He would never forget the first time he saw her. The first time Enrique met Sana was not at C University, but at her tenth birthday party. She was wearing a light green dress, standing under the crystal chandelier. Her fair and beautiful face was framed by a pair of bright eyes as pure as water. She was so innocent that she didn't mind his illegitimate status at all. She kept calling him "little brother" and smiling at him. That look was so cute—it was a ray of warm sunshine in his otherwise dark life.
But when they met again, she had already forgotten him.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
She bumped into him accidentally and kept apologizing. Her fair face and large eyes were full of innocence and regret. She bit her lip lightly and looked at him with a pitiful expression.
The moment she raised her head, Enrique's mind flashed back to that little girl under the crystal chandelier years ago. But the way she looked at him now was strange. Still, he was glad—glad to have seen her again. Even more fortunate that if they got to know each other now, perhaps she wouldn't know about his embarrassing past.
"You... you did this on purpose?" A coquettish voice came from the side. It was a girl who had stopped him from confessing his feelings, glaring at Sana, thinking she had bumped into him deliberately to interrupt his confession.
Sana was stunned for a moment. But when she saw the love letter in the girl's hand, she instantly understood. Just as she was about to apologize, Enrique grabbed her wrist.
"She did it on purpose," he said. Without looking back, he pulled her away.
"Hey, classmate, let me go. If you don't let me go, believe it or not, I'll rush back and tell that girl that you like her?"
Sana was quick-witted. She understood immediately what Enrique was trying to do. And sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Enrique released her.
"Don't you want to apologize? Now you do."
Enrique looked down at her, watching her pout and rubbing her wrist, which was red from where he had pinched it. He felt a twinge of annoyance. Afraid that he would lose control of himself, he said coldly, turned around, and walked away.
"You!"
Sana was furious. But as she watched his back, she couldn't help feeling that his action of pulling her away had been strangely handsome. Her heart began to race. What to do? There was such a handsome guy at her school! And it seemed like quite a few people were after him!
But when she came back to her senses, Enrique was already gone. She stamped her feet angrily, swearing that she would find out more about this handsome boy.
Fate is such an indescribable thing. Since that day, she had started to appear in his life often. It seemed he could run into her wherever he went.
"Is it important to do as she is told? She's willing to do anything to help you. But what about you? How did you treat her? You actually pushed her from such a high building! You're a devil! You have no heart at all!"
Hania's scolding broke through Enrique's memories. The red light from the emergency room constantly reminded him—it was him, his own hands, that had pushed her out of the window... How could he have hurt her?
"It was an accident," he murmured, his voice low with fatigue and pain. For the first time, Enrique felt that the explanation he was offering seemed so weak, so insignificant.
***
When Sana woke up, half a month had passed. After the doctor's relentless efforts, her life had finally been saved. She had suffered multiple fractures and could only lie motionless in bed. The scratches on her beautiful face, left by the tree branches, had scabbed over and looked even more striking against her now thin and pale features.
When she opened her eyes, she didn't cry, didn't make a sound, and didn't show any expression.
"Sana, Sana, you're awake!"
Hania's voice trembled with excitement, tears filling her eyes.
"Sana, Mom was wrong. Please don't blame me, okay? Say something to me. Say something, Sana!"
Sana stared blankly at the ceiling. It was pure white. In her mind, it felt like a century had passed.
Mother?
She turned her head slowly and looked at the woman sitting beside the bed, holding her hand tightly. Her vision gradually came into focus.
Hadn't her mother stopped wanting her? This must be a dream.
She wanted to speak, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Her throat was painfully dry, and even the slightest movement brought a sharp sting.
Hania's sobs suddenly triggered a flood of memories, Enrique, the fall from the tall building, the terror that had overwhelmed her.
That fear surged up from deep within her, and her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. It was a memory she never wanted to relive again, a black hole of horror threatening to swallow her whole.
She had tried to run. She had screamed for help. But no one saved her. It was Enrique. It was him!
The man she had loved for so many years had pushed her from a tall building with his own hands.
"No! No! Save me! Help me!"
Sana shook violently, her pale lips quivering, her voice hoarse and panicked. Her sunken eyes stared at the ceiling in fear. Her hands clutched the bed sheets tightly, as if caught in a nightmare she couldn't escape.
"Sana!"
Hania panicked. She tried to take her hand, but Sana seemed unable to see her. She was lost in a daze.
"Doctor! Doctor! Please come check on my daughter! She's awake! Doctor, hurry!"
Hania rushed out the door, shouting. Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a group of people in white coats hurried into the ward.
They gently restrained the terrified Sana and administered a tranquilizer. Gradually, she calmed down. But she just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if she were locked in her own world.
"Doctor, what's wrong with my daughter? Didn't you say she'd be fine once she woke up? Why doesn't she even recognize me now?"
Hania's heart was filled with regret.
The doctor sighed.
"Her condition is due to the intense emotional trauma she experienced. Her subconscious is saturated with fear, which is now dominating her emotions. That's why she's reacting this way. You must be patient and guide her gently to help her out of this nightmare."
"But doctor... what should we do?"
Hania was desperate.
"There are two possible approaches," the doctor explained. "One is to help her re-recognize the world and isolate the source of her fear. The second is more radical—stimulate her again to pull her back to reality."
"This..."
Hania's face turned pale.
Isolate the source of fear? That was nearly impossible. Sana and Enrique were still legally husband and wife. With Enrique's power and methods, how could she possibly keep him away from Sana?
And the second option... she couldn't bear the thought of letting Sana go through that agony again.