I Fought for His Future. Now I’m Fighting for Myself novel Chapter 8

The rain had just stopped.

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Sean called out instinctively, "Charlotte, get me a glass of water…"

Moments later, a delicate hand appeared before his eyes. The hand was fair, smooth, and soft, nothing like Charlotte's rough, calloused hands.

He froze. When he finally looked up, realization hit him like a cold wave. He was in the house he shared with Charlotte, on the very bed she had carefully picked out, but the woman beside him was Kylie.

A strange panic swept through him, making his whole body tremble. He didn't know why, but all he wanted at that moment was to call Charlotte and hear her voice.

Before he could reach for his phone, Kylie pressed her hand over it. Her eyes were red, her voice trembling. "Sean, I already promised not to bring up the breakup again, but you can't keep thinking about her."

"You said you'd end it by the end of the month. You were the one who felt bad for her because she was still in confinement, so you wanted to wait another two weeks. I agreed to that too. And now… You have to be responsible." Her voice broke as tears streamed down her face.

Kylie went on and on, recalling their moments together and slipping in mentions of the upcoming deputy director position.

Sean's eyelashes fluttered. After a long silence, he finally lowered his phone and gently stroked her hair. His voice was tinged with helplessness. "I wasn't trying to call her. I just wanted to ask for leave from the department. Didn't you say you wanted to go to the amusement park?"

"Really?" Kylie sniffled, breaking into a smile before wrapping her arms around his waist.

Her body pressed tightly against his. He wanted to return the embrace, but all he could see in his mind was Charlotte.

He remembered the cramped, stuffy apartment where Charlotte once came home from a boxing match, her face glowing with sweat and joy as she handed him her prize money with trembling hands.

When her knees gave out, he caught her just in time, holding her close. Their hearts had pounded in sync, so close he could feel every breath between them.

Only then did he realize he had grabbed the wrong person. He stumbled out an apology and turned back, just in time to see Kylie sitting on the ground.

Guilt rose in his chest. He reached out to help Kylie, but she slapped his hand away. "No wonder you've been so distracted. You've been thinking about Charlotte this whole time. What, planning to have it both ways?"

Sean opened his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, he muttered weakly, "Kylie, she's still a patient. We have all the time in the world, don't we?"

Kylie laughed bitterly. "You think I'm some pathetic girl who'll come running whenever you call? If you're going to be with her, then don't ever come looking for me again."

Kylie turned and walked away.

Sean started running after her, but halfway through, his steps faltered. Without realizing it, his feet carried him in the opposite direction, toward the hospital.