Urban Romance

The day the police issued the search warrant, Ethan brought me a copy of the surveillance footage.

His tone was graver than usual. "This shows the entire process of Olivia tampering with your car, plus records of her tracking your route beforehand."

My fingers clenched slightly around the disc.

Before this, I only knew she had been near my car. I hadn't realized the calculation behind this "accident" ran so deep.

Ethan paused the video. "This camera is pinhole-style. She probably wanted to watch the whole incident unfold."

My throat suddenly felt tight.

So, while I was driving that day, she might have been watching me through a camera, watching me struggle in the rain, watching me crash into the guardrail.

This level of malice, bordering on pathological, sent a chill through my body.

"And this." Ethan opened another file—Olivia's online purchase history, all from the week before 

Lysander didn't give up.

He started appearing frequently in my life again.

But the more he did, the more ironic it felt.

When I needed him before, he was absent. Now that I didn't need him, he was pretending to be devoted.

One day, while I was reading in a bookstore, he sat down opposite me.

"Isadora," he said softly, "I read Olivia's diary. I also spoke to some old classmates. I know how terribly wrong I was. I shouldn't have doubted you, shouldn't have protected her, shouldn't have..."

"Stop." I closed my book. "You should have said these things to the Isadora from the past, not the one standing here now."

He looked at me, pain filling his eyes. "I know saying this now is useless, but I truly regret it. I regret not believing you, not protecting you, regret letting you suffer so much."

"What's the use of regret?" I looked at him. "Can regret make me forget the fear of the car a

Just then, Olivia pushed the door open, holding a fruit basket. Seeing the tension between us, her eyes flickered, and they immediately reddened. "Isadora, did I come at a bad time? Lysander, did you make Isadora angry again?"

She walked to Lysander's side, gently tugging at his sleeve—a natural, intimate gesture, as if they were the couple.

Lysander took a deep breath and said to me, "Olivia is just concerned about you. Don't overthink it."

"I'm not overthinking it." I picked up the thermal cup Ethan had left and took a slow sip of water. "I just think you two are a good match. Stop dragging me along."

"Isadora!" Lysander's voice suddenly rose. "Are you really going to be like this? You have to push me toward someone else?"

"You were the one who pushed me away first." I put down the cup, my voice soft but with unprecedented firmness. "Lysander, let's break up."

He stood frozen, as if he hadn't heard, his eyes filled with disbelief. Olivia also panicked, grabbing my hand and saying, "Isadora, don't be impulsive! Lysander loves you deeply; he just doesn't know how to express it..."

"Love isn't proven by words." I pulled my hand back, looking at Lysander. "If he really loved me, he wouldn't have been by someone else's side when I needed him the most. He wouldn't have blamed me first thing after my car accident. He wouldn't have forgotten about my allergy."

Lysander's lips moved, he wanted to say something, but Olivia interrupted him. "Isadora, how can you say that about Lysander? He's had a hard time these past four months too..."

"Really?" I looked directly at Lysander.

Lysander awkwardly rubbed his nose.

I was tired of watching their act.

I pushed the covers aside, intending to get out of bed. "I want to be discharged. The smell in here is too strong."

Lysander quickly moved to support me, his tone pleading. "Isadora, stop this. The doctor said you need further observation..."

"I'm not causing a scene." I pushed his hand away. "From today on, we have nothing to do with each other. Your affairs, Olivia's affairs—none of it concerns me anymore."

Ethan arrived while I was packing my things. Seeing Lysander still pestering me, he frowned, walked directly to my side, and took the bag from my hands. "Are you packed? I'll take you to the new place."

"Ethan, this is between Isadora and me. Stay out of it!" Lysander blocked our path, his eyes full of anger.

"She doesn't want to see you right now." Ethan's tone was calm but carried an undeniable force. "Lysander, if you truly care about her, stop disturbing her."

Lysander wanted to say more, but Olivia suddenly started crying and pulled at his arm. "Lysander, let's just go. Don't make Isadora any angrier. It hurts me to see this..."

Her crying immediately drew Lysander's attention. He frowned, comforting her. "Alright, alright, don't cry. Let's go."

I watched their retreating figures walking side-by-side and suddenly felt an immense sense of release.

Ethan patted my shoulder. "Don't be sad. He's not worth it."

"I'm not sad." I smiled. "I just feel... finally free."

The new place Ethan found for me wasn't far from the hospital and had a small balcony.

Ethan said, "The doctor said places with sunlight would be better for your recovery."

I sat on the rattan chair on the balcony, watching the traffic below, and suddenly remembered how Lysander had once promised to buy me a place with a balcony. In the end, it was just empty words.

"There's a lead regarding the car accident." Ethan handed me a glass of warm water. "My friend checked the surveillance footage. Olivia was seen in the parking lot near your car a few minutes before you drove off."

My hand tightened suddenly, splashing water from the glass. So it really was her.

"Don't worry," Ethan handed me a tissue, "I've already given the evidence to the police. They'll investigate."

I looked at him, suddenly feeling guilty. "Ethan, thank you. I'm always causing you trouble."

"Aren't we friends?" He smiled, the warmth in his eyes like sunlight. "Besides, I've been looking out for you since we were kids. It's a habit."

That night, I slept soundly. No nightmares, no arguments, just the occasional chirping of crickets outside the window. 



The day the police issued the search warrant, Ethan brought me a copy of the surveillance footage.

His tone was graver than usual. "This shows the entire process of Olivia tampering with your car, plus records of her tracking your route beforehand."

My fingers clenched slightly around the disc.

Before this, I only knew she had been near my car. I hadn't realized the calculation behind this "accident" ran so deep.

Ethan paused the video. "This camera is pinhole-style. She probably wanted to watch the whole incident unfold."

My throat suddenly felt tight.

So, while I was driving that day, she might have been watching me through a camera, watching me struggle in the rain, watching me crash into the guardrail.

This level of malice, bordering on pathological, sent a chill through my body.

"And this." Ethan opened another file—Olivia's online purchase history, all from the week before my accident.

"She didn't act on a whim." Ethan closed the file and handed me a glass of warm water.

Chapter 4