When I was seventeen, a burning beam fell on my head as I tried to rescue Callum Gardner from a fire.

I survived, but the injury left me with permanent cognitive impairment.

To pay for my rehab, he dropped out of school and worked every grueling job he could find.

Ten years later, Callum was the youngest, most successful entrepreneur in Los Angeles, while I was still the fool who needed him to tie my laces and feed me.

He started coming home later and later. And whenever he looked at me, all I saw in his eyes was disgust.

Then one day, I accidentally broke the music box that his assistant, Christina Stevens, had given him.

For the first time ever, he snapped at me and dragged me up to the rooftop.

He told me to jump from the 50th floor.

I didn't understand why he said that. I only knew that I was only rewarded if I behaved.

I had been afraid of heights since I was a kid, but right then, I was even more afraid that he would abandon me.

So I smiled and stepped backward.

"Don't be mad, Cal. I'll do whatever you say."

***

The moment my body tipped back, a strong hand yanked me forward.

I stumbled into his arms, and before I could regain my balance, his hand struck my cheek.

"Are you insane? You fall from here, and you die! Do you not even know what death is?" Callum yelled, his voice breaking.

My cheek stung, and only then did I start to shake in fear. I couldn't tell if it was from almost falling or from being yelled at.

Even so, I raised my hand, wanting to wipe the tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cal."

But he shoved me away. "Idiot, is 'sorry' the only word you know?"

At that moment, the rooftop door swung open.

Christina rushed in, eyes wide with panic. She took one look at us and went pale.

"Callum, are you out of your mind? Why would you bring her somewhere like this?" she bellowed, her voice hoarse.

"If something happened to her, they'd treat it as abetment of suicide. You'd go to prison!"

Then she grabbed Callum's arm and pulled him into her arms.

"If you get locked up, what am I supposed to do?"

Callum finally broke. He collapsed against her shoulder and started sobbing.

"I don't know... I'm just so tired..."

Watching his trembling back, I suddenly realized—for the past ten years, I had become the source of all his pain.

When he calmed down, he finally noticed the big scrape on my knee. A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes.

"Winnie, does it hurt? I'm sorry... I didn't mean to yell at you."

He helped me up, and the three of us headed downstairs together.

Back home, Callum grabbed the first-aid kit. Just like he had done countless times before, he carefully cleaned and bandaged my wound.

But this time, even though his hands moved with the same practiced ease, his eyes held nothing but exhaustion.

When he finished, he handed me a piece of candy and gently said, "Stay home and behave."

Then he left with Christina.

Curious, I tiptoed to the door, cracked it open, and caught bits of their conversation.

"Christy, I'm exhausted. As long as she's alive, I won't have a single day of peace.

"You know what? A moment ago, when she was standing on the edge, I actually thought that after she jumped, maybe I should jump too..."

"Callum, what are you talking about? You've already given that fool ten years of your life, and you're thinking about throwing yours away too?" Christina shot back immediately, her voice tight with worry.

Callum let out a helpless breath. "What else can I do? She saved me, and she ended up like this because of it. I owe her too much."

At that moment, Christina noticed me standing behind the door, listening.

She stormed over and grabbed my collar.

"Winona Spencer, even if you're a fool, you should at least feel some shame. Do you really want to drag Callum down for the rest of his life? Do you want to live off him like a parasite forever?"

Callum hurried over and pulled her back.

"Christy, why are you arguing with her? She doesn't understand any of this. That's enough. Come with me. I want to clear my head, and I have things to go over with you about the company."

Callum looked at me and reminded me to stay home, then left with Christina.

After they were gone, I stood by the door for a long time, dazed.

A few neighbors happened to walk by. When they saw me, they started whispering.

"Callum really has it rough. He runs a whole company during the day, then comes home and takes care of a fool."

"I heard that Christina has asked him to marry her several times, but he won't say yes because he can't let go of that fool."

"If you ask me, he's too soft. Someone like her should be sent to a psychiatric hospital."

"If she died, Callum's life would be so much easier..."

My heart skipped a beat at their words, and before I could stop myself, I stepped toward them.

They flinched and stepped back.

But I only blinked and asked nervously, "If I go to a psychiatric hospital, will Cal stop being sad?"

When they didn't answer, I asked again, "Then... if I die, will Cal be happy?"

No one answered. They just hurried off like I was something dirty.

As I watched them leave, a memory suddenly came back.

Last year on my birthday, Callum took me to a park far from home.

He told me to sit on a bench, patted my head gently, and said, "Winnie, wait for me here. I'll be right back."

But he never came back.

I waited from noon until sunset, until the streetlights turned on one by one.

In the end, I used whatever scraps of memory I had to find my way home.

I figured that since I'd been gone for so long, he must be worried sick.

But when he opened the door and saw me, there wasn't a trace of relief. There was only disappointment and dejection.

And now, I vaguely understood why.

That day, he had been trying to abandon me. Right?

My nose stung, and a wave of sadness washed over me. I crouched down, buried my face against my knees, and cried.

If I really disappeared, would Callum live an easier life? Would he finally smile?

I wiped my tears, stood up, and gathered my courage before stepping out the door.

I wandered along the road for a long time, understanding neither the traffic lights nor the directions.

I didn't know how to find the psychiatric hospital they mentioned.

While I was distracted, a car suddenly sped straight toward me.

I froze. My legs wouldn't move at all.

Right then, someone yanked me out of the road.

I looked up, still shaking, and saw Callum's terrified face.

"Winona, didn't I tell you to stay home? Why are you out here? You idiot. Can't you give me a single day of peace? Do you want to scare me half to death before you're satisfied?"

Seeing him fall apart like that, I trembled and whispered, "Cal... I want to go to the psychiatric hospital. I just want to go there. That's why I..."

Upon hearing this, Callum froze.

Confusion and guilt flickered through his eyes, then his voice sharpened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Did those people talk trash to you again?"

I shook my head quickly and stammered, "No, I want to go on my own. Cal, please take me. Please."

The moment I finished, Callum cupped my face, and his hands trembled.

"Winnie, I'm not abandoning you. I never will. I'll protect you and take care of you for the rest of my life. Stop overthinking things."

Looking into his bloodshot eyes, I nodded, but deep down I knew better.

When the car was about to hit me, I had already seen Callum standing on the sidewalk. For a few seconds, he hesitated.

The next morning, Callum took me to the hospital for another checkup.

I couldn't understand what the doctor said, but the knot between Callum's brows told me everything. My condition might be getting worse.

The thought weighed heavily on my chest.

I couldn't keep dragging Callum down.

While he went to get the car, I slipped out of the hospital and ran.

This time, I had to succeed. I had to find that place.

But just as I reached the door, I ran straight into Christina.

When she saw that I was alone, her expression darkened. She grabbed my arm hard enough to make me flinch.

"Winona, why did you sneak out alone again? Can't you give Callum even a little peace?"

She gritted her teeth, growling, "It's always you. Every single time, it's you. Because of you, Callum keeps rejecting me. Isn't ruining him enough? Do you have to ruin my happiness, too?"

Her eyes suddenly turned cold.

She stared at me like she'd just made up her mind and mumbled, "Callum, you're always too soft. You can never bring yourself to do what needs to be done. It's okay. I'll help you get rid of her for good."

Christina dragged me into a deserted corner and shoved me against the wall.

She sneered, then grabbed my hand and dragged it across her own face, raking deep scratches down her skin.

I gasped in shock. "No... Let me go!"

I screamed and tried to pull my hand away, but she was too strong.

In seconds, her face was covered with blood-red marks. But she still wasn't satisfied.

She pulled out her phone and slammed it onto the ground. The screen shattered instantly.

To my horror, she jerked her head back and rammed it into the wall. Blood streamed down her forehead.

She glared at me with cold, vicious eyes. "You fool. Everything you owe Callum, I'll get it back for him right now."

The next second, without warning, she screamed, "Help! This lunatic is trying to kill me!"

Before long, footsteps rushed toward us.

Several hospital security guards spotted her bloody face and me standing there frozen. They rushed in and forced me to the ground.

"It wasn't me... I didn't do it..." I choked out through tears, but no one listened.

To them, I was just the violent fool attacking someone.

A moment later, Callum ran over. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the scene.

He hurried to Christina's side, his voice shaking. "Christy, are you hurt? What happened?"

Christina leaned weakly against him. "Callum... don't blame Winnie. She's just having an episode. She couldn't control herself..."

Before she finished, Callum's eyes dropped to the shattered phone. His expression darkened.

"Winona, do you have any idea how many important documents were on this? You idiot!"

"Cal, it wasn't me..."

I cried, shaking my head. But then he noticed the blood on my hands. His eyes grew colder.

"For ten years... I gave up everything for you, and this is how you repay me?"

His voice rose sharply, hysterical, filled with despair.

His fists fell on me like rain, every strike heavy with resentment. The final blow was a kick to my head.

A guard tried to pull him away, but Callum shoved him aside.

"Do you know how much I've lost because of you?" he yelled, still hitting me.

"It's not enough that you hurt me. You have to hurt everyone around me, too. Winona... what did I ever do to deserve this?"

I curled into myself, letting him hit me. My whole body shuddered from the pain, but my heart hurt even more.

Eventually, Callum seemed to have exhausted himself.

He stood, made a phone call, and soon his subordinates arrived. They pulled me off the ground and hauled me away.

They took me home and threw me into a dark basement.

Through the ventilation grate, I heard voices upstairs.

"Christy, I'm sorry for everything today."

It was Callum's voice.

"I finally understand how stupid I've been. I actually wasted years of happiness for a fool."

"Callum, it's not too late," Christina replied softly. "You still have a long life ahead of you."

There was a pause, then Callum spoke again.

"Christy, I've decided... Let's get married next month. It's time I live for myself for once."

A few moments later, I heard the sound of the two of them embracing and crying upstairs.

I lay on the cold floor, silent tears slipping down my face.

So long as I disappeared, Callum could be happy.

The truth hurt, but it also gave me a strange sense of comfort. Even the pain in my body felt lighter.

My consciousness grew hazy, and everything faded.

A few days later, under Christina's orders, someone took me to a barn on a farm outside the city.

She chained my ankles with a thick iron chain, leaving just enough slack for me to move between the feeding trough and the pile of hay.

The air reeked of feed and manure.

"This place suits you. You're no different from an animal anyway."

Callum stood off to the side, witnessing everything in silence.

I guessed he had agreed to all of this, too.

From that day on, I lived among the pigs.

After Callum left that day, he never came to see me until early this morning, when I woke from a deep sleep to the sound of footsteps.

When I looked up, I saw Callum, the person I thought about every day.

He wore a crisp suit as he approached me carefully.

He crouched beside the fence and looked at me. "Winnie, I'm marrying Christy today."

I stared at him, dazed.

He looked so handsome, more handsome than I remembered.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through these days. After the wedding, I'll come back for you and take you away." His voice was gentle.

I nodded faintly, wanting to touch the hem of his coat. But when I saw my dirty hands, I pulled back.

He stood and gave me one last look.

"Wait for me."

After saying that, he turned around, got into his car, and left.

I watched his car disappear down the road. I didn't try to stop him.

I just whispered again and again, "Cal, I'll wait for you."

Around noon, the barn door creaked open.

I thought it was Callum. But instead, a strange man walked in.

"Hey, fool. Ms. Stevens told me to send you off," he said coldly as he splashed liquid around the barn.

The sharp smell made me cough, and I quickly realized it was gas.

"It's your own fault. As long as you're alive, Ms. Stevens won't have peace. Go on your way. People like you are better off dead."

The next moment, flames rose in the corner.

The pigs squealed and scrambled away.

The fire spread fast, as the heat scorched my skin and smoke filled my lungs.

Even if I wanted to run, the chain held me in place.

It seemed like I was really going to die this time, but strangely, it didn't feel bad.

The wooden beams overhead began to collapse.

I looked at the small patch of sky beyond the fence and thought again of Callum in his suit.

"Cal... you must be happy."

This time, I wouldn't drag him down anymore.

In the haze, I heard distant brakes screeching and Callum's gut-wrenching screams.

"Winnie!"

Right before everything went dark, I heard a low, regretful voice.

"Mr. Gardner, her heart has stopped."