown's zip bursts open.

My PTSD acts up. I'm so overwhelmed that I collapse on the floor and have a seizure.

Miles dismisses everyone and takes Nora out on a date. He leaves me lying there in humiliation.

I call my mentor before being discharged from the hospital. "Ms. Gardner, I've decided to participate in the water conservation project in Affenheim."

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, no one came to pick me up.

I took a taxi alone and returned to the cozy little home that Miles Graham and I once shared. It was a place just for the two of us outside the Graham residence.

As I pushed the door open, I could hear the sounds of laughter echoing inside. I was stunned for a second but still walked in calmly.

Just then, Miles glanced up at me. His expression was cold as he snapped, "I only warned you not to touch Nora's things. It wasn't like I was asking you to strip on the spot.

"The zipper broke, but the dress didn't even fall off. Did you really need to fake an episode? You embarrassed me in front of my family."

Nora Spencer clung to Miles' arm, covering her nose as she said mockingly, "Leilani's convulsions were so convincing! If she joined the entertainment industry, she'd definitely be Oscar material."

Miles let out a derisive laugh. "Her? She wouldn't even dare to show skin."

Nora laughed so hard at Miles' statement that her whole body shook. She was wearing a silk slip dress, and her ample curves bounced with her laughter. Miles' discomfort was visible to the eye as she rubbed herself cheerfully against his arm.

As I watched their growing intimacy, my heart remained indifferent. It now felt as still as dead water.

I was easily embarrassed when I was younger, and that calamity nearly cost me my life.

I was almost violated back then. I barely escaped and ultimately stumbled into a crowd barely clothed. That was when I became the target of pointing fingers and stares, and it nearly drove me insane.

I remembered Miles pushing through the crowd to wrap me in his coat. He carried me to the car with care and held me silently yet tenderly all the way. During those days, he comforted me with soft words and cared for me tirelessly until I returned to normal.

Yet now, he casually turned my trauma into a joke to amuse Nora.

After glancing at the two of them, I lifted my head and looked