"You said those things to Flora, and she wasn't even mad. She even offered to come and apologize to you!"

"Do you have any idea she used half a year's worth of her savings to buy this bouquet? And you're telling her to get out?"

By now, my eyes were burning with rage. I frantically pushed them both towards the door.

"Julian, you know Grandpa is allergic to lilies! And you still let her bring them here?"

My reminder finally jogged his memory.

"Sorry, it was the cheapest bouquet at the flower shop. I was in a hurry..."

"Get out!"

I screamed until my voice was raw, but I couldn't stop my grandfather from coming out of his study.

He took one breath, and his face immediately swelled up, turning red. He clutched his throat, unable to breathe.

"To the hospital!"

In the emergency room, I paced back and forth in the hallway, my heart pounding with anxiety. Julian just watched me, unsure of what to say.

When he saw Flora crying, he couldn't help but put an arm around her.

"Stop crying. Her grandpa will be fine."

"He'll be fine?"

My eyes were bloodshot, like a predator's.

"Julian, you know he's the only family I have left, and you brought lilies here to poison him!"

"All because lilies were cheap! All to protect Flora's pathetic dignity!"

"You wanted him dead! You wanted my grandpa to die!"

I expected him to show some remorse, but I never imagined he would just look at me with a completely calm expression.

"Willow, do you know you sound like a shrew right now?"

His words nailed me to the spot. All I could do was watch as Flora fell to her knees in front of me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! How much is the treatment? I'll pay for it! I'll even sell myself if I have to!"

Her classmates, who had heard about the incident, arrived just then. Seeing this scene, they rushed over indignantly and pulled her to her feet.

"Willow, are you serious? It's just an allergy. He can take some pills and he'll be fine. It's not like he's going to die."

"I can't believe I misjudged you. Just because you're rich, you think you can do whatever you want. Flora, don't worry. We'd rather the whole class pitch in than let you be bullied like this."

The flood of accusations was so overwhelming I couldn't hear any single voice clearly.

But strangely, the look on Julian's face—that look that said he was convinced I was being completely unreasonable—became even clearer.

In my most vulnerable moment, he stood with everyone else against me. He had completely forgotten his promise to be on my side against the world.

A wave of powerlessness washed over me, and I swayed, about to fall.

Julian instinctively reached out to catch me, but I pushed him away, trembling.

"I don't want you."

My eyes were vacant as I stared ahead, curling into a ball. I repeated myself. "Julian, I don't want you."

He shot to his feet, his chest heaving.

"Willow, you're the one who said it! Let's just see how long you can last this time!"

He left with his entourage. As Flora turned to follow, she shot me a look of undisguised victory.

I didn't care. I just stared at the light above the operating room door.

Suddenly, two figures appeared at the end of the hall, running towards me against the flow of the crowd.

"Willow!"

"Willow!"

Hearing their voices, I finally broke down and sobbed.

From that day on, the boy who had once made my young heart flutter disappeared from my future.

Julian, I will never forgive you.