Hailey hadn't woken up yet.
The night was thick with silence, shadows stretching across the walls of the hospital room like claws. Ethan Yu didn't leave her side. He remained on the couch near the bed, his jacket draped over his shoulders, gaze fixed on her unmoving figure.
She lay there—so still, so pale—that it scared him more than anything ever had.
He told himself he'd stay just for tonight. Just to keep an eye on her.
But as the hours dragged on and Hailey's brows began to furrow in her sleep, his heart started pounding harder.
She was dreaming.
And whatever she saw in that dream—it wasn't good.
Hailey Tang was drowning in darkness.
In her dream, she was reliving memories that didn't belong to this life. They belonged to another lifetime. A past life of pain, betrayal, and despair.
In that life, Ethan Yu was never kind to her.
His eyes were always cold, colder than steel. His voice sharper than a knife.
"Hailey Tang, marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life!"
"If I could, I'd kill you myself just to never see your face again!"
"You? You're nothing but a nightmare I can't wake up from!"
"Let's get divorced. I'll be honest with you—I only ever loved Xin'er. There's no place for you in my heart."
"If there's a next life, don't come looking for me. In fact, don't even exist near me. I don't want to see you. I don't want to know you!"
"Why don't you just die already?!"
Each word hit her like a dagger, slicing through whatever hope remained in her heart.
In that past life, Ethan's every glare, every word, every sneer was a bullet—fired without mercy, without hesitation.
In her dream, she could see herself falling again. Into the same abyss. Into the same fate.
And no one—no one—was going to save her.
There was no light at the end of this nightmare.
Only death.
Only despair.
And hatred that had burned so hot, it still left ashes in her chest.
Hailey's entire body trembled on the bed. Her breathing turned erratic, her fingers twitching as though she were trying to fight her way out of a coffin.
"No… I don't want to die… I don't want to go to hell again…"
But the past had no mercy.
In her nightmare, she saw herself slammed into a wall—choosing death over the agony of living unloved.
"Ah—!"
The scream ripped from her throat as she shot upright, gasping for air like someone who had been underwater too long.
"Hailey!"
Ethan rushed to her bedside, heart nearly leaping out of his chest.
Her eyes were wide, wild, filled with panic. And the moment she saw his face—
She flinched.
As if his presence physically hurt her.
Ethan froze, stunned. "It's okay. You're safe now. It's just a dream."
But her gaze only grew darker. The raw pain, the disbelief, the hatred—all of it simmered behind those teary eyes.
She looked at him like he was the devil himself.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked quickly, reaching for her hand.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, jerking away violently.
His hand stopped mid-air.
Hailey scrambled back, pressing herself into the headboard as if trying to disappear into it. Her whole body trembled.
"Ethan Yu," she choked out. "Please… please let me go. I can't love you anymore. I don't want to. Just let me go."
Her voice cracked, her words soaked in anguish.
"Why do you keep appearing in my life? Why do I always end up falling for you, only to be destroyed? Why won't you let me go?"
Ethan felt like someone had poured ice water over him and stabbed him straight through the ribs.
Her tears weren't just from fear. They were from heartbreak. A heartbreak that felt far older than it should be.
"I'll step aside," she went on bitterly, hugging her knees to her chest. "You and Lin Xin'er can have your happily ever after. I won't get in the way. I won't even show my face again. Just—just don't drag me back to hell…"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"Hailey, what the hell are you talking about?!"
She looked so fragile. So broken. And yet, every word out of her mouth was like another punch to his gut.
Before he could ask again, a heavy voice thundered from the doorway.
"What is going on in here?!"
Ethan turned sharply.
Standing there was Old Master Hai—Hailey's grandfather, Hai Zhiyuan. Behind him stood Hailey's father, Hai Rong, and her mother, Zhang Yu. All three of them were staring in shocked silence at the scene in front of them.
They'd rushed to the hospital the moment Ethan had called earlier that morning, only to walk into this—Hailey in tears, screaming, trembling… clearly traumatized.
"Grandfather," Ethan began, trying to explain.
But Old Master Hai raised a hand, voice as cold as a blade.
"Don't call me that," he snapped. "Tell me right now—what happened to Hailey?! Who is this Lin Xin'er? What the hell have you done to my granddaughter?!"
Ethan opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because the truth was—
He didn't know what to say anymore.
He didn't even know how to reach Hailey.