Chapter 5 When I agreed to stay and take care of Eric , even my friends teased me : " Looks like you're stuck with Eric for life . " I wasn't unattractive . Before dating him , I'd had my fair share of suitors . I could've easily picked someone decent , someone who treated me well . But I couldn't do it . They weren't Eric , so I didn't want them . The moment he asked me to be with him I I had already made up my mind . Even if it meant living in the shadow of Jade , the beloved junior officer , I still wanted to take a chance - for myself . Because he was the one I had loved for years . 4417 . From the moment he showed up at my house for the first time in that crisp military uniform , I had fallen for him . That was enough for me . My eyes were puffy and red when I got to the bo I got to the hospital . There weren't many people outside the room . Eric's parents , shaken , had been persuaded by my mom to go rest . Only Tom and a nurse sent by the unit remained . Tom looked at me like he had just seen salvation . This usually stone - faced soldier nearly teared up . " You're finally back ... finally ... " Tom told me that after Eric saw the cancellation contract , he completely lost it . He immediately ordered Tom to find out where I had been . When he learned I hadn't shown up to work for days and had even ended up in the hospital from emotional distress , Eric skipped dinner entirely . " He couldn't reach you , so he just drove around the city , circling aimlessly . When I finally found your flight info - that was the first time I saw Colonel Eric cry . " " He had me stay with him in the study , reading through all your old messages . He kept asking if I noticed anything off about you recently . When he got overwhelmed , he'd lean back in his chair and say you were cruel , that you didn't want him anymore ... I've followed Colonel Eric for years , but I've never seen him like that . " " Then I dug into Jade . Found that fake account and all those posts . I swear on my tank , Colonel Eric is innocent ! " " The pictures ? She took them with other women in the unit , intentionally posing to make them look intimate . Those ' chat logs ' ? He had no idea they existed ! " " Even the work phone - she took it while he was in a meeting , deleted some normal work messages too! " Tom was shaking , fists clenched so tight they trembled . " What about the property contract for that house near the training grounds ? " I asked . Tom hesitated . His lips moved but no sound came out . His face turned red , and eventually , he leaned against the wall like all the energy had drained from him . " I really can't say ... that's something Colonel Eric handled privately . He needs to tell you himself . " " But Glinda , please , believe me . He cares about you more than you think . Every time he leaves on a mission , he keeps your photo in his inside pocket . " " As soon as he got the truth about Jade , he requested she be removed from the cultural unit . He was so busy preparing for drills that he didn't get a chance to handle it earlier . No one expected her to cause trouble in the meantime ... " Chapter 5 71.43 % " He's already spoken to higher - ups . She won't be staying in the system . She'll pay for what she's done . " " He said he'll never have any contact with her outside of work again . Not even his parents could change his mind . " I didn't know what to think anymore . I wasn't here to dig into right or wrong . But since he brought it up , I wanted to know the truth behind the thing that had haunted me for weeks . Yet the answers remained murky . It was my choice not to believe him - that was on me . But Eric had clearly kept things from me too . Both Tom and I were exhausted , weighed down by different burdens . But all our emotions were now tied to the person behind that hospital door . I didn't want to go in alone . I slumped against the hallway wall and drifted into sleep . Just before dawn , I heard the doctor call out : " The patient is awake . Family members can go in now . " As I opened the door , my legs felt like they weighed a ton . The nurse had taken off his oxygen mask and helped him sip some water . He was propped up slightly in bed , his eyes locked on mine . If it hadn't been for his physical conditioning , this accident might've done him in . He stayed silent . Tom nudged me closer , and I took a step , my legs moving on their own . Once I stood still , he finally spoke , his voice hoarse and eyes red - rimmed : " Didn't you say you didn't want me anymore ? And now you came back ? " Before I walked in , I had promised myself I'd keep it together . He was still recovering . I needed to go easy on him . But the moment he said that , a wave of grief rose up . Under his gaze , I felt ashamed . I turned to leave . Then , without a word , Eric reached out and wrapped his arm around my waist . Chapter 5