Chapter 4

The moment the Discord desktop app opened, unread messages kept popping up.

Most were from server chats and high school group chats.

But the pinned direct message was Juliette.

I clicked on the chat history. The earliest messages dated back to just before application season.

At first, Cole was still saying he only had me in his heart, and that he would officially be with me once applications were over.

But Juliette kept pouting, sending flirty messages, and begging him to hang out just the two of them.

It didn't take long before the two started secretly dating.

At the end of that date, Juliette had dropped the promise bracelet Cole gave her into the river.

She made Cole go into the water to fish it out.

Cole went in, and nearly drowned. It wasn't a slip on the riverbank at all.

My father had traded his life for two people sneaking around behind everyone's backs, covering up a stupid accident.

I kept scrolling down.

Juliette said that even if Cole publicly chose me later, she was willing to continue seeing him in secret.

Cole warned her repeatedly.

This had to stay between them. No one could know.

My father lost his life because of their absurdity.

After his death, they even used him as a bargaining chip to control me.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I raised my hand and wiped them away.

I saved the chat logs, along with all the non-private evidence that could prove their deliberate deception.

I logged into the Columbia College freshman portal and clicked to confirm my enrollment.

Just as the successful confirmation prompt popped up, my phone buzzed.

Cole sent an iMessage.

[Did you confirm your school? Where are you going in the end?]

Through the screen, I could almost imagine his face.

The deception of the past life.

The entanglement of this life.

The truth of my father's death.

A torrent of emotions surged up.

I didn't bother typing a reply.

I directly sent him all the evidence I had just saved.

Chapter 4

The moment the Discord desktop app opened, unread messages kept popping up.

Most were from server chats and high school group chats.

But the pinned direct message was Juliette.

I clicked on the chat history. The earliest messages dated back to just before application season.

At first, Cole was still saying he only had me in his heart, and that he would officially be with me once applications were over.

But Juliette kept pouting, sending flirty messages, and begging him to hang out just the two of them.

It didn't take long before the two started secretly dating.

At the end of that date, Juliette had dropped the promise bracelet Cole gave her into the river.

She made Cole go into the water to fish it out.

Cole went in, and nearly drowned. It wasn't a slip on the riverbank at all.

My father had traded his life for two people sneaking around behind everyone's backs, covering up a stupid accident.

I kept scrolling down.

Juliette said that even if Cole publicly chose me later, she was willing to continue seeing him in secret.

Cole warned her repeatedly.

This had to stay between them. No one could know.

My father lost his life because of their absurdity.

After his death, they even used him as a bargaining chip to control me.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I raised my hand and wiped them away.

I saved the chat logs, along with all the non-private evidence that could prove their deliberate deception.

I logged into the Columbia College freshman portal and clicked to confirm my enrollment.

Just as the successful confirmation prompt popped up, my phone buzzed.

Cole sent an iMessage.

[Did you confirm your school? Where are you going in the end?]

Through the screen, I could almost imagine his face.

The deception of the past life.

The entanglement of this life.

The truth of my father's death.

A torrent of emotions surged up.

I didn't bother typing a reply.

I directly sent him all the evidence I had just saved.