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I sank onto the couch, staring at the framed photo on the table.
That smile I used to love so much? Now it just looked fake.
Back then, when Dad was drinking and throwing things, Mom ended up in the hospital, broken and bruised.
I sat crying in the hallway until Noah showed up with a piece of candy.
“Nothing lasts forever,” he’d said. “Life always gets sweet again.”
That was the start of us.
From that day on, we chased our dreams together.
I wrote songs like a maniac, pitching my lyrics to anyone who’d listen.
He dragged me to every competition, big or small.
I believed in him with everything I had.
He used to tell me I’d be the sickest lyricist in the business one day.
And when a record company finally noticed my songs, it felt like my big break-
until I saw the fine print: exclusivity.
If I signed, I could only write for their artists.
So I turned it down.
Because in my heart, there was only one voice I wanted to write for–Noah’s.
We started from nothing and climbed our way to the top, hand in hand.
The first time he won a competition, he cried on stage, shouting my name into the mic.
He said he’d never have made it without me.
Later, at his first sold–out arena show, he got down on one knee.
“Ella, you’re the one for me–forever. Will you marry me?”
Through tears, I said yes. Without hesitation.
Because after everything we’d been through, I thought we’d finally made it.
And now… he just walked away, like it was nothing.
He always said I was clingy, that I couldn’t live without him.
But really, he was the one who couldn’t stand being alone.
He’d ask me over and over,
“What kind of life do you want?”
“Am I really the one you love most?”
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And every time, I’d smile and say,
“You’ll always be in my future.”
That answer used to make him glow.
But I’d seen what love could turn into.
My father used to hit my mother while screaming,
“Without me, you two would be rotting in a ditch!”
That’s when I learned-
you can’t build your whole world around someone else.
So this time, if Noah couldn’t be all in,
I was out.
I grabbed my phone and sent a message.
“I accept your offer.”
I was about to start packing when my phone rang again.
The hospital.
“Miss Carter, has your mother’s payment gone through? It’s still showing unpaid.”
“It’s already a week overdue. We can’t keep her on certain medications.”
“She just went into emergency care.”
The words made my blood run cold.
I didn’t think—I just ran.
By the time I got to the hospital and paid the bill, Mom was still in the ER.
I stood outside the doors, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Seven days ago, I’d been running a fever from a stomach flu.
I’d given Noah my card and asked him to pay for Mom’s treatment.
He promised he would.
He never did.
If the hospital hadn’t called, I wouldn’t have even known.
I called him. My voice shook.
“Noah, seven days ago, I told you to pay my mom’s medical bills. Why didn’t you?”
There was silence–then his hesitant voice came through.
“That day… Lily hadn’t eaten and said her stomach hurt, so I went to–uh–get her some porridge…“
I froze.
He bought Lily porridge… and forgot my mother was fighting for her life.
Before I could speak, I heard her voice in the background.
“Noah, can you help me with this line?”
He panicked instantly.
“Ella, wait-
I didn’t wait. I hung up.
I didn’t know when it started, but Lily always came first for him. Always.
Somewhere along the way, he’d made his choice.
And it was never me.
When the ER light finally went out, I rushed over.
“Is my mom okay?”
The doctor nodded, gently patting my hand.
“She’s stable now, don’t worry.”
“But you and your family need to be more careful. She’s older–she can’t handle this kind of stress again.”
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19:39
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
