He Chose Her Over Me, So I Let Him Die - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

I couldn't take my eyes off the bracelet on Max's wrist. After all these years, the truth finally clicked. "Max... it was you who saved me back then, wasn't it?"
A bitter smile twisted his lips. "So you finally remember. Let me guess - you thought Richard was your hero because of this bracelet? No wonder you never recognized me."
"It was pitch black that night," I defended myself. "I couldn't see your face clearly." My fingers tightened around my coffee cup. "But how the hell did Richard end up with your bracelet?"
Max's eyes darkened with anger. "Our families have been at each other's throats for generations. Richard and I? We've never played nice. He saw me wearing this constantly and decided to help himself to it."
"I thought I'd just lost it somewhere..." My voice trailed off as realization hit me like a freight train. The pieces were falling into place - all the suffering in my past life traced back to this one stolen momento.
The rage bubbling inside me threatened to boil over. That bastard Richard had set off a chain reaction of misery with his petty theft. Thank God for second chances.
"What about the car accident?" I pressed.
Max ran a hand through his hair before answering. "The Caldwells and Thaddeuses were fighting over the same overseas contract. I was about to close the deal when Richard decided to play dirty."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping. "He arranged a little 'accident' to delay me. What he didn't count on was that runaway truck actually hitting us. His little scheme backfired spectacularly - I got hospitalized, he lost his legs, and we both lost the contract."
Then suddenly, his warm hand closed over mine. "Victoria," he said, his voice rough with emotion, "I'm the luckiest man alive to have you. You didn't just heal my body - you gave me my life back."
Heat flooded my cheeks. I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. "Victoria, I—"
"It's over! Surgery's done!" Diana's shrill voice shattered the moment like a hammer through glass.
She came barreling toward us. "Miss Baldridge, come check if we succeeded!"
I yanked my hand free and followed her, my pulse still racing. Richard lay motionless on the table, his lower half now conspicuously absent. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he woke up. Knowing Richard from my past life, this proud peacock would find being truly crippled worse than death itself.
When he finally came to, Scarlett didn't rush to his side like she used to. The change in her was startling - where there used to be adoration, now there was only thinly veiled disgust.
Still, Richard reached for her with pathetic desperation. "Scarlett, even if you couldn't fix me, I'll keep my promise. Once I'm discharged, we'll have that big wedding. I'll make you the happiest bride in the world."
Scarlett actually took a step back. "Richard... let's focus on your recovery first. We can talk about weddings later."
His face darkened like a thundercloud. "What's wrong, Scarlett? Do I disgust you now?"
Before she could stammer out an excuse, Diana stormed back into the room, phone in hand, her face purple with rage. "Scarlett!" she shrieked, delivering a vicious kick to the girl's shins. "The lab results came back! That medicine bottle was laced with Eroded Butterfly Water - a poison that literally rots flesh from the inside out!"
She grabbed Scarlett by the hair. "You're the one who crippled my son! Why, you little bitch?!"
"Mom, stop!" Richard croaked from his hospital bed, still staring at Scarlett with puppy-dog eyes. "There's got to be some mistake! Scarlett would never hurt me!"