Leaving the Wrong Love Behind Forever novel Chapter 9

When Alison opened her eyes again, she was staring at a stark white ceiling. The antiseptic smell reminded her that she wasn't in heaven—she was in a hospital.

As soon as she regained consciousness, Maxwell, who had been vigilantly sitting by her bedside, pulled her into a tight embrace. His hands trembled, his eyes rimmed with red, like a man who had nearly lost his most precious treasure.

"Alison, you're finally awake. Thank God you're okay. If you hadn't woken up, I would have followed you wherever you went."

His voice cracked with emotion, his concern seemingly genuine. But Alison's face remained devoid of any feeling.

Seeing her emotionless gaze, Maxwell's heart constricted painfully. He gripped her hand tighter.

"Alison, Bella's just a young girl. She's physically weak and can't swim. Whenever I see her, I'm reminded of you from years ago. I didn't want her to get hurt, which is why I stupidly saved her first. I thought you could hold on a little longer... I never imagined..."

"Hit me, yell at me, do whatever you want to me. Just don't shut me out like this."

Alison stared at him, her expression still numb.

"She's physically weak, so you're not going to take care of her now?" she asked flatly.

Maxwell shook his head immediately. "She's fine. Right now, I only want to be by your side."

For the next few days, as if trying to make amends, Maxwell canceled all his work commitments and stayed by Alison's side constantly.

He fed her water, changed her bandages, wiped her face...

It wasn't until the day she was discharged that he had to leave for a while, giving Alison her first moment alone. She immediately went to a tattoo parlor.

"Miss White, are you absolutely sure you want to remove this tattoo? The removal process can be quite painful..."

Alison nodded, her delicate fingers slowly tracing the three letters on her collarbone—MGR.

"Yes. I want it gone."

She had already carved Maxwell out of her heart. What was a little physical pain compared to that?

The burning, needle-like sensation on her skin continued for what felt like eternity. Yet, she bit her lip and endured without making a sound.

In their third year together, when Alison still had countless admirers, Maxwell had become insanely jealous.

He had insisted she get his initials tattooed on her collarbone—so everyone would know, at first glance, that Alison belonged to Maxwell Grayson.

She had always been sensitive to pain. During the tattooing, tears had streamed down her face. But Maxwell, who normally gave in to her every wish, had remained firm for once.

All because this tattoo represented their unbreakable love.

But now, she was done with him. She didn't belong to him anymore.

And she would never love him again.

After having the tattoo removed, Alison left alone.

Maxwell didn't return home until evening.

The first thing he did was embrace her, then hand her a plane ticket to Bali.

"Alison, haven't you been wanting to visit Bali for ages? You seem down lately, so why not go there to clear your mind? I wanted to accompany you, but something came up unexpectedly. You'll have to go alone."

Alison looked at the ticket, suddenly recalling a conversation she'd overheard between Maxwell and one of his friends just days ago.

"You guys need to keep this a secret. Alison absolutely cannot find out about the wedding."

"It didn't look good with certain outfits, so I had it removed."

This explanation didn't satisfy Maxwell. He grew increasingly agitated.

"How could it not look good? To me, you look beautiful in anything, any way. Alison, that tattoo was incredibly meaningful. There's a tattoo parlor nearby—let's go right now and get it redone."

Before she could refuse, his phone rang.

It was Bella calling.

"Maxwell, the wedding is tomorrow. I'm so nervous!"

Hearing this, Maxwell immediately covered the phone, whispered something inaudible, and hung up.

He still wanted to take Alison to get the tattoo redone, but the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.

With no other choice, he held her hand tightly. "Alison, you go ahead and board. When you return, we'll get it redone."

She neither nodded nor refused. She simply took her suitcase, waved goodbye to Maxwell, and walked away.

What he didn't know was that the moment his car pulled away, Alison walked straight out of the airport.

She tore up the plane ticket and took a taxi to a hotel.

After checking in, she sent Arthur the address.

"This is where you'll pick me up tomorrow for the wedding."