Chapter 4 I Have Never Betrayed You

• Lila had once been injured because of Donovan. Her bones were rather fragile, and with this fall, her cervical vertebrae had been displaced.
• Donovan kicked open the bedroom door, swiftly pulling off the covers and yanking Shelby to her feet.
• “Why are you so malicious?”
• Back then, when Shelby wanted to break up with him, he braved the rain, his body covered in injuries, in search of her. He nearly got hit by a car, but Lila pushed him out of the way.
• However, Lila was no longer able to dance because of this.
• “How am I the villain?” Shelby stared steadily at the man before her, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “Donovan, I dare you to strangle me!” Tears blurred her vision as she defiantly looked at him. “I've never betrayed you! I've never slept with Kyler!”
• A sharp pang of pain coursed through her abdomen, causing Shelby's body to tremble subtly.
• Donovan's dark gaze was fixed on her for a long while, then he laughed.
• “Do you think I'm as gullible as I was back then?” His eyes were bloodthirsty. “Do you think I don't know what kind of man Kyler is? Would he give you money if you weren't involved with him?”
• None of the Gosling family members were decent people; naturally, they wouldn't be expected to perform acts of charity.
• Shelby was in such pain that she couldn't utter a word. She inhaled sharply, fully aware that Donovan wouldn't believe her.
• She forced a smile. “If that's what you want to believe, then go ahead.”
• Shelby pushed away Donovan's hand, intending to stand up.
• Donovan moved in directly, pressing himself onto Shelby, to which she resisted. “Let go of me.”
• Donovan leaned over to her ear and whispered, “Do you think I want to touch you? I find you repulsive.”
• Her heart, already as cold as ice, was left riddled with wounds by Donovan.
• He slowly undid each button. “Didn't you say you've never slept with him?” Donovan's laughter seemed to have originated from the depths of hell. “Then let me check.”
• Shelby shivered all over, her lips tightly pressed together as she frantically pounded on Donovan's shoulder.
• However, she was no match for the man's strength.
• A delicate shiver swept over her, a cold sweat trickling down her forehead.
• Her stomach felt as if it had been twisted by a knife, such was the pain that she abruptly curled up.
• “What are you pretending for!” Donovan said coldly, “I haven't even touched you yet.”
• “I'm in pain.” Shelby shivered violently. “My stomach hurts.”
• Painkillers, painkillers.
• Shelby's mind was filled with thoughts of painkillers as she struggled to push past Donovan.
• Caught off guard, Donovan's tall figure was pushed back. His legs collided with the bedside cabinet.
• The bag that Shelby had placed on top fell down, a medicine bottle rolled out from within. Donovan lowered his head and spotted two pieces of paper.
• He squinted, making a move to pick it up.
• Shelby's face was tense. She intended to snatch it, but Donovan beat her to it and picked up the paper first.
• Donovan couldn't comprehend the medical jargon, but the last three words were clear to him—late-stage colorectal cancer.
• He looked at Shelby with a complex expression on his face. Shelby was like a fish out of water, slumped over there.
• Donovan bent over, picking up one of the medicine bottles. As he twisted the bottle in his hand, his gaze fell upon it.
• After a while, he slammed the prescription and the medicine bottle onto the bed.
• “What a spectacle,” he said, his lips curling in cold amusement. “Did you really think that forging this would make me care for you?”
• Donovan leaned over, his arms braced against the bed.
• He even meticulously wiped the sweat off Shelby. “You're not Lila. Even if you were to die, I wouldn't feel a pang of pain.”
• He reckoned Shelby's condition was a clumsy imitation of Lila's suffering.
• So young, and yet late-stage cancer? How could that be possible?
• Shelby had always been known to deceive people.
• Donovan left, leaving Shelby in bed, reaching for the medicine bottle that Donovan had left on the bed. Without any water, she swallowed a pill whole.
• An hour later, the pain gradually subsided.
• Shelby stared at the whitewashed ceiling, and suddenly, she laughed. As she laughed, tears began to stream down her face.