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Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Isn’t That Pathetic

Zoe Sterling straightened to look at Lynn Winslow. It was the second time their eyes had met in the restroom.

As she recalled the past, her eyes filled with heartache.

"And yet, because of you, that man developed depression."

Lynn Winslow’s head snapped up. She stared at Zoe Sterling, stunned. "What?"

"The first month after you left, he was drinking himself into a stupor at home alone. If Kenneth Keller hadn’t gone to Calyx Hall to find him after being unable to reach him, he’d be dead now."

Lynn Winslow stumbled back two steps, her face ashen. She was trembling so violently she could barely stand and had to grip the counter to keep from collapsing. Her breathing grew rapid, leaving her gasping for air.

"After they saved him, he was diagnosed with severe depression." Zoe’s voice grew heavy, her lips twisting into a bitter smile. "You’d been gone for less than a month, and there he was—severely depressed, a failed suicide attempt. Pathetic, isn’t it?"

"Eventually, we had no choice. My parents couldn’t bear to see him in the hospital, so they brought him back to Aerie Garden. All four of us kids moved back in, taking turns watching over him. Even then, he nearly managed a second attempt."

"But after we stopped him that second time, he was much more lucid. He told us he dreamed you’d been murdered... that you died in the outskirts of Morelia. He said he didn’t want you to be alone, so he wanted to go be with you. What he said scared my mother so much she couldn’t stop crying. We had someone look into it and found out you were fine, just not going out much. We paid someone to take a picture of you for him. Only then was he relieved."

"After that, he fully committed to his treatment. It took about a year, I’d say, before he finally started to come out of it."

"The four of us can’t always be with him, but Nigel Abbott is. He told me that Finn... is still not doing okay."

Lynn Winslow understood now. ’So that’s why he didn’t want me to see the video. That’s why the Sterling family and his friends were so hostile toward me... So that was it.’

Lynn Winslow swayed on her feet, nearly collapsing. Fortunately, Zoe Sterling was quick to react, catching her just in time.

Seeing how terrified Lynn was, tears streaming unconsciously down her face, Zoe finally sighed. "I didn’t tell you all this to make you feel guilty," she said softly. "Whatever your reservations are, isn’t his love for you enough to cast them aside and just be with him?"

Lynn’s hands trembled as she pressed them to her chest. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. "I didn’t know," she said, the words a struggle. "I didn’t know he would... I..."

She was so distraught she couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Zoe knew that telling Lynn would make Ian furious, but she had to do it. She couldn’t bear to watch her brother go through what he had three years ago.

There was a knock on the restroom door, and Ian Sterling’s voice came from outside.

"Lynn, are you in there?" He sounded anxious. "Are you feeling sick? Should I take you to the hospital?"

His panic mounted, his mind a chaotic mess. ’What if she’s trying to leave secretly? What if she’s going to dump me again? What if...’

He started pounding frantically on the door. The moment Zoe heard it, she knew something was wrong with Ian. She helped Lynn steady herself, then went to open the door.

Ian Sterling’s eyes were bloodshot. He looked stunned when he saw her. Startled by his savage expression, Zoe instinctively stepped aside.

When he saw Lynn’s condition, he lunged forward like a man possessed, pulling her into his arms. "Lynn, Lynn, what’s wrong?" he asked urgently.

He looked up at Zoe Sterling and roared, "What did you do to her?!"

Zoe Sterling didn’t say a word, just watched them.

Lynn leaned against his chest, inhaling the faint, cool scent of his cologne, and her body went limp.

As Ian held her, he heard Lynn choke out, "It’s not... It’s not Zoe’s fault. It’s... It’s me..."

’It hurts so much. My heart...’

’So he’d had a premonition that I would die in the middle of nowhere. That’s why he was so desperate to kill himself.’

’Why wasn’t this in the plot? Why? Wasn’t Mia Rhodes supposed to take my place after I died?’

’No, that’s not right. No, no, no.’

Lynn clutched her head in agony and let out an uncontrollable scream as waves of pain shot through her entire body.

Ian’s eyes reddened with anguish, tears streaming down his face as he called her name over and over in a low voice.

A small crowd had gathered outside the restroom, drawn by the strange noises.

Zoe stepped forward. "Hold on to Lynn and let’s go," she said in a low voice. "We can talk about this back in the private room."

Ian looked up at her, his eyes filled with rage. Lynn, already semiconscious in his arms, just clutched at the front of his shirt and sobbed.

"You told her, didn’t you?"

"You told her about that, didn’t you!"

"I told you not to tell her! I told you! What were you thinking, Zoe?"

His voice was choked with sobs, his brows knitting tighter with each question. Zoe bit her lip. Seeing the state they were in, she was beginning to regret her decision.

"Finn, it’s my fault. Let’s not do this here. Let’s just get out of here, okay? I’ll apologize to you properly later."

The same heartache she’d felt three years ago flooded her chest again. Looking at his face, Zoe couldn’t stop her own eyes from turning red.

Ian glanced down and realized Lynn had fainted in his arms. His eyes flew wide. Trembling, he held her tighter and shouted, "Lynn! Lynn Winslow!"

He bent down, scooped Lynn up into his arms, and strode out of the restroom.

The manager, seeing Ian Sterling trembling with panic, had the presence of mind to offer to drive them to the hospital.

The doctor said she had fainted from excessive mental distress. It wasn’t serious, but they would need to ensure her emotional state remained stable after she woke up.

Ian Sterling sat on a bench in the hallway outside the hospital room, his head bowed, completely still.

Zoe Sterling approached slowly and sat down beside him.

"I’m sorry," she said. "I shouldn’t have told her."

Ian remained silent.

"I just wanted her to know how much you were hurt because of her. I thought it would make her stop hesitating and just be with you. I never thought... I never thought she’d be so heartbroken for you that she’d faint."

"I was being thoughtless. I oversimplified things."

Zoe’s lips twitched, but when he still didn’t speak, she fell silent as well.

After what felt like an eternity, Ian finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "To be honest... I wanted to tell her, too. I wanted to test her reaction, to see if she really loves me... to see if her heart would ache for me."

"But I thought that would be going too far. It felt like emotional blackmail."

He choked on a sob before continuing, "It’s not your fault, Zoe. It’s mine."

He knew Zoe was just trying to help him. He had no right to blame her. The only person to blame was himself. ’Why did I doubt her love? Why did I secretly hope that if she knew, she would love me even more... that her heart would ache for me?’

He gripped his hair in frustration. Just then, the call bell in the hospital room rang. He shot to his feet so abruptly that he stumbled, catching himself against the wall before steadying himself and rushing inside.

When Lynn Winslow awoke, she was disoriented for a moment. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose. She tried to remember why she was here.

When the reason came back to her, a dull ache seized her heart. The moment she saw Ian Sterling, she broke down completely, sobbing.

"I didn’t know," she sobbed. "I didn’t know you had depression. I didn’t know."

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