The situation unfolded suddenly.
Melanie, in a frenzy, slammed her car toward the two of them.
Ezra reacted quickly, shoving Shermaine aside, but he was caught under the wheels. In an instant, he was left fighting for breath, barely alive.
Before Shermaine could fully process what happened, Melanie, in a wild, frantic state, jumped out of the car, clutching a fruit knife in her hand.
But this time, she didn’t get the chance to get close to Shermaine.
As she neared and was about ten feet away, she was swiftly restrained by the bodyguards who had been lurking nearby.
Melanie screamed and cursed, her voice filled with madness, as she struggled against the guards.
Shermaine, still in shock, couldn’t tear her eyes away from Ezra, whose blood pooled on the ground. Her expression was mixed-
conflicted and unreadable.
Ezra was still alive, but just barely. His breath was labored as he looked at her with a pleading gaze, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something.
But Shermaine turned her face away, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke to those around her, “Take him to the hospital.”
Because they acted quickly, Ezra was saved from death.
However, the damage was done. He was left with a lifetime of disability.
The blood clot in his brain had pressed on his nerves, and as a result, Ezra was left blind.
When Ezra finally regained consciousness, he was still in agony. The idea that he might never see Shermaine again tormented
him.
But the doctors told him that it had been a month since the incident. Shermaine had already entered a highly classified research.
Institute.
This time, it wasn’t just for a few years. She wouldn’t be back for a decade at least.
i
With that knowledge, Ezra’s anger and pain finally ceased. He lay still in his hospital bed, tears of regret streaming down his face from his sightless eyes.
Nikki and Eddie learned about Shermaine’s departure the day before she entered the research institute.
Nikki’s eyes were red, and Eddie’s were even redder.
He hid off to the side, too afraid to face Shermaine.
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He couldn’t bear to let her go, and he was scared that they couldn’t even be friends if he professed his feelings.
Before she left, Nikki, feeling sorry for Eddie, couldn’t help but ask, “Shermaine, is there really no chance for Eddie?”
Shermaine smiled and patted her shoulder gently.
“Nikki, my heart isn’t in that anymore. I’ve already decided to dedicate my life to my country. I hope when I come out, I’ll hear good news from you two.”
Nikki understood. She gave Shermaine a final, heartfelt hug
She spoke softly, “Don’t be a loner. There are too many bad people in the world, but there are more good ones. Try to accept their
kindness.”
Shermaine’s eyes stung with tears. “I know.”
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye,
Because of Shermaine’s dedication and responsibility, she achieved remarkable breakthroughs in her research, leading projects
that would change people’s lives.
When she emerged again, she had become a renowned professor, a national treasure.
During an interview, someone asked about Melanie, who once tried to kill her.
Shermaine paused, almost not recalling
The memories of those times seemed like they belonged to another life, so distant like they belonged to someone else.
Melanie had been sentenced to life in prison, and her child was sent to an orphanage, as Ezra was no longer able to care for the
child.
After Ezra became a shell of himself, his once–thriving business empire had crumbled.
Now, all he had left was enough money to survive comfortably for the rest of his life.
At the interview, some of Shermaine’s former students were present.
The ones who had betrayed her and laughed at her now looked at her with envious eyes, watching her shine on that stage.
They no
longer even had the chance to meet her privately.
Someone asked Shermaine if she remembered her ex–husband,
Ezra.
Shermaine thought for a moment, then smiled softly.
“It’s a little blurry now. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten what he even looks like.”
Meanwhile, in a small alley in the city, a TV was on in someone’s home.
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Ezra, sitting in a wheelchair, basked in the sun. His hair had turned gray, and he looked older than his years, more like someone
in their fifties than in his forties.
He heard the familiar voice from the TV, and a smile tugged at his tired, worn face.
Even his dull, gray eyes seemed to regain a flicker of light.
“It’s Shermaine… It’s my wife’s voice.”
The people around him, hearing this, burst into laughter.
Clearly, no one believed him.
