Chapter 3

Julian stood below my window, panting heavily. One hand rested on his knee while the other held out a gift.

"For you."

"Could've just given it to me tomorrow."

It was so late. There was no need for him to run all the way here.

"Doesn't count if it's past midnight." He flashed a bright, arrogant smile. "Birthday gifts have to be on the actual day."

My nose stung.

"Julian..."

I wanted to ask him so many things, but the moment I unwrapped the gift, the words died in my throat.

The newest gaming console.

I remembered last year, for Mara's birthday, he had given her a delicate necklace.

Mara wasn't satisfied. She called it tacky.

He had gripped the velvet box tightly and shoved it back into his pocket.

This year, for Mara's birthday, he set off an entire night of fireworks by the riverbank just for her.

I had been foolish enough to think he hated Mara—that he would rather burn money on loud explosions than buy her a decent gift.

It turned out I was the tacky one. I was the one who didn't understand.

"You said the buttons on your old one were sticking." Julian's tone was laced with pride. "The new one. You like it?"

So this was the difference between putting your heart into something and just going through the motions. It was glaringly obvious.

"Yeah. I like it."

I closed the box and looked down, nodding.

The gift was great. So great that it severed the very last thread of my reluctance to let him go.

The pressure of senior year was crushing, and gossip was the only way people could breathe.

After yesterday's incident spread, everyone looked at Mara and me with calculating eyes.

Whenever classmates surrounded Mara to comfort her, she would display the perfect amount of fragility.

But when she looked at me, she couldn't hide the smugness in her eyes.

Her triumph didn't last long, though.

Dad donated an entire science lab to the school in his and my mother's names.

He would never allow my mother's reputation to be dragged through the mud.

At the all-school morning assembly, the principal personally stepped up to the front and dismantled every single rumor.

She only said one thing: If anyone spreads them again, the school will take severe disciplinary action.

After the assembly, Julian blocked my path.

"Go apologize to Mara."

"Why should I?"

Julian's face darkened further.

"Evelyn, Mara has suffered enough because of you and your mother."

"While you were flying around on vacations as a kid, Mara could barely stay in one school. You lived in the Hale Estate, and she was crammed into a cheap rental apartment with Linda."

For a moment, I didn't even know what to say.

Julian was counting Mara's hardships, pitying her for them, and firmly believing that I was the cause of all her pain.

"And?"

Julian furrowed his brows, as if he couldn't believe I would respond like that.

"Evelyn, what happened to you? You're completely heartless. You have zero empathy."

What happened to me?

I had always been like this.

I looked up at him, my patience wearing thin.

Meeting my gaze, Julian froze for a second.

Quickly, his face clouded over. He clicked his tongue, his tone turning nasty.

It was a stranger I had never seen before.

"I tried to give you a chance, Evelyn."

"Just wait."

The next day, I found out exactly what Julian meant by "Just wait."

Mara claimed the keepsake her mother left her was missing.

She was crying frantically, and all the classmates were helping her look for it.

I looked away.

But the next second, Mara marched right up to me.

"You were the last one to leave the classroom earlier."

I crossed my arms and stared at her.

"And?"

"Let me see your bag."

She reached out to grab my backpack.

I slapped her hand away, glaring at her coldly.

"Where's your proof?"

"What proof?" Mara's face twisted.

"Proof that I took your stuff."

"You were the only one in there! If it wasn't you, who was it? Did it grow legs and run away?"

But I hadn't been the only one in the classroom.

I scanned the room but couldn't find him. I could only lower my head and grip the straps of my backpack.

"Without proof, you have no right to demand I open my bag."

"How could you do this?" Mara's eyes were red. "My mother left that to me. It's so important to me."

She looked like she was about to cry again.

"Have you always hated me? You did this to get back at me, didn't you? You took my things when everyone was gone."

Hearing her bring up the past, I let out a dry, angry laugh.

I was about to fire back when the people around us started chiming in.

"If you didn't take it, why not just prove it?"

"Yeah, just open it and let everyone see."

"It's her mother's keepsake. Look how upset she is."

Just as the crowd pressed closer, I looked up and saw Julian.

He was leaning against the classroom doorframe, his chin tilted up slightly.

I tightened my grip on my backpack, then slowly let go.

"Fine. Look."

Chapter 3

Julian stood below my window, panting heavily. One hand rested on his knee while the other held out a gift.

"For you."

"Could've just given it to me tomorrow."

It was so late. There was no need for him to run all the way here.

"Doesn't count if it's past midnight." He flashed a bright, arrogant smile. "Birthday gifts have to be on the actual day."

My nose stung.

"Julian..."

I wanted to ask him so many things, but the moment I unwrapped the gift, the words died in my throat.

The newest gaming console.

I remembered last year, for Mara's birthday, he had given her a delicate necklace.

Mara wasn't satisfied. She called it tacky.

He had gripped the velvet box tightly and shoved it back into his pocket.

This year, for Mara's birthday, he set off an entire night of fireworks by the riverbank just for her.

I had been foolish enough to think he hated Mara—that he would rather burn money on loud explosions than buy her a decent gift.

It turned out I was the tacky one. I was the one who didn't understand.

"You said the buttons on your old one were sticking." Julian's tone was laced with pride. "The new one. You like it?"

So this was the difference between putting your heart into something and just going through the motions. It was glaringly obvious.

"Yeah. I like it."

I closed the box and looked down, nodding.

The gift was great. So great that it severed the very last thread of my reluctance to let him go.

The pressure of senior year was crushing, and gossip was the only way people could breathe.

After yesterday's incident spread, everyone looked at Mara and me with calculating eyes.

Whenever classmates surrounded Mara to comfort her, she would display the perfect amount of fragility.

But when she looked at me, she couldn't hide the smugness in her eyes.

Her triumph didn't last long, though.

Dad donated an entire science lab to the school in his and my mother's names.

He would never allow my mother's reputation to be dragged through the mud.

At the all-school morning assembly, the principal personally stepped up to the front and dismantled every single rumor.

She only said one thing: If anyone spreads them again, the school will take severe disciplinary action.

After the assembly, Julian blocked my path.

"Go apologize to Mara."

"Why should I?"

Julian's face darkened further.

"Evelyn, Mara has suffered enough because of you and your mother."

"While you were flying around on vacations as a kid, Mara could barely stay in one school. You lived in the Hale Estate, and she was crammed into a cheap rental apartment with Linda."

For a moment, I didn't even know what to say.

Julian was counting Mara's hardships, pitying her for them, and firmly believing that I was the cause of all her pain.

"And?"

Julian furrowed his brows, as if he couldn't believe I would respond like that.

"Evelyn, what happened to you? You're completely heartless. You have zero empathy."

What happened to me?

I had always been like this.

I looked up at him, my patience wearing thin.

Meeting my gaze, Julian froze for a second.

Quickly, his face clouded over. He clicked his tongue, his tone turning nasty.

It was a stranger I had never seen before.

"I tried to give you a chance, Evelyn."

"Just wait."

The next day, I found out exactly what Julian meant by "Just wait."

Mara claimed the keepsake her mother left her was missing.

She was crying frantically, and all the classmates were helping her look for it.

I looked away.

But the next second, Mara marched right up to me.

"You were the last one to leave the classroom earlier."

I crossed my arms and stared at her.

"And?"

"Let me see your bag."

She reached out to grab my backpack.

I slapped her hand away, glaring at her coldly.

"Where's your proof?"

"What proof?" Mara's face twisted.

"Proof that I took your stuff."

"You were the only one in there! If it wasn't you, who was it? Did it grow legs and run away?"

But I hadn't been the only one in the classroom.

I scanned the room but couldn't find him. I could only lower my head and grip the straps of my backpack.

"Without proof, you have no right to demand I open my bag."

"How could you do this?" Mara's eyes were red. "My mother left that to me. It's so important to me."

She looked like she was about to cry again.

"Have you always hated me? You did this to get back at me, didn't you? You took my things when everyone was gone."

Hearing her bring up the past, I let out a dry, angry laugh.

I was about to fire back when the people around us started chiming in.

"If you didn't take it, why not just prove it?"

"Yeah, just open it and let everyone see."

"It's her mother's keepsake. Look how upset she is."

Just as the crowd pressed closer, I looked up and saw Julian.

He was leaning against the classroom doorframe, his chin tilted up slightly.

I tightened my grip on my backpack, then slowly let go.

"Fine. Look."