Chapter 3

He lit a cigarette, and through the smoke, a flash of panic seemed to cross his face, but then his expression turned contemptuous.

"Just happened to run into Chloe. Giving her a ride since it's on the way."

Chloe smiled sweetly. "Megan, you really don't know how to take care of yourself. Always making Ethan worry."

Ethan let out a scornful laugh.

"If she were half as sensible as you, I wouldn't have to worry so much."

"When she was little, she fell into a cesspit. You should've seen it—covered head to toe, looked like a chocolate person. Only I could stand it. Anyone else would've run."

He finished speaking and laughed along with Chloe.

I'd heard similar words countless times, yet they still grated on me.

I looked at him, then turned and rushed into the rain.

The rain pounded against me, painful and cold.

But I felt it was warmer than being by his side by several degrees.

Behind me came the sound of a car door slamming hard, and Ethan's furious shout.

"Megan! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Can't even take a joke?"

The security guard was kind and helped me hail a taxi.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Ethan pull out his phone to call someone.

It seemed no one answered, making his brow furrow tightly.

Back home, Grandma was startled and quickly helped me shower and change, then made hot ginger tea.

While combing my hair, Grandma frowned.

"How did you get so soaked?"

She asked instinctively, "Where's Ethan? Wasn't he with you?"

I lowered my eyes, feeling heavy inside.

"No. And there won't be anymore 'with him' in the future."

After a long while, Grandma changed the subject.

"By the way, your dad called me. He said you agreed to go abroad."

"Tomorrow Grandma will pack up. Having to leave so suddenly, I'll really miss these old friends."

I charged my phone and saw Ethan's missed calls. My finger swiped to delete them.

I looked back at Grandma.

"A change of scenery will be good, Grandma. Before we leave, let's not tell anyone, okay? Including Ethan's family."

Grandma's form stiffened slightly, then she said slowly, "Grandma can tell that boy Ethan has liked you since childhood. Just don't do anything you'll regret."

Not long after Grandma went to her room, my phone buzzed with a message from Ethan.

"Come out. I'm in the courtyard."

I was about to pretend I hadn't seen it when a second message came.

"If you don't come out, I'll just come in and open your door myself."

I had no choice but to go out.

I also packed all the things Ethan had given me over the past ten years into a trash bag.

Including his blood-stained school uniform from middle school, when he'd gotten his head split open protecting me from those thugs.

Seeing my hair still wet, Ethan frowned and draped his jacket over my head.

"Megan, why did you come out with wet hair? Do you really enjoy causing people trouble?"

"And now you've really got guts, can't even take a joke anymore?"

I blinked hard, something blocking my throat so I couldn't speak.

He lowered his head slightly and noticed the bloodstained clothes visible in the trash bag.

"Escalating your guilt trip? You're even willing to throw away this shirt?" He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Come on, stop this."

"Why can't I throw it away?" I walked past him and tossed the bag without hesitation into the garbage truck at the gate, dusting off my hands. "It's too dirty. Should've thrown it away long ago."

He didn't believe me at all, just mocked me with a half-smile.

"Come on, who are you trying to fool?"

"You can't leave me. Stop lying to yourself."

"By the way, I went too far with the jokes today. I'll make it up to you tomorrow with another celebration—consider it an early congratulations on joining the company. Remember to come."

With that, he turned and left.

He didn't know that I meant every word I said.