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Home / Romance Short Story / The Third Shadow / Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

All Chapters of The Third Shadow: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

It took a long time before my mind finally came back online.My phone buzzed.Slowly, I opened it. It was Ashton Hawke."Asher, don't let someone who's drunk lie flat. If she gets sick, she could choke. You need to prop her head up..."There were hundreds of words after that, packed tight on the screen, but I couldn't take in a single one.Ashton had always been like this, always warm and helpful. When Natalie's stomach hurt, he brought soup over. When Natalie's car broke down on the side of the road, he was the first one to arrange a ride.Even when Natalie and I weren't compatible in bed, he only smiled, then leaned close and told me everything he knew.Ashton's expression was always mild, his mouth curved in that tolerant little smile.I used to thank God for giving me a family member as good as him.But now my teeth wouldn't stop chattering. A wave of humiliation crashed over me, the kind that came from realizing I'd been played for a fool.When I didn't reply, my phone b

Chapter 2

Natalie fell silent for a moment, as if she had slipped into a memory.In that suffocating quiet, what else was there for me not to understand?So I calmly packed my suitcase and rose to leave.Natalie rushed forward again and hugged me from behind. When she spoke, her voice was soft and full of exhaustion."There really isn't anything between us. It was just a one-sided thing on my part. I stopped liking him a long time ago. As for the tattoo, I'd forgotten about it. If you don't like it, I'll get it removed tomorrow, okay?"My body trembled. A thousand thoughts tangled in my head.My phone buzzed. It was a message from my mother. Her health had always been poor, yet she still remembered to worry about me in every way.At last, in the suffocating silence of that room, I slowly nodded.When we slept, Natalie still leaned very close to me.But I couldn't help moving away from her. A little farther. Then farther still.Just as sleep finally began to pull me under, my phone vibr

Chapter 3

When the tip of the knife was only a few inches from her heart, I suddenly gave in.Natalie froze for a second, then turned and left.When I turned back to gather my things, the tattoo artist looked deeply embarrassed. I only nodded at him calmly and walked out.A few minutes later, thunder cracked outside, and rain poured from the sky.I couldn't avoid it and got soaked through. Halfway home, I had to hail a cab.By the time I got back, I sneezed three times in a row, and my stomach churned with nausea.Before I could even change out of my wet clothes, my phone kept receiving messages.I opened them. Ashton had sent a photo of Natalie asleep beside his hospital bed."She worked so hard, running around for me. Now she's exhausted.""By the way, did she not get the tattoo removed in time?"In that moment, I couldn't describe how I felt.My screen reflected my face back at me. It was calm, almost cold.In this contest of relationships, I had completely become the clown.But

Chapter 4

As I silently calculated the divorce assets, Natalie set the meal in front of me.She nagged while making me coffee."Asher, can you be mature? We were planning to have a child after this year. How am I supposed to trust that you can be a good father when you act like this?"The words made me sick. Was she a good mother?Would a good mother sleep with someone else on the second day of her marriage, then stand there self-righteously accusing the innocent person?Just as I was about to say that to her, the doorbell rang.Natalie and I looked at each other. She paused, then said slowly, "Did you forget? It's your birthday today. Ashton made a cake specially to celebrate."As soon as she finished speaking, she hurried over and opened the door.Ashton revealed a sweet smile. His arm was scraped from yesterday's accident, but it was nothing serious.His gaze moved to me, open and natural. "Happy birthday, Asher."I didn't know how his skin could be that thick. Even though he knew p

Chapter 5

After I said that, everything went black, and I passed out completely.Natalie's mind seemed to explode. She immediately dropped to the floor, found the injector, and pushed it into my body.After a dozen seconds, the swelling in my throat loosened slightly.When I coughed twice, Natalie, who had been staring at me the whole time, burst into tears.Through my blurred vision, I looked at the grief in her eyes, and my heart suddenly ached twice.How had we ended up here?Natalie wiped her face quickly, then forced me up and helped me out.Ashton, who had been frozen in place, finally came back to himself and tried to get into the car with us.Natalie turned back with vicious anger all over her face and screamed, "Get out!"Then she slammed the car door shut and drove away.Ashton stood alone where he was, his fists clenched. His eyes were filled with unwillingness, jealousy, and madness.My hospital admission still alarmed both sets of parents.When I woke up, Mom and Dad wer

Chapter 6

His expression was sincere, his tone so earnest that it was as if that really were the truth, as if I were the one being unreasonable.Mrs. Brooks immediately stepped forward and shoved him."Where did you come from? Do you understand that you're the other man? My daughter just got married. What do you think you're doing?"Ashton hadn't expected Mrs. Brooks to reject him so fiercely, and for a moment, he looked awkward."Mrs. Brooks, I really didn't."Mrs. Brooks threw away every bit of her old composure."Don't try that with me. I've seen people like you. I watched Asher grow up. If you're trying to break them apart, I'm telling you right now, no chance."As she spoke, she grabbed him and tried to drag him outside. Her hand happened to land on his injury.Ashton immediately screamed. Natalie, whose face had been dead a moment earlier, finally moved.She stepped forward to stop her mother."Enough, Mom. Let him go."The room instantly fell into chaos.I lifted my hand and s

Chapter 7

Seeing Natalie react so intensely, Ashton clenched his fists, his eyes full of unwillingness.He walked up to Natalie and stared straight at her."Natalie, aren't I the one you like? Come with me now, okay?"As he spoke, he held out his hand in front of her.The person who had once been unreachable was now standing alive before her.It was as if he were saying that if she wanted him, he was within reach.Natalie quietly looked at that hand. But when she raised her eyes, there was no tenderness in them at all.She shook her head. Her eyes were clear, and they held farewell."Ashton Hawke, leave. Don't ever appear in front of us again."The corner of Ashton's mouth twitched. His hand remained stiff in midair."What are you saying? Isn't this what you've always wanted? I'm giving it to you. Why are you backing away now?"His furious voice carried disbelief.His whole body seemed to radiate a kind of madness.Mrs. Brooks hated him to the bone and shoved him repeatedly."Didn'

Chapter 8

"Do you know how hard she cried before the wedding? That day, she came to me and said that as long as I was willing, she wouldn't marry you."But I rejected her, Asher. In that moment, I thought you were truly pitiful. The woman you loved so much didn't love you."So I took pity on you and didn't say yes to her."You're better than me at everything. Now, finally, there's something where you're worse than me."He sighed with satisfaction, as if he had achieved something monumental.I was slightly stunned. Only then did I belatedly realize how badly he had wanted to compete with me.But I had never competed with him.So I asked, "Why do you have to compare yourself to me?"Ashton's reaction was intense. "Why can't I compare myself to you? You have everything. You're better than me at everything. Did you feel smug every time you casually handed me something like charity? Do you know that every time I accepted something you didn't want, I felt like a beggar?"My fingers curled tig

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