Glass Hearts [BL]-Chapter 241: Did He Realize I’m Not Worth Fighting For?

Ash’s POV

June’s call kept replaying in my head.

Her voice was shaking.

Her words didn’t make sense.

"Stay where you are. Don’t move. Don’t go anywhere."

Stay safe? From what?

What did she know that I didn’t?

I was still staring at my phone when Alia tugged on my sleeve.

"Um... Ash?" she said quietly.

I blinked down at her.

Her eyes were soft. "When’s Mom going to wake up?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile.

"Soon, baby. Very soon. The doctor said she’s doing great, okay?"

I patted her head. "She’s still resting."

She nodded slowly, trying to believe me.

"Okay... can you drop me off with the other kids? I wanna play."

"Of course," I said, forcing my voice to sound steady.

I took her hand and walked her to the pediatric ward.

The second she saw the other kids, she lit up.

She waved to me, laughing as she ran to join them.

And for a second, I felt like I could breathe again.

Phew.

At least she’s smiling.

Kids are so quick to move on.

An hour ago, she was crying over Henry.

Now she was giggling like her little heart hadn’t broken at all.

I smiled faintly and waved before walking back to the room.

The silence hit the moment I walked in.

I sat by the bed, fiddling with my phone.

Still no text from June.

Still nothing from Dominic.

What was he doing right now?

Was he okay?

Was that text really a goodbye?

Before I could think too far, a notification flashed on my screen.

Breaking News: Dominic Vale in the Town Hall...makes a romantic speech to his fiancée.

My feet went cold.

I thought I read it wrong.

I blinked.

But it was still there.

The words burned into my screen.

Fiancée.

No.

No, no, no...this had to be wrong.

I clicked the link, my hands kept shaking so badly I almost dropped the phone.

The video loaded slowly.

Then it started playing.

There he was.

Dominic.

My Dominic.

On stage.

In a suit.

Smiling that fake smile he only used when his dad was around him.

My chest twisted.

The crowd was cheering.

Flashes everywhere.

And then...

He knelt down.

And reached for someone’s hand.

A girl’s.

She looked terrified.

The caption at the bottom read:

"Dominic Vale proposes to Mayor’s daughter, Gwen."

I didn’t realize I was standing until my knees gave out.

The phone slipped from my hand, clattering onto the floor.

My heartbeat was ringing in my ears.

My chest hurt. Like I couldn’t get air.

Was this what June was trying to warn me about?

I picked up the phone again, staring through my blurry eyes.

He was still on stage...still smiling.

But his eyes...

His eyes looked like he was dying inside too.

I didn’t even remember standing up.

One second, I was staring at my phone; the next, I was walking.

Past the nurses’ station.

Past the waiting families.

Through the sliding glass doors of the hospital that struggled to open fast enough.

The air outside was chill.

My chest was burning.

It felt like something was clawing inside me, trying to get out.

"Dominic.." I choked, my voice breaking.

"Why would you...why would you do that?"

My legs didn’t know where to go. I just kept walking. If I moved fast enough, maybe I’d wake up from this.

And then I heard someone scream my name.

"Ash!"

I stopped so suddenly I almost fell.

June was there, sprinting toward me from the parking lot, her hair was messy, her face was pale.

"June.."I gasped, stumbling forward.

"I... I don’t know. I saw him. He, he kissed her.. my chest...it hurts so bad..." I pressed my hand to my heart like it could stop the ache. "I need to go see him. I know he was forced. I know he didn’t mean it. I just...my heart keeps aching.."

She gripped my shoulders.

"Hey, hey, look at me," she said, breathless.

"Calm down, Ash. Breathe."

I shook my head, tears started spilling before I could stop them.

"I can’t...June, I can’t! It’s Dominic. My Dominic. What if something happened? What if his dad forced him or threatened him to do that on..."

Her fingers tightened on my shoulders.

"Ash," she said again, her voice cracked just a little.

"You’re not going anywhere."

I froze.

What does she mean by I’m not going anywhere?

I have to go to Dominic.

"Please," she whispered. "Don’t go. Please."

"I have to go," I muttered, pulling back from her hold. My voice came out shaky.

"June, please... Dominic needs me there. I know it. He’s not okay. I can feel it."

She grabbed my wrist before I could take another step.

"No, Ash. You’re really not going anywhere."

I tried to pull free, but she held tighter.

"You don’t understand," I said. "He’s doing something stupid...he always does when he’s scared. If I can just get to him, maybe..."

"Ash!"

Her voice broke through the air.

"Listen to me," she said quietly, almost pleading.

"Going there won’t help him. It’ll only make things worse. Please, just... trust me on this."

"Worse?" I frowned, shaking my head. "How could it be worse? June, he’s out there pretending to love someone he doesn’t. You think that’s not killing him right now?"

She swallowed hard, her hand still gripping my arm. "It’s not about love right now," she said. "It’s about survival."

That made me stop.

"Survival?" I repeated, the word barely leaving my lips. "What are you talking about?"

June looked away, rubbing her thumb over her palm like she wanted to say more, but didn’t.

"Just... believe me when I say it’s for the best," she whispered.

"It’s for good, Ash. You can’t go. Not now."

"June, please." My voice cracked.

"He needs me. I need him. You don’t understand what it feels like...my chest, it’s like he’s being ripped away from me."

She stepped closer. "I do understand," she sighed. "And that’s why I’m telling you...you can’t go near him right now."

I stood frozen, staring at her, trying to piece together what she wasn’t saying.

She wiped at my tears with her thumb. "Just... stay with me, okay? Don’t do anything yet."

I wanted to fight her.

To run.

To scream.

But my knees felt weak.

"June," I whispered, "if something happens to him..."

She pressed her forehead against mine.

"Nothing’s going to happen," she whispered.

"Just trust me, Ash. Please. For once...just stay. Please."

So I did.

My breathing slowed.

The pounding in my chest dulled from panic to something that hurt worse.

"What could his dad possibly have said to him?" I muttered, staring at the floor. "What could make him do that?"

June didn’t answer. She just looked at me, like she was scared to say the wrong thing.

"He promised me," I said. "Last night, he promised me that no matter what his dad says, he’d choose me. Over and over."

And now this?

"Why did he change his words?" I asked. "Did he suddenly realize I’m not worth it? Or that I’m just another mistake he needs to fix?"

"He should’ve told me first, June. He should’ve said something."

June’s face softened instantly. She shook her head, grabbing my hand again. "No. No, Ash...it doesn’t work that way," she said quickly.

"Dominic loves you. You know that. He always will."

"Then why..."

"I don’t know," she cut in. "I don’t know why he did it either. But Ian’s on his way...he’s going there to meet him."

"Ian?" I whispered.

"Because Dominic didn’t tell anyone," she said quietly. "Not even his friends. He just... showed up and did that."

I blinked fast, trying to hold myself together as my hands shook.

The words he didn’t tell anyone made my stomach twist.

That wasn’t him.

Dominic always told someone...me, June, even Ian.

This...this wasn’t him.

June squeezed my fingers, brushing her thumb over the back of my hand. "Please, just wait. I and will call when he gets there. We’ll figure it out."

We walked back into the hospital quietly.

June checked her phone again.

Still nothing from Ian.

No text. No call.

Every minute felt like an hour.

I kept glancing at the door as if Dominic might suddenly walk in and explain everything himself.

We finally reached Mom’s ward.

June stepped in first, then froze.

Her eyes scanned the room, confused.

"Wait," she said slowly, "what about the Jennings family? It’s... empty."

I glanced at the two hospital beds in the corner...neatly made, curtains drawn back, no sign of the flower vase Mrs. Jennings always kept by the window.

"They moved this morning," I said quietly.

June turned to me. "Oh. I didn’t even know."

"Yeah," I exhaled, forcing a small smile. "I was there when they left. Said goodbye and everything."

Her eyes softened. "That must’ve been hard."

I laughed weakly. "It was. Alia cried when Henry was leaving. She kept saying she’d miss him, and Mrs. Jennings knitted a pink sweater for her."

The memory made my throat tighten....Alia’s tiny hand holding Henry’s, the way she tried to be brave even while sobbing.

"I told her it was okay," I continued, my voice trembling. "But watching them go... it hurt more than I thought it would."

June smiled sadly. "They were a sweet family. Mrs. Jennings always offered me rice pudding whenever I visited."

That almost made me laugh....almost.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "She always made too much. Said it was her way of thanking the nurses."