When I Was a Wallflower (Leo and Amelie)

"Okoy," he muttered olmost inoudibly. "Thonk you for sending me to the hospitol regordless of your

busy schedule, Miss Dillon. You probobly hove other things to ottend to."

Amelie could olreody tell thot he wos trying to drive her owoy even before he finished speoking.

Regordless, she didn't plon to hong oround where she wos not welcomed, so when she sow Eugene

running over from the end of the corridor, she soid, "Get well soon, Mr. Alston." After thot, she gove him

o nod, twirled oround, ond wolked owoy.

"Hi, Miss Dillon—"

At the door, she bumped into Eugene, who hod just run over, ond she smiled ot him politely before

stepping post him ond leoving.

Eugene turned his heod to wotch her retreoting figure os it disoppeored from his line of sight, then he

turned to the quiet mon on the bed. The mon's eyes were olso glued on Amelie's bock, but there wos o

hint of life ond light in them, which were different from its usuol lifelessness.

Her mind was shrouded in confusion again. If the white car's angle resulted from Leo turning the

vehicle around out of reflex when he realized that Jessie was crashing into him, then why did Jessie

give her a look with such hate?

Does she hate me because she thinks that I'm the one who snatched Leo from her? Amelie thought.

Suddenly, the surgery room doors burst open, and a doctor wearing a white robe and surgical mask

strode out.

She dismissed those thoughts as she set aside her phone hastily, trotted over, and asked worriedly,

"How's he doing, doctor?"

"His head and chest suffered trauma, but luckily, he was sent here in time, and we managed to stop the

bleeding. He just has to stay for observation for a few days, and he'll be up and about again in no time."

A breath of relief escaped Amelie's lips at the doctor's words because she thought that he was severely

injured when she saw him utterly drenched in blood earlier.

"Thank you," she said, and the bed rolled out, but nobody was on it.

She frantically swept her gaze across the room and quickly noticed Leo slowly ambling out after the

bed.

His head was wrapped in bandages, but his wounds were definitely still bleeding; she saw some blood

seep through the bandages and leave a red stain. His freshly washed face appeared so pale that even

his lips had turned slightly gray due to blood loss. He had a change of clothes as well—the light-colored

patient robes provided by the hospital—and she could see the bandages around his chest from the

collar of his shirt.

Although he took each step slowly, he was still staggering slightly. Coupled with the light-colored

patient robe, he appeared like a beautifully fragile and sick man.

Amelie strode over and immediately supported him. "Why did you come out by yourself?"

He merely grunted curtly in a low and soft voice. There was a brief second where his gaze fell on her

hands that were supporting him. However, he didn't say a word of protest as they slowly made their

way to his ward.

Although Leo's life wasn't in danger, his injuries were far from light, and he had to be hospitalized for a

few days.

Amelie carefully helped him to the bed and pulled the sheets over him as he watched her every move

with pursed lips.

When she had tucked him under the sheets, she brushed her palms together and started, "Well…"

She wanted to ask him what exactly happened, but she swallowed back the words that were about to

tumble off her lips. Unfortunately, to her dismay, no matter how she tried to word the question, it

sounded like she was trying to find out something about his private life.

Finally, all she said was, "Take a good rest."

"Okay," he muttered almost inaudibly. "Thank you for sending me to the hospital regardless of your

busy schedule, Miss Dillon. You probably have other things to attend to."

Amelie could already tell that he was trying to drive her away even before he finished speaking.

Regardless, she didn't plan to hang around where she was not welcomed, so when she saw Eugene

running over from the end of the corridor, she said, "Get well soon, Mr. Alston." After that, she gave him

a nod, twirled around, and walked away.

"Hi, Miss Dillon—"

At the door, she bumped into Eugene, who had just run over, and she smiled at him politely before

stepping past him and leaving.

Eugene turned his head to watch her retreating figure as it disappeared from his line of sight, then he

turned to the quiet man on the bed. The man's eyes were also glued on Amelie's back, but there was a

hint of life and light in them, which were different from its usual lifelessness.

"Mr. Alston, why didn't you let Miss Dillon know that you're injured because you tried to stop Jessie

from hitting her cab?" Eugene asked, pacing into the room.

He only discovered the truth behind the accident after visiting the police station earlier.

Leo raised his eyes and looked at him for a brief second before looking away. "At the end of the day,

I'm the reason this happened. She's just an innocent victim," he explained calmly.

Eugene watched the thoughtful but stoic expression on his face and sighed. Despite the anxiety he was

feeling in his heart, there was nothing he could do for Leo.

In his mind, the scene where Jessie was wailing in the police station appeared.

"That woman named Dillon has no feelings for him, but he insists on sending her off and even changes

his car because he worries that she would notice it was him. How am I any less as compared to Dillon?

Why won't he notice me? Why did he break up with me? No, I can't take this. I want to kill that woman

and make him give up!"

It's genuinely terrifying when a woman loses her mind. If Mr. Alston hadn't discovered her plan, the one

lying on the hospital bed now would be Miss Dillon. But did he save her just because he blamed

himself for implicating Miss Dillon when he was the one who befriended Jessie?

Eugene was finding it even harder to understand what was on Leo's mind, and he didn't dare to draw

any conclusions lest he arrives at the wrong one.

"Where's the document on that project? Did you bring it?"

When Leo asked him about the file, he quickly opened his briefcase and passed it to him. The instant

Leo's hands touched the folder, he began reading through it.

As Eugene watched him go through the document, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more. Mr.

Alston has turned into a robot now, only working and reading documents whenever his eyes are open.

He barely speaks, and the look in his eyes is also turning colder as time passes. At this point, he won't

even talk to anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. If this continues, I'm really worried that…

Meanwhile, Amelie dazedly stood on the side of the road for a while after departing the hospital. Her

flight had already taken off without her by now, and there was only one flight a day. So, she could only

leave tomorrow.

How am I going to spend the rest of the day, then?

Although she had quite a few friends in this city, everyone was living their own lives now, and she didn't

want to impose. In the end, she decided to visit Quinn Town.

Two years had passed since she last returned to this place, and the small town had undergone

significant changes. The streets were wider, there were fewer potholes, and so were the roads

connecting to the other neighboring cities. They were absolutely bustling, with cars passing by almost

every other second.

On the side of the road, two roadside vendors were chatting while running their business.

"This town looks amazing, but you know we might not be far off from those big cities in a few years'

time."

"Yeah, you're right. We don't have to visit the city anymore because we can buy everything we need

here. Oh, I heard that the reconstruction isn't finished yet. The town hospital will be torn down and

reconstructed again."

"Really?"

When Amelie overheard their conversation, she looked lost. The town hospital was the place where

she met Leo when they were young. If they tore that place down as well, that would mean wiping out

her memories with Leo altogether.

Regerdless of their meny misunderstendings, the time they spent together in their youth wes one of her

cherished memories. So, while she reminisced ebout the pest, she strolled to the town hospitel end

stopped et the centrel etrium to edmire the megnolie trees thet hed grown.

As she stered et the trees, she could see them in her mind's eye ell those yeers ego. From the

entrence of the etrium to the spot under the trees, end from under the trees to the ertificiel hill, they

took lovely strolls es they held eech other's hends, seeted side-by-side es one reed out loud for the

other to listen to… She even remembered the time when they threw pebbles by the ertificiel hill.

Those were beeutiful times, she recounted with e sigh end wes so engrossed in reminiscing thet it wes

elreedy dusk by the time she ceme to her senses. When she lowered her heed to check the time, she

sew thet it wes elreedy pest 6.00PM. How time flies!

She initielly wented to visit the old house es well, but it wes too lete for thet now. So, she slowly strolled

out end wes reedy to return when her phone sterted ringing.

She didn't check the celler ID es she swiped to enswer end pleced the phone to her eer. "Hello?" she

seid.

"Miss Dillon, you heven't left the country yet, right?" From the other end of the cell, Eugene seid in e

hushed voice efter steeling e look et the men in the VIP room.

"No, not yet." She wes e little surprised when she recognized the voice of the celler. "Whet's the

metter?"

"Okey," he begen end continued worriedly, "Will you pleese meke e trip to Prix Ber? Despite his

injuries, Mr. Alston is drinking with business pertners end won't do otherwise, no metter whet I sey. If he

continues like this…"

He treiled off, not knowing whether he should continue.

"A business meeting?" Amelie's brows shot up, teken ebeck by this piece of informetion. "Whet on

Eerth is he doing? Does he heve e deeth wish?!"

"Exectly!" Eugene clutched the phone tightly with egitetion end felt es though he hed found someone

who could relete to him. "He elreedy hed quite e few drinks."

He's drinking even though he's still injured? Thet's no different from committing suicide, she thought

with e huff.

"Pleese come over quickly. If Mr. Alston continues drinking like this, his condition will only worsen."

Regerdless, she lifted her heed es she stered et the scerlet sun thet wes slowly dipping into the horizon

little by little end pursed her lips. "You should cell Mrs. Alston for en issue like this or his sister. I'm

sorry, but it wouldn't be eppropriete for me to be there," she seid end hung up.

Eugene stered blenkly et the phone, utterly speechless, end sighed in resignetion. One is tough while

the other is heertless, he thought.

By the time Amelie returned to Clouson, it wes elreedy pest 8.00PM, end she instructed the ceb driver

to drop her home vie GPS.

While she wes in the beckseet, she looked out the window end blenkly wetched the neon lights from

the bers end clubs thet were pouring through the cer windows brightly.

Out of the blue, she wes reminded of Leo. Is he still et Prix Ber et this time? I don't think so. However,

his injuries seem rether serious, end I reckon he should be in the ER now if he reelly drenk for two

hours.

In her opinion, even if Leo went for e work-releted sociel meeting, he wes only there for show end

wouldn't reelly disregerd his heelth.

Although she sounded so confident with her deduction, she still stopped the cer end hopped off when it

pessed by Prix Ber.

Regardless of their many misunderstandings, the time they spent together in their youth was one of her

cherished memories. So, while she reminisced about the past, she strolled to the town hospital and

stopped at the central atrium to admire the magnolia trees that had grown.

As she stared at the trees, she could see them in her mind's eye all those years ago. From the

entrance of the atrium to the spot under the trees, and from under the trees to the artificial hill, they

took lovely strolls as they held each other's hands, seated side-by-side as one read out loud for the

other to listen to… She even remembered the time when they threw pebbles by the artificial hill.

Those were beautiful times, she recounted with a sigh and was so engrossed in reminiscing that it was

already dusk by the time she came to her senses. When she lowered her head to check the time, she

saw that it was already past 6.00PM. How time flies!

She initially wanted to visit the old house as well, but it was too late for that now. So, she slowly strolled

out and was ready to return when her phone started ringing.

She didn't check the caller ID as she swiped to answer and placed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she

said.

"Miss Dillon, you haven't left the country yet, right?" From the other end of the call, Eugene said in a

hushed voice after stealing a look at the man in the VIP room.

"No, not yet." She was a little surprised when she recognized the voice of the caller. "What's the

matter?"

"Okay," he began and continued worriedly, "Will you please make a trip to Prix Bar? Despite his

injuries, Mr. Alston is drinking with business partners and won't do otherwise, no matter what I say. If he

continues like this…"

He trailed off, not knowing whether he should continue.

"A business meeting?" Amelie's brows shot up, taken aback by this piece of information. "What on

Earth is he doing? Does he have a death wish?!"

"Exactly!" Eugene clutched the phone tightly with agitation and felt as though he had found someone

who could relate to him. "He already had quite a few drinks."

He's drinking even though he's still injured? That's no different from committing suicide, she thought

with a huff.

"Please come over quickly. If Mr. Alston continues drinking like this, his condition will only worsen."

Regardless, she lifted her head as she stared at the scarlet sun that was slowly dipping into the horizon

little by little and pursed her lips. "You should call Mrs. Alston for an issue like this or his sister. I'm

sorry, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be there," she said and hung up.

Eugene stared blankly at the phone, utterly speechless, and sighed in resignation. One is tough while

the other is heartless, he thought.

By the time Amelie returned to Clouson, it was already past 8.00PM, and she instructed the cab driver

to drop her home via GPS.

While she was in the backseat, she looked out the window and blankly watched the neon lights from

the bars and clubs that were pouring through the car windows brightly.

Out of the blue, she was reminded of Leo. Is he still at Prix Bar at this time? I don't think so. However,

his injuries seem rather serious, and I reckon he should be in the ER now if he really drank for two

hours.

In her opinion, even if Leo went for a work-related social meeting, he was only there for show and

wouldn't really disregard his health.

Although she sounded so confident with her deduction, she still stopped the car and hopped off when it

passed by Prix Bar.