MY FINGER 5

Chapter 5 

I flexed my numb fingers, slipped off the couple’s bracelet, and tossed it straight at Erik’s face. 

We had gotten it back when we first started dating. 

My mom had taken us to the most popular shop she knew, telling us that lovers who wore the bracelet bought there would stay together forever. 

Back then, it felt like a promise. Now, it just felt like a bad joke. 

“Kara!” I turned to leave, but Tania suddenly burst into tears and lunged forward, clutching my wrist. “Kara, I’m sor- ry. It’s all my fault, every bit of it. Please don’t hate Erik. 

“He loves you so much, so don’t misunderstand him because of me. If you can forgive Erik, I’ll leave right now. I’ll disappear from your life forever…” 

Her voice cracked with sobs, her tears smudging her perfect makeup, making her look like some tragic heroine. 

However, her hand deliberately pressed right into my wound. 

I yanked her hand away and grabbed her chin hard. “Of course it’s your fault. And if you love acting so much, maybe you should’ve studied drama instead of music. 

“You would have been a star by now!” 

“Kara, that’s enough!” 

Erik finally snapped out of it. He shoved me back and shielded Tania behind him like I was about to bite her. 

“Stop slandering her! She’s innocent and kind. You were the one who hit her, and you were the one making a scene. What exactly do you want?” 

Innocent and kind? The words almost made me laugh. 

I pulled my phone from my bag and opened my chat history with Tania. 

Every shameless, blatant message she had sent me was right there-enough to rip the mask off her sweet, fake little 

face. 

I held the phone out to Erik. He hesitated, frowning, but still reached for it. 

“Also…” I said evenly, “The heart beating in your chest right now? That belongs to my…” 

“Erik, I feel dizzy…” Tania’s voice wavered pitifully before he could take the phone. She collapsed into his arms with a perfectly staged faint. 

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Chapter 3 

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It was laughably bad acting, but Erik still panicked and scooped her up like a fragile princess. 

When he looked back at me, his eyes burned with resentment. 

“Look what you’ve done! You’d better pray she’s alright.” 

I just watched him walk away, my lips curling in a bitter smile. 

Around us, the shop staff-who had clearly been watching the drama unfold-exchanged awkward glances and whis- 

pers. 

When I turned my gaze on them, they went dead silent. 

I did not care anymore. 

I strolled out into the street, the evening breeze brushing my cheeks. For the first time since meeting Erik, I felt clear- headed. 

For the first time, I was actually thankful he had kept postponing our wedding. 

At least now, I could walk away with my head high. 

After thinking it over, I decided I would go back to my hometown. 

I had stayed in San Francisco after graduation, just for a while. Then I ran into Erik again. And from that moment on, I gave him everything I had. 

Still, I let my feelings chain me down for far too long. 

When I got home, I started packing. 

Everything in that house-from the furniture to the utensils-was something I had picked out myself. Even the mugs were matching couples’ sets. 

However, I did not want any of it. There was no point dragging the past along with me. 

I went straight to the bedroom for my clothes. 

The shattered photo frame lay off to the side, silent and jagged. 

While sorting through my documents, I came across the agreement-my mother’s signed consent to donate her heart. A dull ache spread through my chest. 

Erik had been born with a congenital heart condition. When I first met him, he was already running out of time. 

Back then, Tania had left him without a second thought and fled overseas. 

Later, I met him, and my mother adored him. 

Before she passed away from liver cancer, the doctors found she was a perfect match. So, she chose to give him her heart. 

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08:31 

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1 had cried until my voice broke. Yet, my mother had held my hand, her voice warm even through her pain. “Kara, don’t cry. From now on, Erik will love you with my heart. He and I will love you together…” 

My mother had loved me with everything she had. However, Erik never loved me at all.