Chapter 8

Nigel had no idea why Joyce was dragging him to the hospital, but when he saw the serious look on her face, he decided not to ask. He quickly followed her out of the private room. They sped toward the hospital, but Joyce got so worked up every time they hit traffic that she kept laying on the horn. She turned what should've been a 30-minute drive into just over ten. When they arrived, she took Nigel straight to the rooftop without a word. They made it to the top and spotted a big guy with a knife leaning against the railing. He had Jeffrey with him, holding him hostage. Jeffrey looked terrified, his face streaked with tears. The second he saw Joyce, a spark of hope lit up in his eyes. "Joy, help me!" Before Nigel could even process what was happening, he was shoved forward by some force. Then, a familiar voice came from behind him. "Take a good look—this is my boyfriend. Let him go. He's got nothing to do with this, and I don't care about him. It won't bother me even if you kill him. "But if you want something from me, holding my boyfriend hostage is the only way you're going to get it." Nigel finally understood as Joyce's words hit him. She had dragged him here just to use him as a pawn to save Jeffrey! After hearing the whispers from the crowd, Nigel realized this was a violent outburst triggered by a patient. It seemed the man had been following them for days. After seeing Joyce and Jeffrey together so often, he assumed Jeffrey was her boyfriend and decided to take him hostage. Nigel felt like he'd been doused with cold water, the chill creeping into his bones. Still, Joyce kept pushing him forward indifferently. How ridiculous was that? Joyce was with Jeffrey every day, and when trouble hit, she didn't think twice about pushing Nigel into danger to keep Jeffrey safe. The man eyed Jeffrey in his grip, then glanced at Nigel being shoved toward him. He seemed suspicious, but his hand on the knife loosened slightly—maybe he'd seen Nigel before while stalking them. He scanned the area cautiously, bracing for Nigel to step forward in exchange for the hostage. But just as he loosened his grip, police officers swarmed in from every direction. One of them quickly kicked the knife from his hand, while another yanked Jeffrey out of harm's way. As soon as Jeffrey was safe, Joyce hurried over to him. "Jeffrey, are you alright?" Jeffrey clung to her, shaking as tears poured down his face. "Joy, I was so scared…" It wasn't until Joyce was sure Jeffrey was fine that she remembered pushing Nigel toward the man. She turned toward him, finally asking, "Are you okay?" Nigel locked eyes with her, his gaze empty and still. Joyce wasn't the type to explain herself. She usually didn't care much about other people's feelings. But Nigel's expression sent a wave of unease through her, and an overwhelming emotion surged inside her. "Ni, the police had people stationed nearby. They were ready to move as soon as you got the guy's attention. It was all part of the plan." Joyce made her point convincingly, and Nigel didn't argue. Even if it was all part of the plan and he came out fine, what if things had gone south? Joyce was his girlfriend. How could she be so calm about using his life to save someone else? Nigel stared at her like she was a stranger. "Nigel, look, this is the woman you risked everything for and gave up everything to be with in this strange city. Do you regret it?" he asked himself silently. He regretted it, but there was still time to make things right. From that day on, Joyce said that Jeffrey had been shaken up by everything that happened because of her, and she couldn't leave him alone. So, she stuck by him, never leaving his side. It seemed like she'd completely forgotten that she had pushed Nigel into danger that day. Luckily, Nigel had already decided to move on from this doomed relationship and wasn't going to let her bring him down anymore. He found himself alone at home again. Little by little, he started getting rid of everything in the house that reminded him of Joyce. Nigel collected the wedding photos they had taken before, then pulled them out one by one and threw them into the fire. It wasn't until he watched the flames burn through the pictures that he finally turned his attention to the rest of the room. Nigel had bought countless matching couple items in the past, hoping they would bring him and Joyce closer together. He bought those toothbrushes and cups sitting side by side on the sink, the towels in different colors with matching cute designs, the couple's outfits hanging together in the closet, and the matching bracelets tucked away in the jewelry box. Nigel gathered everything, packed them into a box, and threw them away. He didn't need any of it anymore.