Chapter 4

The water was boiling.

I put the pastas in.

I replied softly, [He's not my boyfriend anymore.

[I'm not going to marry him either.]

After I confessed my feelings, Andrew arranged for our families to meet.

Andrew made sure both families sat down together.

We got engaged.

After that, all we had to do was wait until we graduated from college to get married.

There was a three-second silence on my best friend's end.

Then, my phone started buzzing like crazy.

My best friend burst out laughing, [Awesome. You finally came to your senses.

[But how are you going to explain this to your family?

[Will it be a pain?]

A warm feeling spread through my chest.

I cleared my throat and said, [No, it won't be.]

My parents always thought I was putting myself beneath Andrew.

I had to beg and plead with them forever before they agreed to the engagement.

At last, they agreed to it.

I pulled out a carrot and carved a smiley face on it.

Then, I stood there and finished my pasta.

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

The wind whipped the white curtains around.

I shivered.

My phone rang.

Andrew's voice was gentle as he apologized, [Harper, a friend ran into some trouble.

[I won't be coming home tonight.

[If you can't sleep, there are sleeping pills in the cabinet.]

Lightning flashed.

The sudden light illuminated my pale face.

I suffer from insomnia.

I was most afraid of thunderstorms.

Back when I lived in the countryside, my grandma was always there for me.

Then I met Andrew.

When he found out, he looked at me with a bit of disdain and said, "Why are you so timid?"

He spread his arms wide. "My arms feel empty. Come here."

For eleven years, that was how it always was.

Not once did it change until tonight.

I didn't reply to his voice messages. I didn't even know how to.

Should I pretend I didn't know, or should I lose it and start yelling at him?

Either way, it felt kind of undignified.

It didn't matter anymore.

I called my parents.

My mom sounded worried. She asked, "Are you calling off the engagement? Did you and Andrew get into a fight?"

I dodged the question, not getting into details. "It's nothing, Mom. We don't fit together."

My mom let out a long sigh. "Well, maybe that's for the best.

"Andrew's always had a restless heart. Breaking it off might be a blessing in disguise.

"Don't worry about the Barton family. Your dad will handle it."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and said calmly, "Mom, please don't tell the Barton family about this yet."

My mom sighed. "Alright, your call.

"Sweetheart, if you're unhappy, come home.

"I'll always be here for you."

I hung up in a hurry.

My eyes burned with unshed tears.

But I couldn't let myself cry again.

I curled up and finally drifted off to sleep.

There were only six days left.

In six days, the photos would be deleted.

From then on, Andrew and I would walk our own paths.

We'd never see each other again.

When I woke up, my cheeks were still damp with tears.

The place was a total mess.

I poured myself a glass of water and called someone to clean up.

The cleaner showed up in no time.

She blinked in surprise. "Are you sure you want to get rid of all this?"

I nodded and said softly, "Sorry for the trouble."

She asked no more questions and got to work.

I stood out on the balcony.

Reaching out, I could brush my fingers against the new shoots.

Everything was bursting with life.

Looking down, the morning sun bathed the river in golden light.

Life kept flowing, never stopping for anyone.

High school was a grind. The pressure was relentless, and the workload never seemed to end.

Andrew and I both lived in the dorms.

I'd always complain, "When I get to college, I'm going to buy a place by the river, with trees outside and sunlight pouring in."

Andrew would lean against the railing, listening quietly.

The wind fluttered the hem of his school uniform.

That streak of white lingered in my vision, refusing to fade away.

For once, Andrew didn't argue. He stared off into the distance.

He gave a soft "Mm."

I never expected him to remember.

But when college started, Andrew bought me an apartment.

It was like I'd imagined, exactly the way I'd pictured it.

My eyes got teary again.

I sniffled and turned to head back inside.

The cleaner came out of the storage room, looking a bit sorry. "Are you sure you don't want to keep the dog bed, the food, or the clothes?

"Oh, and there's also a box of allergy meds here, still unopened. Do you want to keep it?"

I froze for a second.

A month ago, I'd mentioned wanting a dog.

Andrew pinched my cheek and dropped his voice, "Not happening.

"I'm allergic to dog hair. You don't want to lose your man, do you?"

So I had to let it go.

But seeing it, all I felt was an endless wave of bitterness.

It was wild how a month could turn someone into a whole different person.

I shook my head. "No, please get rid of it."

I was done with all of it.

Thirty minutes later, the room was back to normal, except the photos of us together were gone.

I packed a single bag.

It felt almost weightless hanging from my shoulder.

Before I left, I took one last look around the place.

Andrew and I used to binge-watch comedies together on the couch.

We cooked meals together in the kitchen.

We even managed to break the showerhead once.

There were too many memories.

I couldn't take them all with me.

So I left them here, letting the memories stay forever.

I reached out and grabbed the doorknob.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open from the other side.

I stumbled back a few steps, startled.

Andrew was standing in the doorway.

His face was dark, his whole presence icy cold.

Andrew demanded, "Did you tell my mom about Freya?"