When Love Is Shattered

The temperature starts to drop once we reach the top of the mountain. My two childhood friends, who swore to protect me with their lives, don't even spare me a glance.

One is hastily wrapping all his clothes around Lisette Locke, while the other is warming her with his body. I'm so cold that my heart condition acts up; I beg them to save me. However, they're infuriated by this.

"How can you still be trying to get our attention at a time like this, Cecilia? Run around for a while if you're cold!"

"We'll buy you that white down jacket you wanted when we get back, but you can't take it from Lise now!"

The rescue team arrives, and I barely make it out alive. I'm hospitalized for a week, but neither of them come to visit me. I see from my social media that they're busy celebrating Lisette's birthday.

We've been friends for over a decade, yet I mean nothing when compared to the driver's daughter. I call my father and say, "Dad, "I'm willing to marry into the Jorgensen family!"

As soon as I finished speaking, the door to the ward slammed open. Silas Tate and Edgar Linden, missing for the past week, walked in one after another.

"What's this about a marriage of convenience?" They were fuming, clearly having overheard me talking to Dad.

I didn't bother explaining. "None of your business."

I grabbed my stuff and was ready to leave, but they blocked me.

Silas, always quick to speak his mind, snapped, "Cecilia, what's going on with you? You're the one who said you didn't want a marriage for the family's sake. We went out of our way to back you, offended your parents, and threw away our futures just to stay with you, and now, you're changing your mind?"

He gave me an earful.

Edgar, who was always gentle with me, stayed silent as Silas went off.

"Stop being quiet! You're making us look like the bad guys! You need to explain yourself!"

I glanced at Edgar, but he immediately looked away.

Things like this used to happen all the time.

Silas had a short fuse and would start yelling the second something ticked him off, but Edgar would always jump in, calling him out for being rude. Silas would quickly back down and apologize to me.

This time, Edgar said nothing, and Silas wasn't backing down.

I took a deep breath. "Why should I explain myself? Who I marry is my call.

"Move. You're in the way."

The ward went dead silent.

Silas was left stunned while Edgar looked down at me. "Cecilia, you're not still mad about the day we gave those clothes to Lise, are you? Are you just trying to rile us up?"

My breath caught in my throat. I came close to dying on that mountain from hypothermia, and after they got me to the hospital, I was knocked out for three days before I finally came around.

And