Part 1I Left the Old Love Behind

In the seventh year of our relationship, I was ready to bring Lucas Whitman home to meet my mother.

Before we left, my blood sugar dropped. I grabbed a clear candy at random and put it in my mouth.

His childhood friend, Lila Grant, suddenly clapped and burst out laughing.

“I told you she was greedy. Lucas, you lost.”

“Transfer me the hundred grand.”

My heart jolted.

Then my breathing grew harder and harder.

It was peanut candy.

Over the years, Lucas had indulged Lila countless times as she used my peanut allergy as a bet.

He transferred the money neatly before looking coldly at my face, already swollen beyond recognition.

“I called the ambulance. We can meet your mom another time.”

“Honestly, this is on you too. You should learn to control that greedy mouth.”

When I woke up in the hospital, my phone was full of missed calls from my mother.

I was about to call her back when a photo popped up.

It was Lila.

She was putting a candy into my mother’s mouth.

The exact same kind I had eaten that morning.

I ripped out the IV like I had gone mad and called Lucas again and again.

He had always known my peanut allergy came from my mother.

I didn’t even have time to put on shoes.

I ran while calling nonstop.

My mother’s phone would not connect.

Lila kept hanging up.

Then Lucas simply turned his phone off.

Behind me, doctors and nurses shouted anxiously.

“Stop her. Her allergic reaction is severe. She can’t go outside in this condition.”

But I could not hear any of it.

My mother’s allergy was far worse than mine. It could be fatal.

When I was eight, she accidentally ate seasoning with a tiny trace of peanut in it and was sent straight into the ICU.

The doctors issued three critical condition notices before pulling her back from death.

Thinking of that, I was so terrified I could barely breathe.

I kept trying to stop taxis, but no one pulled over.

Finally, a kind female driver stopped in front of me.

“Get in. Where are you going? I’ll take you.”

Looking at the mirror inside the car, I finally understood why everyone had avoided me.

My face was swollen so badly it no longer looked human.

I couldn’t care about that.

I gave the address in a rush.

When I finally reached home and pushed open the door, I saw my mother sitting on the sofa.

She was sitting upright, conscious, rosy-faced, and completely fine.

The nerve stretched tight inside me suddenly snapped loose.

My knees weakened, and I collapsed to the floor.

When Mom saw me in such a miserable state, she immediately stood and rushed toward me.

“Anna, weren’t you on a business trip? Why are you back so soon?”

“What happened? Why is your face swollen like this? Why are your feet bleeding? What happened?”

Her voice trembled.

She touched my face carefully, afraid of hurting me.

Then she seemed to think of something.

“This is... peanut allergy?”

I fell into her arms and nodded weakly.

Mom looked at Lucas with resentment.

“From the day I found out Anna was dating you, I reminded you again and again that she has a severe peanut allergy. You had to be careful.”

Her voice choked.

“You’ve been together so long. Don’t tell me you still haven’t remembered.”

“How am I supposed to trust you with my daughter?”

Guilt flashed through Lucas’s eyes.

He was about to explain, but Lila spoke first.

“Ma’am, your daughter was just greedy. She has no self-control.”

“Lucas bought those candies for me, but she just had to snatch one and stuff it in her mouth.”

“Now she’s allergic. That’s on her.”

I looked at Lucas.

Our eyes met.

He said nothing.

He silently allowed Lila to slander me.

I had no time to defend myself.

I grabbed my mother’s hand and checked her again and again.

“Mom, the candy on the table. You really didn’t touch it, right?”

“Did Lila feed you any just now?”

My panic frightened my mother.

“I ate one. It was strawberry flavor. What’s wrong, Anna?”

Strawberry candy.

I finally let out a breath.

My back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Thank God.

Lucas still had some conscience.

He knew peanuts were deadly for my mother and hadn’t let Lila do that.

The stone in my heart had just landed when everything changed.

My mother, who had been fine moments ago, suddenly stiffened.

Without warning, she fell backward.

The next second, her whole body began convulsing violently.

Red rashes spread across her skin at a visible speed.

Peanut allergy.

“Mom!”