Chapter 5 " I'm going upstairs , " Sebastian added , getting to his feet . Martha watched Sebastian's retreating figure and pressed a hand to her chest . Nicholas sighed . " He's just like you . He's almost 30 now . Other men his age are already married with children , and yet all he ever thinks about is the hospital . " " So what if he's like me ? Sleep in the study tonight . I'm going upstairs too . " She shot him a glare . Just as she reached the stairs , Sebastian appeared again . He was already changed into his work clothes and heading back down . " Mom , the hospital just called me in for an emergency surgery . I need to go . " He was already gone by the time Martha could react . In the dining room , Nicholas slammed the table . " Just look at your son . All he thinks about is the hospital . He's only been home for an hour , but he's already gone without a word. What kind of lady would be willing to marry him ? " " What are you yelling at me for ? " Martha dug at her ear in annoyance . " It doesn't concern you if you say he's my son . Sebastian is just being a responsible doctor . " When Sebastian returned from the hospital , it was already 11:30 pm . A cream - colored Golden Retriever trotted over lazily and rubbed against him . He reached down to pat the dog on the head . Pouring himself a glass of water , he headed into the study . That morning , he had left without closing the windows . The wind had scattered books and papers across the desk . He bent down and picked them up one by one . They were mostly medical records he had been reviewing recently . There were so many potential causes for massive abdominal swelling . Reading the case files made his eyes ache with exhaustion . He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose , but it didn't help . Glancing at his phone , he saw an unread message from Luke that had been sent earlier that morning . " I asked Taylor . She was in the neighboring class and used to be the closest to Jane . Even she says she hasn't been able to contact Jane . " Sebastian stared at that line of text . Not even her best friend could contact her ? He opened their old Telegram group chat . Out of 48 members , most had their names as nicknames , but six or seven accounts didn't . He hadn't used this app in years . Jane had long since blocked him on other social media . Now , staring at those six or seven anonymous IDs , he added each of them . Within minutes , three replied . After some polite small talk , he realized none of them were Jane . By the next day , the other three accounts had also replied , but not a single one was hers . Finally , there was one anonymous account left . The account wasn't private , but it also had no useful information . The avatar was an outdated , tacky - looking cartoon girl , and yet Sebastian was certain it was Jane . That night at dinner , he glanced at his phone again . There was still no response . He tried adding her again , but three verification questions popped up . " Why are you adding me ? Who are you ? Who am I ? " His replies were short and to the point . " I'm Sebastian Grant . " " Jane Carlson . " A colleague nearby commented , " Dr. Grant , you've been so distracted by your phone today . Are you waiting for your girlfriend to text you ? " Plenty of female doctors at the hospital admired him . This instantly drew a few curious gazes that were hungry for gossip . After all , Sebastian had famously rejected the dean's daughter when he first joined . That news had spread like wildfire through the hospital . One after another , nurses and doctors had tried to approach him with confessions or breakfast deliveries . However , he had the same behavior - cold and reserved , rejecting every advance with detached politeness . He didn't bother answering his colleague's teasing remark , and the doctor awkwardly chuckled before letting the matter drop . A week later , Valeria opened her Telegram on a whim and nearly dropped her phone in shock when she saw Sebastian's request . Staring at the request , she forced herself to act as though nothing had happened . However , that same week , Sebastian kept opening the app during his break time . Every day , he would click into her profile , staring at it . His request remained unanswered . It was as if she hadn't logged in for years . He refused to believe that she really was dead . After spending another afternoon in the clinic , Sebastian pulled out his phone and created a brand - new Telegram account . Maybe Jane was still alive and just didn't want to add him . It was just like when they broke up and she mailed back every single item he'd ever given her , cutting ties completely . He answered those same questions again . " Why are you adding me ? Who are you ? What do you want ? " This time , he replied , " I am Salem Jones and I need to talk to you . " Salem Jones had been a basketball star and one of the most popular boys in school back then . Sebastian remembered once seeing Jane and Taylor deliver a love letter to Salem . That afternoon , Jane's cheeks had been flushed red . She was so fair - skinned , and the rosy glow on her was impossible to miss . On the stairs , she had skipped alongside Taylor as though something wonderful had happened . Was delivering a love letter worth that much joy ? Sebastian admitted that pretending to be Salem to add her was underhanded , even shameless , but he had acted purely on impulse . If she accepted , then didn't that mean she was still alive ? There was a thorn in his chest that he couldn't get rid of , no matter how he tried . It was something that had been festering inside him for seven years , twisting into something strange and complicated . He had just returned to the country this year . In the seven years since , he had dreamed of Jane a few times . In the first semester of his senior year , he had asked her out to a hotel before leaving to study abroad . At first , he was only with her because of a fluke . However , she slowly became something of an addiction to him . Even Sebastian recognized that he had certain peculiarities in this aspect . He liked seeing her cry . It provoked something in him that made him feel alive . Jane had been chubby , but he was a tall , athletic man . He had no trouble carrying her at all . Before leaving , he had given her a bank card with 200 thousand dollars in it . She had accepted the money , which deeply pleased him , because she usually resisted his gifts . In their three years together , Sebastian had bought Jane many things , and she had always refused . Only when he threatened to toss them in the trash did she reluctantly take them . That night , her skin flushed as she lay in his arms . He had told her to use the money to buy herself something nice . She had agreed softly and obediently . It was barely a month after he went abroad that Martha called . She informed Sebastian that there was a courier in his name , only for him to have it set aside . He fell sick from the change in climate overseas and spent two feverish weeks in bed . He hadn't contacted Jane , but he never expected that she would not reach out to him at all . In their three years together , they might have been in a relationship , but Jane was so submissive that she rarely contacted him herself . However , when he finally messaged her , his texts bounced back . She had blocked him . Sebastian , who had always lived a perfect life , was stunned . He was the golden child , the pride of his family . He could have any girlfriend he wanted . So , why should Jane be different ? It wasn't as though he wasn't coming back . He was only studying abroad , yet she had cut him He found it laughable and infuriating . When he returned home for the New Year , a large package was waiting for him in his study , with the sender being " Carlson " . Sebastian's heart thumped hard in his chest as he opened it . Inside were all the things he had given her during their three years together , containing every gift and the amount of each monetary transfer . Jane had consolidated all his transfers into a single bank card and sent it back . Each item had a sticky note attached with the date , the place , and what he had given her. Even the meals and drinks they had shared were recorded down to the exact cost . Every hotel stay and every night together was itemized and documented as well . The most expensive gifts - four purses , a bracelet , a necklace , and a watch that were worth a small fortune - were left pristine and unused . Even the cheapest things, such as daily necessities or meals , were carefully accounted for . Sebastian felt his head throb as he stared at all the items . He sent the box tumbling with a furious kick , and all the contents scattered . Two boxes of unused condoms spilled across the floor . They landed at his feet , as if they were mocking him for being a fool . She had severed all ties between them without any hesitation , leaving nothing of association with him .