Chapter 4 — At the Doorway

The days passed the way they were supposed to—at least, that was how they looked from the outside.

I went to school, sat at my desk, and took notes during class. I tried to follow what the teachers explained, though sometimes the words seemed to pass straight through my head without staying there. Rita always sat beside me. She was patient, often repeating explanations softly, never once looking annoyed even when I had to ask the same thing twice.

I was grateful for Rita.

She never looked at me like I was broken.

Just… different.

That afternoon, the first break bell rang sharply, echoing against the classroom walls. The atmosphere changed instantly. Chairs scraped across the floor, laughter filled the room, and several students hurried outside first.

I packed my books and stood up, ready to head to the cafeteria with Rita.

That was when something unexpected happened.

The classroom door swung open wider than usual.

A young man stepped inside in a hurry, as if he didn’t care about the teacher still standing at the front of the room. The classroom fell silent for a few seconds. I recognized him—or at least, his face felt familiar in a way that made my chest tighten.

The same young man.

The one who had stood outside my hospital room.

The one I had seen in the cafeteria a few days ago.

Before I could react, he was already standing in front of me.

His hand touched my arm.

The touch lasted only a second, but it was enough to make my body tense on instinct. He gently shifted me to the side, closer to the doorway, positioning himself as if to block my way out.

I froze.

Not because of obvious fear.

But because my body reacted faster than my mind.

“What—” My voice caught in my throat.

I looked at him, confused, my heartbeat far too fast.

“Do I know you?” I finally asked, quietly but clearly.

His expression changed instantly.

He stared into my eyes with a look I couldn’t quite describe—a mixture of hope and despair. His eyes were red, like someone who hadn’t slept properly in days. His breathing sounded heavy.

“Lily,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “It’s me. Owen.”

He swallowed hard. “You… you don’t remember me, Lily?”

There was real frustration on his face. Not anger—more like someone punching an invisible wall over and over again.

I didn’t answer.

The name—Owen—didn’t trigger anything in my mind. No flash of memory. No voice. No image. Only the same emptiness.

Suddenly, a hand pulled Owen backward.

Rita.

She stood between us, her body tense, shoulders slightly forward as if ready to protect me if necessary.

“Stay away from Lily,” Rita said sharply. “You don’t deserve to be near her.”

Owen flinched. He turned toward Rita with an angry glare.

“Don’t interfere!” he shouted, his voice rising.

Several students in the hallway stopped walking. The teacher who had still been inside the classroom turned around with a frown.

Owen seemed to realize the situation. His jaw tightened. He looked at me one more time—long and silent—as though he wanted to say something he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

His steps were quick. Too quick.

I watched his back disappear down the hallway, my feelings tangled together. His face… handsome, tall, with an athletic build that naturally stood out in a crowd. The kind of person who usually made heads turn. But to me, all of it felt distant—like looking at a stranger’s poster.

Had I once been involved with him somehow?

The question hung heavily in my mind.

To me, everything felt like a puzzle. Even the cause of my accident, and how I ended up in the hospital, still felt dark and shapeless.

Rita gently took my hand, pulling my attention back.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, studying my face carefully.

I slowly shook my head.

“Why?” My voice sounded unfamiliar even to myself. “What’s going on?”

I took a breath.

“Who… is he?”

Rita fell silent.

She glanced toward the end of the hallway where Owen had disappeared, then looked back at me. Her expression hardened, as though weighing something heavy.

“You don’t need to know,” she whispered at last. “What you do need to know is this—if he’s near you… you should stay away from him.”

I stared at her in confusion.

“Why?”

Rita bit her lip, clearly hesitant.

“I’m not allowed to say much,” she said quietly. “Your parents should be the ones to explain.”

Warmth rose in my chest—not anger, but a strong urge to understand.

“So you know what happened before all this?” I asked quickly. “You know everything that happened?”

Without realizing it, I grabbed Rita’s arm.

“Please, Rita,” I said softly. “I want to know. Please.”

Rita shook her head.

She didn’t answer. Didn’t deny it. Didn’t confirm it.

She only gently pulled my hand away and led me from the front of the classroom.

We walked toward the cafeteria in silence.

My steps felt light, yet empty. The voices of the other students sounded like distant echoes. Inside my head, one name kept repeating over and over without meaning.

Owen.

I didn’t know who he was.

I didn’t know what role he had in my life.

But there was one thing I did know—something that made my chest pound.

Everyone around me knew something about me.

And I was the only one who didn’t.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***