A Life Debt Repaid novel (John and Cordy) novel Chapter 801

John then began to recount how he started dating Nana. "I happened to run into Nana at the time. She was just about to get a heart transplant surgery with not much chance of success, around sixty to seventy."

Cordy's fingers clenched on her wine glass—she hated it, but she also wanted to know his past.

"One of the care workers had wheeled me out on a stroll in the garden of the hospital. I looked like a mummy, with my whole face bandaged. She must’ve found my appearance amusing, so she approached me and asked what condition I had."

"She spoke in Zidonian, and it gave me a sense of familiarity in contrast to my parents. Moreover, it's been a while since I just woke up from the accident. I basically never spoke to anyone… And yet, I talked to her a lot that day, and we learned about our respective situations."

"That was when she said she’d date me if she survives the surgery. I said yes."

John glanced at Cordy as he said that, and saw her calmly sipping her red wine, looking almost unaffected.

It made sense—it was the past, and she was rational enough to not get petty.

Since it was of no concern, he continued, "Actually, I never felt any sort of attraction towards her at the time. We were just mostly licking each other's wounds under desperate circumstances. I stayed with her until she was wheeled into surgery, and the surgery was a success—the doctors said she could even live like a normal person."

"And with that, we started dating. She stayed at the hospital with me for another six months, even though she could’ve been discharged much earlier."

"When the bandages came off my face and revealed my hideousness, even I hated myself—but she didn't. I admit, she touched my heart at the time. And so, feelings began to bud right then.”

"To be honest, before I met you, I always thought I loved Nana. The reason we decided to date each other in the first place was whimsical, sure, but I never felt repulsed towards her after years of being with her. In fact, I wanted to care for her. But after I met you… I realized that attraction isn’t soft and warm, nor was it a responsibility. You literally go crazy in love."

Cordy kept sipping on her wind, though her heart rate was accelerating.

"Let me put it to you this way: I was hostile to you because I couldn’t accept how I was drawn to you. While I dated Nana, I met my fair share of women eager to have me. Some even went as far as going naked. I never felt a thing towards them, and I was actually disgusted by them. That's why I just don't get why I couldn’t help falling for you. You're not the most beautiful—"