The Last Time I Loved You Chapter 03
Chapter 3 The Truth Behind the Stains
Author: Jumping Fish
The door was slightly ajar, so I could hear every word of their conversation. And I could see everything.
Luna was straddling Lucien’s lap, her arms draped loosely around his necks. His hands roamed possessively over her body.
Every detail was painfully clear.
“Why do you feel even better now?”
“What do you think? I have a prenatal checkup tomorrow. Are you coming with me? Ah….”
Luna’s voice turned soft and breathy as she buried her face against Lucien.
“You’re going to wear a custom-made wedding gown and marry him, yet you’re carrying my child to a tiny rundown hospital for your prenatal appointments…”
“Julian has had checkups at all those high-end hospitals. The doctors and nurses know I’m his fiancee.” Luna’s tone cooled. “Lucien, I remember telling you this before. You can have whatever you want, but if this ever reaches Julian, you know exactly what kind of temper I have.
“If you want this relationship to continue, then remember your place. You’re the other man no one can acknowledge, and he is my one and only husband.”
Luna’s expression darkened as she shot Lucien a warning glance.
Her warning clearly shook him. A flush rose to his face, then faded into a pale, uneasy look.
At last, he lowered his head. His eyes reddened as he spoke in a small, wounded voice. “I remember. How could someone like me ever dare let Mr. Prescott know?”
After speaking, he wiped at his eyes and tried to push Luna off his lap in a childish fit of resentment.
Instead, she settled back down and softened her tone. “Don’t look so miserable. Besides, you were the first one to experience that expensive wedding gown, weren’t you?”
She paused. “What? Still not satisfied?”
Lucien kissed her shoulder, his expression intimate. “With you? How could I ever be satisfied?”
Then his voice turned hesitant. “But… are you really that afraid of losing Julian?”
Luna answered almost without thinking, “Yes. I can’t live without him. If I lose him, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she pushed him down onto the couch. Their lips met again.
I pressed a hand against my chest and struggled for air as tears streamed down my face.
It felt as though someone had twisted my heart with all their strength. The grip was already gone, yet the pain remained.
So that was the source of the large stains on the train of the wedding dress and that unmistakable scent. My stomach turned.
Back when we were dating, even in our most intimate moments, Luna would always stop herself.
She used to say that the first time was important. It should be saved for the wedding night to make it perfect.
I still remembered the day we shared our first kiss. She had been so nervous. The moment our lips touched, the tips of her ears turned bright red.
I had believed she treasured our relationship that much. I had believed no one could ever love me more than Luna did.
Inside the room, the couch creaked and groaned. Luna’s moans and Lucien’s muffled sounds drifted through the doorway in fragments.
My nails dug deeply into my palms. It felt as though sharp hooks had sunk into my heart. Every second I remained there was torture.
I barely made it to the staircase leading to the first floor before my legs gave out beneath me.
I fell hard. The crash must have alerted the two people in the lounge.
In the final moments before consciousness slipped away, I heard Luna’s trembling voice. “My fiance has a heart condition. Call an ambulance, now!”
Luna was wrong. The one with heart disease had always been her.
A long time ago, to repay the Sterling family for their support over the years, I had donated my heart to Luna. I had been living with an artificial heart since then.
An artificial heart could keep a person alive, but it could never compare to a real one.
I could not engage in strenuous exercise. I could not eat spicy food. I could not stay up late. I could not even allow my emotions to fluctuate too much.
When I told Luna I had a heart condition and often visited a familiar doctor for follow-up examinations, it had provided a convenient excuse for my medical appointments.
Over the years, I had hidden the truth from her perfectly.
The day she proposed to me, I had secretly been delighted. I thought her love was pure. I thought it was not mixed with even the slightest trace of guilt.
When I regained consciousness, disappointment washed over me. Not because Luna was not by my side.
The spacious hospital room was silent. So silent that I could hear Luna talking on the phone outside.
She had always been calm and composed. Only a handful of times had she ever lost control of her emotions, and always in front of me.
But now, excitement and joy filled her voice.
A short while later, her footsteps faded into the distance. She had left.
Using every ounce of strength I had, I got out of bed and slowly followed.
After passing through several hallways, I saw Lucien supporting Luna as they emerged from the obstetrics department.
The smiles on their faces were impossible to hide. They looked overwhelmingly happy.
When Lucien noticed me, he froze for a moment before putting on a look of pleasant surprise. “Mr. Prescott, you’re awake! That’s wonderful! Ms. Sterling and I have both been so worried about you!”
Luna abruptly lifted her head. Our eyes met.
