Chapter 3 Chapter 3 : Utterly Defeated When I saw him come back alive , I wept with joy . But when I heard what he said next , my smile vanished completely . A girl was hiding behind him . She looked like she'd never been out of her small town , shy and afraid of strangers , shrinking behind Hayden's back . I asked him , " Who is she ? " The girl grew even more frightened , nervously clutching his sleeve . Hayden protectively shielded her , stepping in front of her to meet my gaze . " We're getting married . She's my future wife . " " Then what about me ?! " Hayden just repeated what he'd said from the start . " I really don't know you . " The Hughes family was , after all , one of the most prominent families in H City , and Hayden was their only son . Mr. and Mrs. Hughes were adamantly against him marrying Isabelle Pearson . I understood , really . For the past two years , I had devoted myself to caring for them . All three of us had lost the most important person in our lives , and we were basically all each other had . Their fierce opposition to Hayden and Isabelle's marriage was their way of sticking up for me . But Hayden ? The fact that he'd carried a torch for me for so long proved how stubborn he was . Once he set his mind on something , he never looked back . It's just that he used to be set on me , and now he was set on Isabelle . Because of Isabelle , Hayden and his parents were at a stalemate . After a long standoff , both sides finally took a step back and reached a compromise- He would come home and share a room with me every Saturday night , to give me a child . Once I was pregnant , Mr. and Mrs. Hughes would stop interfering , and he could marry whomever he wanted . And me ? To buy myself a little more time with him , I started taking long - term birth control pills . As long as I didn't get pregnant , he would have to keep coming back to see me . I did this for three years . 1/4 Chapter 3 I tried every method I could think of to awaken his memories . I took him to the mountaintop where he confessed his love for me , to the little sweet potato cart in Capital City , and I showed him the strand of my hair he'd kept treasured over his heart for years , and that pink thermos he never went anywhere without . I even took him to see our old classmates . To every single one of them , we had been the most loving couple . But every time , he just shook his head in confusion . Later , his confusion turned to strained tolerance , then to impatience , and finally , to disgust . Because my attempts to help him remember were taking up the time he could have been spending with Isabelle . He could put up with it once or twice , but he grew more and more irritated , eventually refusing to even pretend to play along . Aside from those few hours on Saturday nights , I almost never saw him . Before , if I lost a single strand of hair , he would pick it up with a pained look and treasure it close to his heart . But now ? My hair was almost all gone from the chemo , and he hadn't noticed a thing . The next morning , I went to the mall to buy a wig . The sales associate asked me , " We have a lot of different styles . Is there one you're looking for ? " I glanced around , but didn't see what I wanted . " Can you do custom orders ? " " We can , but it's a bit more expensive. We'd need you to provide a reference picture . " I nodded , found a photo on my phone , and showed it to her . " I want one like this . " The associate looked at the girl in the picture on my phone and seemed hesitant . " Ma'am , this girl has a round face , so these heavy bangs work to frame it and make it look smaller . Your face is already very small and delicate . A wig that shows your forehead would suit you much better . " I smiled faintly . " No , thank you . This one is fine . " The customer is always right , so the associate didn't press the issue . She took my measurements and I paid . Leaving the mall , I went to Hughes Tower and ordered a mocha at the coffee shop downstairs . I waited until quitting time and , right on schedule , saw Hayden's car pull out of the company garage . 2/4 Chapter 3 I paid my bill , hailed a taxi , and told the driver to follow his car . Hayden drove to a building that housed a GRE prep course , then stopped at a convenience store on the street to buy two sandwiches and some milk . A few moments later , Isabelle came downstairs . He naturally took her bag , slinging it over his own shoulder , and handed her the sandwich and milk . Like a happy little bird , Isabelle threw herself into his arms , wrapped her arms around his neck , and stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek . Hayden opened the passenger door for her , thoughtfully placing a hand over the top of the doorframe to shield her head . After Isabelle was settled , he leaned in to buckle her seatbelt before jogging back to the driver's side and starting the car . " Miss , should we keep following them ? " the driver asked . " Yes . The car drove two more blocks and stopped in front of a Cyber Cafe . Hayden parked the car and followed Isabelle inside . ... What are they doing at a Cyber Cafe ? I murmured the question aloud , and the driver answered , " Probably to play games . " I frowned . " No way . He never plays video games . " The driver shrugged . " Beats me . But you can do most things on your phone these days . The only people who come to a place like this are usually here to game . " Unconvinced , I followed them in . Hayden and Isabelle had picked a couple's station , two computers side - by - side , set away from the others . They sat close together . On both of their screens was the same game . The driver was right . He really was here to play games . Hayden had always been a thoughtful and attentive man . He used to be like that with me , and now he was the same with Isabelle . I loved to travel , so he'd followed me all over the country with that pink thermos on his back . Isabelle liked 3/4 Chapter 3 gaming , so of course he would come with her to a Cyber Cafe to duo queue . Across the room , they both had headsets on , the light from their screens casting a dazzling , colorful glow on their faces . And gaming ... gaming was a total blind spot for me . Just then , an employee walked by . I waved him over . " Excuse me , can you tell me the name of that game ? " The employee told me the title . I scanned the desktop for a while but couldn't find the icon . " ... Can you help me open it ? " Seeing I was a complete newbie , the employee asked , " Do you know how to play ? " I shook my head . " No. " " Then I'd recommend another game . It's simpler and much more beginner - friendly . " " I just want to try this one . " The employee helped me launch the game anyway . Hayden and Isabelle played all night , their teamwork seamless , their coordination flawless . Every time they won a match , Isabelle would throw her hands in the air and excitedly give him a high - five . Hayden always played along , his eyes filled with adoration . And me- I stared at my own record for the night on the screen- Utterly defeated . My teammates in the game were all flaming me , their curses turning into asterisks . One of them got muted for being too toxic . I felt terrible for my team and typed an apology in the chat box : [ I'm sorry ) . But when I hit enter , the message wouldn't send . A system notification popped up : You have been permanently banned for negative game behavior . 4/4