Wendy''s lips moved, but no exnation came out.


    Zach''s shoulders, once taut with anger, slowly slumped. He looked at her pale face and recalled those scenes of her struggling with asthma. In the end, he just held his head and let out a heavy sigh.


    "Don''t show up in front of me again."


    "Zach, I was wrong!" Wendy said, throwing herself at him and stumbling into the emergency drill banner just recently set up outside.


    Themotion startled a few security guards. She no longer cared about her reputation. She clung to Zach''s leg, practically groveling on the ground.


    "I was wrong, Zach! I was just too jealous of everything Serena had. I messed up. But if you''re willing to forgive me, I''ll go apologize to her right now! Please, don''t give up on me!"


    She couldn''t go back to being ordinary.


    Tears streamed down her face as she clung tightly to his leg, crying and pleading, "You''re all I have, Zach. Please, I''m begging you..."


    Zach stopped walking.


    Raindropsnded on his face, and the coolness had helped him calm down.


    He bent down and held her hand.


    Wendy''s eyes lit up at once. "Zach! I knew you wouldn''t..."


    Before she could finish, he began prying her fingers off one by one, until her hand dropped to the wet ground.


    The light in her eyes vanished in an instant. She stared nkly as Zach walked farther and farther away.


    "No, Zach... I have nothing left but you. How could you... How could you just leave me like this..."


    Zach walked into the rain. The water on his screen blurred the words, but they echoed in his heart like a silent downpour.


    The building''s security guards said nothing. They simply removed Wendy, who was no longer a resident here.


    Only the sound of the ambnce echoed beneath the emergency drill banner.


    At the top floor, Serena gave Snuggle a bath.


    Snuggle had wed his way out of Wendy''s arms but had bruised his hind leg in the process. She carefully avoided the injury as she blow-dried his fur. Seeing his drooping ears and sickly look, her heart ached.


    After changing into dry clothes, she decided to take him to the pet hospital.


    She opened the door and found Hugh frozen mid-motion, finger hovering over the doorbell.


    Their eyes met in surprise. A beatter, they both spoke at the same time.


    "I was about to take Snuggle to the pet hospital."


    "I need to talk to you."


    Serena summed it up quickly. "Then, let''s go to the pet hospital together. We can talk on the way."


    "Alright." Hugh nodded and turned to grab a ck umbre.


    ?


    The wind had tilted the rain sideways Squeezed together under the same umbre, Serena could feel the drizzle trying to sneak in. She hugged Snuggle closer and tucked his ears into her chest.


    However, the expected droplets nevernded. Instead, the umbre above her head subtly shifted, shielding her from the wind and rainpletely.


    Startled, Serena looked up. "But you..."


    "I''m not the sick one." Hugh''s eyes moved from her face to the little cat in her


    arms.


    So, it was all because of the sick Snuggle.


    Serena muttered to herself that Hugh really did care about Snuggle. But somehow, a strange feeling rose in her chest. It was sour and heavy, hard to put in words.


    She didn''t notice that just as she turned back around, his gaze quietly returned to


    her profile and never once looked away.


    They arrived at the pet hospital. The vet gave Snuggle a full examination.