I hissed softly when I saw my own reflection in the compact mirror. The scars on my face weren't as bad as Madeline had claimed, but they were still noticeable, especially if I wanted to return to the entertainment industry anytime soon.
"Let's just skip the wedding pictures for now," I muttered, tilting my head from side to side, checking every little mark on my skin. "You don't mind, do you?"
Lando didn't answer right away, so I turned to look at him, only to find him already facing me, silently staring. The intensity of his gaze caught me off guard.
"Did those scars come from your family?" he finally asked.
[Host, the system believes this is your chance to earn his sympathy.]
'What, by lying to him?' I thought back.
But it felt a little wrong.
[No, Host. You don't have to lie. The real reason you got those wounds is already dramatic enough.]
Oh. The system was right!
"No, no, my family didn't do this to me," I said lightly, brushing it off. "I just got hit by a truck two weeks ago, or maybe around that time, I'm not really sure."
Right away, his expression changed. His eyes widened, his brows drew tight, and he stared at me in something close to horror. "You … got hit by a truck?" he repeated slowly. "A truck?"
I snapped the compact mirror shut and nodded eagerly. "Yes, a big, massive truck!"
Lando didn't even blink when he replied, "Your family never told me about this."
I laughed dryly, waving my hand. "Oh, they probably thought it wasn't worth mentioning. They didn't even bother visiting me in the hospital."
Now that I had Helcia's memories, I finally pieced it together. Before she was hit by that truck—or maybe not exactly hit by it, but let's stick with that—she had attended her cousin's birthday party at one of the most luxurious hotels in Redmont.
The truth was, Helcia had never once been invited to any family gathering, whether small or grand. But out of nowhere, an invitation landed in her hands, and, strangely enough, Madeline had actually encouraged her to go.
Excited, Helcia used her savings to buy a beautiful dress, hoping she could finally blend in with the rest of her family. She spent hours happily getting ready, wanting so badly to look her best.
But sadly, the real reason her cousin invited her was because Madeline wanted to make her a laughingstock.
She had spread rumors beforehand, telling everyone that even though Helcia had graduated with a performing arts degree from one of the best universities, she still wasn't good enough to step foot in the entertainment industry.
Helcia had grown used to Madeline's insults, so she tried to ignore them. She straightened her back, clutched the small gift she had bought with her savings, and walked toward her cousin. But instead of gratitude, she was greeted with mockery.
"Oh, you actually showed up," her cousin sneered loud enough for everyone to hear. "I didn't think a daughter of a whore would have the guts to show her face here. Or did you come because you're hunting for a rich man to climb the ladder? I bet you're no different from your mother."
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Even her cousin's friends joined in with their own insults, while a few of the men made crude jokes about wanting to "play" with her in ways that turned her stomach.
The frightened girl bolted from the hotel in tears, and the moment she tried to cross the street, she was struck by a truck.
I think the reason she went into cardiac arrest wasn't because she fell on the asphalt or was hit by the truck, but because the humiliation she suffered that day was too much for her kind heart to bear.
Oh, what a poor girl.
Just thinking about it made my chest tighten, and at the same time, I wanted to punch Madeline's face until every last one of her teeth scattered on the floor.
After all, I had once gone through the same thing she did. When I was in high school, I was often bullied or humiliated by a group of people just because I grew up in an orphanage.
But the difference was, I sent my bullies straight to the ER after slipping an entire bottle of laxatives into their drinks when they forced me to buy them orange juice.
Well, I got suspended for two weeks, but it was worth it because after that, not a single one of them dared to ask me to buy them drinks again.
"Are you … okay?" The deep voice beside me pulled me out of my thoughts.
Oh, right. He was probably still shocked after hearing I'd once been hit by a truck. Honestly, who wouldn't be? If someone told me they'd been run over by a truck and were still sitting here looking fine, I'd be shocked too.
"I'm fine!" I said with a casual smile. "Oh, relax, I didn't literally get run over by a truck. I managed to dodge it, but I smashed my head on the asphalt instead."
I gave a short laugh, though it sounded more bitter than amused. "Still, I'd take that any day over the kind of humiliation my family put me through."
I gave him a quick summary of what happened to Helcia before she ended up in that accident, and I swear, Lando's cold expression shifted, just slightly, into something that looked a lot like concern.
Maybe … I had shared too much information.
"Is that also why you don't want to have a wedding party?" he asked.
I leaned back against the seat, crossing my arms. "Exactly. Why waste money on something that'll only give people another chance to laugh at me?"
I paused for a moment before adding, "But … you don't really mind if we just have a courthouse wedding, right? Or … maybe you actually want a big wedding party?"
The truth was, I didn't know him well enough yet. For all I knew, maybe he still had relatives who cared about him, people who'd expect to see him celebrate.
"No," he said calmly. "The only reason I thought about having a wedding party was to honor you as my bride and to show respect to your family. But if you don't want it, then it's not a problem."
"Mr. Brixton, I didn't expect you to be this thoughtful and kind." I smiled again, leaning closer. "Once my scars fade, let's take a quick wedding photo together!"
For a moment, Lando's eyes stayed on my face. Then he looked away, cleared his throat, and muttered, "If that's what you want."
[Lando's favorability has increased by +3%]