Eight Years of Recovery for Saving Me, a Lifetime of Regret After Her Return

To save my life, my fiance was left in a vegetative state.

The Lin family took her abroad for treatment for a full eight years.

I carried that guilt for eight years too.

Today, they were finally coming back.

Vivian said, Ethan, wait for me. When I get back, we'll get married.

My heart was full of joy as I waited at the airport, only to see a man in a suit throw himself into her arms before I could!

"If you dare to marry Ethan, I'll kill myself."

Vivian frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. He waited for me for eight years. I have to marry him."

"And what about me? Who stayed by your side all these eight years? Besides, you got hurt saving me, but you left Ethan guilty for eight years. You are truly heartless."

I leaned against the billboard, barely able to stay on my feet..

So, the guilt of these past eight years it was all a lie from the very beginning.

Eight years ago, my parents and I were having dinner at a restaurant.

A mistake by the staff caused a major fire.

My parents died in that fire. I was saved by Vivian.

When I woke up in the hospital, Mrs. Lin slapped me hard.

"It's all your fault! If Vivian hadn't tried to save you, she wouldn't be in a coma. Why didnt you just die there? Why?!"

Mrs. Lin, who had always been so kind to me, looked at me like I was her enemy in that moment.

I tried to explain, but found I couldn't speak at all.

By the time I was discharged from the hospital, Vivian and her family had already gone abroad.

A full eight years.

I prayed day and night, just hoping Vivian would recover.

Now, after eight years, she called me overseas.

The first thing she said was, "Ethan, when I come back, we'll get married."

I believed her, completely.

I had never imagined these eight years were just one big joke.

"I know, you were worried your parents would resent me if they knew you got hurt saving me, so you told them you saved Ethan."

"So you were so good to me, why can't you marry me? Your parents have seen how well I've treated you all these years! Why?"

Jason's words jerked me back to the present.

I saw them holding each other tightly, Vivian looked conflicted.

"But Ethan's parents you're the one who killed them."

In that instant, my whole world shattered.

What did that mean?

Jason killed my parents?

I wanted to rush over and demand answers, but I stumbled over someone passing by.

When I looked up again, they were gone!

My hands trembling, then I called Vivian's number, only to hear the disconnected tone.

My brain felt like it was about to explode. I tried hard to remember the details from eight years ago.

Ive been searching my memory for a long time,

trying to piece it all back together..

I remember now.

That day, at the restaurant, I saw Jason in the kitchen area.

At the time, I thought I was wrong. But now, thinking back, he was definitely there.

After calming down a bit, I made a call.

"Yes, I need you to look into the truth about what happened eight years ago. Especially anything involving Jason and Vivian."

"Okay. I'll wait for your call."

After hanging up, I got a friend request from a stranger.

Call it a hunch, but I knew it had to be Jason.

I accepted.

Soon, photos started flooding in.

[You think she really loves you?]

That provocating message followed right after.

If this had been half an hour ago, seeing these might have destroyed me.

But now, I just found it pathetic.

Vivian smiled in all the photos, looking utterly happy.

But she shouldn't have lied to me for eight whole years.

I thought, the cheating jerk and the lying bitch, what a perfect pair!

Neither of them deserves a happy ending!

My silence seemed to provoke Jason. He sent even more photos.

My phone rang and a notification sounded almost simultaneously.

The investigator had results!

I hung up, and files immediately came through.

They clearly documented Jason and Vivian's past.

It turned out that Vivian had been cheating on me long before we were even engaged.

With Jason, of course!

They met at our engagement party.

It was the beginning of something unstoppable.

Eight years ago that day, Jason had planned to tell me the truth.

He had threatened Vivian, "If you don't break up with Ethan, I'll tell him the truth right now."

They got into a fight over the phone.

That's what drove Jason into a rage, setting the fire.

And Vivian got paralyzed trying to save Jason!

She could generously forgive the arsonist, but let me live in the dark for eight years?

That fire took my parents!

I never could have imagined it was all just some sick farce.

Thinking of this, I wanted to kill Jason right now.

But I knew that would be letting him off too easy.

I wanted Jason to wish he were dead.

The next morning, the Lin family's call came right on schedule.

"Ethan, Vivian's back. Why didn't you come to pick her up?"

I didn't go?

Oh, I did. It's just that your precious daughter ran off with the other man!

I let out a cold laugh.

"You said you would neversee me again. I was just trying not to upset you. It was a courtesy!"

"Youwhat kind of attitude is that? If it weren't for you"

I cut her off.

"Enough! If you think Vivian shouldn't have saved me, then blame on her!

I didn't ask her to save me. And besides, who even knows what the real truth is about that night?"

Now that I knew the truth, I wasn't about to take this crap anymore.

Thinking about these eight years made me sick.

"Ethan, you don't actually think just because my daughter likes you, I'll give in, do you?"

"Mrs. Lin, you don't have to give in. After all, the person you really like isn't me anyway. Since he's here now, just let him marry your daughter."

With that, I hung up and immediately blocked the number.

I was done being their doormat.

I don't know what she told Vivian.

Soon, Vivian's call came.

I didn't want to answer at first, but then I thought why not?

Fine then, let me hear what excuse she can come up with.

"Yes?"

"Ethan, did my mom say something to you again?

Don't be angry. She's just worried about me.

After all, I was paralyzed for eight years. You should try to understand her"

Vivian went on and on.

Not a single word about her actually saving me, yet every sentence hinted that her suffering was all for my sake.

"Vivian, do you love me?"

"Of course! If I didn't love you, why would I have rushed into a fire to save you?"

Vivian was really something else.

Claiming credit for something she never did, and saying it with such conviction.

Actually, before she called, I had already found the person who actually saved me that day.

However, that person perished in the fire!

I didn't expose her. I wanted to see how long she could keep up this act.

"Then why couldn't I find you at the airport? Vivian, do you actually want to marry me?"

"Of course! I've already convinced my parents. Let's meet tomorrow."

Vivian never did explain the airport thing.

I don't know if it was guilt or if she just thought I was an idiot.

"Fine."

I agreed to meet Vivian. Immediately, another provoking message from Jason came through.

It was a video of him and Vivian having sex.

He said, [We're like this, and you still want to marry her?]

I sent back a smug emoji.

[She's like that with you, and she still won't marry you? You really are pathetic.]

I just wanted to get under Jason's skin.

After sending that, I left Jason alone.

I found the family of the person who really saved me and told them everything.

Her mother gave me a gentle smile when she saw me.

"My daughter would be so happy to know the person she saved is alive and well"

She was a wonderful person.

Even though her daughter died because of me, and this was my first visit in eight years, she didn't blame me.

But I was consumed with guilt.

I knelt before this mother and poured out the injustice of my last eight years.

"You're saying someone impersonated my daughter as your savior?"

I nodded.

Her hands clenched into fists. "Why? How could they?"

"Auntie, I'm so sorry. I just found out the truth."

She was so kind and told me, "It's not your fault."

When I left, she gave me a comforting hug and said, "Child, you need to live well."

I nodded firmly.

Back home, after organizing the evidence, I made an overseas call.

It rang for a long time.

Just as I thought they wouldn't answer, the line connected.

"You made up your mind?"

"Yeah. Aunt Clara, please help me with the emigration paperwork. I found the person responsible for my parents' death. After I deal with this, I'm leaving."

"Alright. Do you need me to do anything? Can you handle it?"

Aunt Clara sounded as aloof as ever.

But I knew she was the only one person in this world who truly had my back.

"I can handle it."

After hanging up, I received flight details for a week later.

Aunt Clara texted, [One week. Can you wrap it up?]

I sent back an 'OK' emoji.

The next day, I went to the place where I was supposed to meet Vivian.

I didn't see her. I saw Jason instead.

He was sitting smugly in the reserved seat.

"Now you are here. It has been eight years and you're still as annoying as ever."

Jason gave me a disdainful look, raising an eyebrow. "Vivian's only marrying you for my sake, you know that, right?"

In case I hadn't seen his messages, he repeated all that garbage.

Seeing I wasn't reacting, Jason got worked up.

"You think staying silent means you can keep seeing Vivian? Let me tell you, even if you get married, her heart belongs to me."

Watching him, I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, Jason, you were the one responsible for the fire eight years ago, weren't you?"

"You know?"

Jason didn't deny it. He actually looked even prouder.

He stared at me intently, laughing.

"So what could you do? Vivian covered for me, made the restaurant owner take the fall. She can definitely get me off the hook."

Here, Jason paused as if remembering something, then said arrogantly,

"Even though I got your parents killed, Vivian only scolded me in few words. Now you finally can tell who's more important for her, right?"

Jason brought up my parents.

Not slapping him would be an insult to his performance.

I put all my strength into a backhanded slap.

Jason stumbled and fell to the floor.

"What are you doing?"

Of all times, Vivian had to show up right then.