Chapter 3

Vito and Stephen must have left at some point.

When I came to my senses, the messages from eighteen-year-old Vito kept coming in.

"Anja, reply to me. I’m really worried. Where are you?"

"Go away, didn’t I tell you to go?" I was getting impatient.

"Anja, I’m sorry, but can you tell me where you are? I can’t reach you, and I’m really worried."

He was persistent.

From his few words, I suddenly realized what was going on.

The Vito on the other end was in the phase when we went hiking during our winter break.

Back then, I had gotten angry because he didn’t break ties with Stephen and ran off on my own.

Then, unfortunately, I got lost in the mountains.

Eighteen-year-old me was reckless and headstrong.

I cried and stayed in the mountains all night without asking Vito for help.

And Vito searched for me all night, not sleeping.

Before dawn, he finally found me just before the rescue team arrived.

From then on, I fell deeply in love with him, unable to escape.

Originally, I was about to give up on him because of his lazy and unambitious behavior, but after that event, I grew to like him even more.

This created the tragic yet laughable life I now had.

Now, I needed to stop him.

I couldn’t let another Anja fall in love with Vito.

I quickly replied to his message.

"Go back. The mountain is dangerous. The rescue team is already looking for me."

He was still stubborn:

"No, Anja, I won’t leave you on the mountain."

I became anxious and typed faster.

"Can’t you understand? If you come after me, I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life."

"Anja, I can’t live without you. Please don’t say that."

Eighteen-year-old Vito was on the verge of tears.

His words were full of desperation and fear.

I gritted my teeth and continued typing.

"Go find Stephen. Don’t come after me. I wish you both happiness. You’re better suited to each other."

I hoped heaven would hear my voice.

Forever, never let Vito and Anja get tangled up again.

The screen lit up.

Eighteen-year-old Vito’s message quickly came in.

"No, it’s not like that, Anja. I won’t like Stephen. She’s just a tomboy."

"I like you. I’m coming to find you now to explain everything."

But just recently, twenty-eight-year-old Vito had repeatedly said he liked Stephen.

The world blurred in front of me, and tears fell onto my prosthetics.

But I couldn’t let myself fall apart. I quickly typed.

I couldn’t let another Anja make the same mistake.

"Vito, don’t come after me!"

"If you dare come, I’ll jump off the mountain right now."

After sending it, I turned off my phone and closed my eyes.

The pain in my heart still surged, making it hard to breathe.

After a while, my phone screen flickered.

"I hear you, Anja."

"Don’t do anything rash. I’ll listen to you. You must be safe. I’m waiting for you to come back."

Seeing this message, I collapsed on the floor, crying out loud.

The next morning,

Nanny Cloe found me sleeping on the floor.

She hurriedly helped me up, sympathy in her eyes.

When she walked into the villa earlier, she saw Vito and Stephen in the living room, flirting with each other.

Both of them had obvious hickeys on their necks.

Stephen looked like someone who had been pampered all night, ePierceding charm.

This wasn’t the first time Cloe had witnessed such a scene.

"Miss, let me help you up."

"Cloe, where are they?"

I suppressed my resentment and tried to speak calmly.

Cloe hesitated.

"They… I heard they… they went to the hospital for a checkup."