The Masterpiece of Leaving：Prepared A Perfect Stand-In For Him novel Chapter 4

The rain came without warning.

Fat raindrops pelted Navier's body, ice-cold and biting to the bone.

Her wounds were still raw. The rain soaked through her bandages, bringing waves of searing pain.

She tried to maneuver her wheelchair, desperate to leave, but there was no way to hail a ride on the expressway.

Her fingers, frozen stiff from the cold, struggled to grip the wheels that kept slipping on the wet surface, nearly tipping over several times.

Finally, at a turn, the wheelchair lost balance and crashed to the ground.

Navier's knees slammed against the cold cement, tearing open her wounds. Blood ran down her legs, mixing with rainwater to stain the ground red.

She bit down hard, fighting through the pain as she tried to get up, but her weakened body failed her again and again.

The rain fell harder. Her vision blurred until she couldn't tell if it was rain or tears streaming down her face.

She lay there, her body trembling, an overwhelming sense of humiliation clawing at her chest.

Lysander had abandoned her for a glimpse of someone with the faintest resemblance to Ophelia. How had she ever convinced herself he might someday love her?

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, then turned to silent tears.

She didn’t know how long she lay there.

Eventually, with sheer willpower, she forced herself up—inch by inch—until she was back in the wheelchair.

Her clothes were soaked through, her wounds bleached white from the rain, the pain nearly numbing. Still, she gritted her teeth, inching forward, pushing the wheelchair toward home.

Five hours later, she finally made it home.

The housekeepers gasped when they saw her—a bruised, battered mess, soaked to the skin, barely able to sit upright.

Navier seemed not to notice their expressions. She simply said quietly, "Prepare some hot water and clean bandages."

Lysander didn't return until that night.

His suit was slightly disheveled, his expression weary, but his eyes held disappointment.

Navier sat on the sofa, glancing up at him. Her voice was eerily calm. "Couldn't find her?"