Before Dawn, I Loved You - Chapter 13

The first thing I saw was the glaring white, accompanied by the pungent smell of disinfectant.

“Nannan, you’re awake,” Zhao Jing’s eyes were filled with worry.

I propped myself up, grabbing her sleeve and asked, “Where is he?”

“Who…?” Zhao Jing avoided my gaze.

“Jiang Du. Where is Jiang Du?”

“Before I passed out, I saw someone stab him!”

Zhao Jing’s lips trembled, but she remained silent.

The hospital room was deathly quiet, and I felt as if all my strength had left me, my body trembling and sliding weakly downward.

Suddenly, someone rushed in from outside.

“Nannan, you have to save your brother. He was just released, and he says he didn’t push you this time, that he didn’t harm your child.”

Child?

Suddenly, I realized something.

I slowly lowered my head and looked at my abdomen.

Flat.

My mind buzzed.

The child was gone.

Jiang Du and my child were gone.

My last bit of hope, gone.

“Nannan, if your brother is locked up again, his life will be truly ruined.”

My mother knelt down again, just like seven years ago, crying and pleading,

“Mom begs you, just come out and testify, say your brother wasn’t the mastermind, that someone else stabbed Jiang Du–”

Anger and hatred surged and burned within me, throwing my mind into chaos. My emotions spiraled out of control, and I grabbed the teacup from the table, smashing it onto the ground.

“Su Nan, what are you doing! I’m your mother!”

“Mother? Is there anyone in the world who mothers like you?”

I laughed sarcastically,

“Twice now. Because of your so-called son, I’ve lost my child twice.”

“Since I was little, you never liked me. You made me do all the dirty and tiring work, kept all the good food and fun things for your son.”

“Now, he’s killed my child, killed my husband, and you still want me to forgive him. How can your heart be so biased, so shameless?”

My mother’s gaze flickered, her voice dry,

“Jiang Du was already dying, and now he’s causing your brother to go to jail…”

“He deserves to be in jail!” I almost shouted.

“Extortion, intentional injury, which of these charges is unjust? You’ve spoiled him since he was young, never taught him to discern right from wrong, pampered him into arrogance, laziness, unable to hold down a job, only knowing how to ask others for money. He’s become like this because of you.”

My mother’s face turned ashen.

“But what did Jiang Du do wrong, what did my child do wrong.”

“Why.”

“Why because of someone like him…”

It felt like my heart had a gaping hole, cold wind rushing in, tears uncontrollably rolling down, blurring my vision.

“I won’t let him get away with it.” I wiped my tears, looking at her coldly, “I’ll tell the police the truth, that he was the mastermind. He won’t escape any responsibility.”

My mother left.

Zhao Jing closed the door, slowly poured me a cup of warm water.

“You knew everything?”

“When your mom said Jiang Du was already dying, you weren’t surprised at all.”

“Did you hear it while you were unconscious? Or…”

I didn’t speak, staring blankly at the floor.

For a long time.

“I’ve always known.”