Love Severed by the Poison

I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar softness, the sharp scent of cedarwood lingering at my nostrils. It was the scent of Samuel Green's office lounge. A sudden, piercing pain stabbed through my stomach, like countless tiny knives twisting inside my intestines, each wave more fierce than the last. I curled up, cold sweat running down my spine, soaking through the fabric on my back in an instant. "Are you awake?" A pampered female voice sounded beside me, laced with barely concealed panic. I gritted my teeth and looked up to see Melody Scott standing at the bedside, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, avoiding my gaze. She's Samuel Green's cousin, and ever since we were kids, she's loved tagging along behind us, calling him Samuel all the time, clinging like glue. "My... my stomach..." I gasped in pain; each word felt like swallowing shards of glass. My fingertips dug desperately into the sheets, knuckles white. Melody pulled back, her voice trembling, "I didn't mean to, I really didn't!" "What did you do to me?" I stared at her, pain darkening my vision, but I forced myself not to close my eyes. "I thought it was just a normal sedative. I only wanted you to sleep for a while, stop pestering Samuel all the time." Melody Scott's voice grew faint, tears welling in her eyes. "Who would've known... who would've known it was the Heartbreak Poison!" The words "Heartbreak Poison" exploded in my ears like a thunderclap. I snapped my eyes wide open, my blood running cold all over. "What did you say?" "I just wanted you to behave!" Melody suddenly raised her voice, then quickly lowered it, her gaze flickering toward the door. "Samuel was supposed to be good to me, but you snatched my place!" "I didn't mean to kill you, I just took the wrong poison!" The sound of the door opening echoed as Samuel Green walked in. He wore a dark gray suit with his sleeves rolled up—still the image I knew, yet it instantly clung to the last thread of hope in me. "Samuel!" I struggled to sit up, the sharp pain in my stomach making me gasp, "She poisoned me with the Heartbreak Poison. It hurts so much..." Samuel's eyes swept over my pale, ghostly face, passed over my sweat-soaked hair, and finally rested on Melody Scott. He frowned, his tone a gentleness I had never heard before: "Melody, don't be afraid. I'm here." My heart instantly sank to its lowest point. It felt like my insides were being crushed; even breathing was painful. "You're here?" I laughed, my voice dry and harsh, tears uncontrollably welling up. "She poisoned me, trying to take my life, and all you say is 'don't be afraid'?" "Melody didn't mean to." Samuel Green turned to look at me, impatience clear in his eyes. "She's still young, only twenty, naive. Don't take it personally." "Naive?" I propped myself up, my fingertips digging into the wrinkled bedsheet. "Does being irresponsible give her the right to just poison someone?" "Samuel Green, do you even know how agonizing the Heartbreak Poison is when it flares up?" "It hurts so much it can kill a person from the inside out!" "Enough." Samuel cut me off, his voice icy cold. "I'll call a doctor to come check on you. Melody, come with me first." "Samuel, I'm scared..." Melody immediately rushed over, gripping Samuel's arm tightly, tears streaming down. "Do you think she'll come after me?" Samuel Green gently patted the back of her hand, his voice soothing: "It won't happen. With me here, no one can bully you." Saying that, he led Melody Scott straight outside, never once glancing back at me. The moment the door shut, a sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my stomach. I curled up on the bed, cold sweat pouring down like water, soaking my pillow. My consciousness began to fade, but I could clearly feel my life slipping away, little by little. In the depths of despair, I suddenly remembered the small jade bottle my grandmother had given me before she died. "Helen, this is the family heirloom antidote pill. In critical moments, it can save your life." Grandmother's voice echoed in my ear, "Don't use it unless absolutely necessary." I trembled as I reached out, fumbling to pull the small jade bottle from the pouch on the bedside table. The bottle was icy cold, sending a chill through my fingers. Removing the stopper, a sharp, bitter fragrance hit me. I poured out the single red pill inside and, summoning my last strength, swallowed it with difficulty. The pill melted instantly in my mouth, a warm current sliding down my throat into my stomach. It felt as if a pair of gentle hands were softly pressing down on my churning stomach, and the intense pain gradually eased a little. I leaned against the headboard, gasping for air in great, ragged breaths, and finally, the tears I'd been holding back began to fall. Samuel Green, in the end, you chose her. Our three years together meant less to you than some immature cousin.