Chapter 4

He looked at me with surprise, as if shocked by my calm reaction.

Because the previous times, I had been angry with him for quite a while.

He held me, saying many things to comfort me. I leaned quietly in his arms.

Appearing to listen carefully, but inside my emotions were all mixed up.

I was even trembling with fear.

Pierce cupped my face and asked with concern what was wrong.

I said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to be together in the future."

Pierce kissed me and reassured me it wouldn't happen.

We held each other and talked for a long time. I held back from pushing him away.

He loved Juliet so much, yet here he was with me, performing this pretense of affection.

I suddenly felt this person was so strange.

He gently stroked my waist.

I thought of his conversation with Steven and couldn't help but get goosebumps all over.

I was waiting for what he would say next.

Like waiting for his verdict, to let myself give up completely again.

Sure enough, he finally spoke.

"Honey, you studied dance performance. A perfect waistline can showcase the charm of your dancing. I think these few ribs of yours are too prominent—they expose a flaw in your figure."

My heart felt like it had been slashed open, bleeding profusely.

I said, "But I think I'm fine the way I am."

I spoke hesitantly, wanting him to see my unwillingness.

But his eyes flashed with an inexplicable excitement. He hadn't listened to me at all.

"Trust me, it's just a few cuts. Trust my skills. I guarantee I'll make you graceful and incomparably beautiful."

My heart turned to ash as I looked at him with hollow eyes.

He was still gesturing at my waist, as if preparing to cut into a metal object.

He kept muttering various terms, but my heart grew colder and colder.

He had never loved me.

My existence was merely a comfort for his soul.

Or rather, I was his work, an object to commemorate the person who died.

No life, no soul.

Who would care about the feelings of an empty shell?

"Will I die?"

I couldn't help but ask.

"Nonsense. I'm a doctor. Are you questioning my medical skills?"

I smiled bitterly inside.

Every time he told me his medical skills were excellent, how beautiful I would be after surgery.

But not once did he tell me how risky the surgery was, what the failure rate might be.

And I had never questioned him.

For the first time, I felt pathetic.

Today, I didn't want to continue being so foolish.

"Pierce, I don't want any more surgeries. Is that okay?"

Pierce's expression seemed to change, but quickly became gentle again.

"What's wrong? In a bad mood?"

I said, "I think I'm fine as I am. I don't see the need for more surgery."

Pierce's face was no longer gentle.

"Lester, you're becoming disobedient."

I looked exhausted. "Pierce, I'm really tired. I don't want to keep doing this."

Pierce thought my refusal this time was because of his running from the wedding again today.

So he promised me that he would definitely marry me in this lifetime.

Besides me, he wouldn't marry anyone else.

I pushed him away, saying that wasn't the reason.

I said I just wanted to live a normal life, didn't want to keep messing with this face and this body anymore.

That night neither of us could convince the other.

In the end we both stuck to our positions until we fell into exhausted sleep.

The next day Pierce drove me to work.

In the car, I could see Pierce was in a very bad mood.

If it were before, I would have asked him with concern what was wrong.

But now, I didn't want to be considerate anymore.

Seeing that I hadn't acknowledged him for a while, he finally couldn't help but speak.