Chapter 3

I kept zooming in on the photo, over and over, almost torturing myself.

I was desperately searching for any evidence that it wasn't Ethan.

But I'd been looking at him from fifteen to twenty-five.

I could recognize his figure anywhere.

It was Ethan.

Between a blazing love affair and a calm, uneventful marriage, he'd already made up his mind.

He'd made his choice a long time ago.

The next day, I had a fever and called in sick.

After Ethan left the house, I headed to Grand Ocean Mall.

From afar, I caught sight of Vera.

She still had that effortless elegance. Even standing behind the counter, she was a sight to behold.

I'd changed so much since high school that she probably wouldn't recognize me.

After all, Ethan hadn't recognized me either.

But as soon as our eyes met, she said my name out loud.

"Anne Bett?" Vera called out.

"Wow, you've changed so much—I almost didn't recognize you!"

With a polished, professional smile, she asked, "Do you remember me? It's Vera Rhodes."

She exchanged a few words about the old days, then—with a warm smile—started recommending skincare products to me.

I was so embarrassed that I forced myself to buy a set, just so I could make a quick exit.

Vera handed me the skincare set she'd just wrapped up for me.

With a bright smile, she said, "Does Ethan know that Lena Sterling is the same Anne Bett he couldn't stand back then?"

I looked at her in shock, my breathing quickening.

Vera tucked a couple of free samples into the bag.

"These are for you. Honestly, with your salary, buying such pricey skincare must've really hurt your wallet," Vera joked.

I pulled my card back and slid the skincare set back to her.

"Guess you're right—if I can't afford it, I shouldn't buy it," I said.

Vera's smile froze.

"Wow, still got no shame, just like back then," Vera snorted.

She gave a cold chuckle.

"Oh, and I never told you—I was the one who secretly pushed you to confess in those DMs," Vera said.

"Watching you act like a clown, putting your heart out there for everyone to crush? That was honestly hilarious," Vera said with a sneer.

"Oh, and guess what? Ethan's coming with me to Stonebridge for my birthday. So, what color lingerie do you think I should wear?" Vera teased.

My mind was buzzing.

I never thought the person who listened to me, comforted me, and cheered me on was actually the one who threw me to the wolves.

I took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Is that so? Well, hope you two have a blast," I said, my voice icy.

I turned around, straightening my back as I walked out.

Ten years of crushing on him—right then, it just made me sick to my stomach.

I'd been secretly crushing on Ethan since high school.

In their whirlwind romance, I wasn't even part of the scenery.

I filled my secret social media account with posts about my crush on him.

Just a glance or a word from him would make me happy for days.

One day, a girl slid into my DMs after seeing my posts. She opened up about her own secret crush.

Before long, we ended up becoming besties, telling each other everything.

She kept urging me to tell him how I felt before we graduated, saying I'd never get another chance.

She even came up with the idea—print out his photos and all my feelings for him, put them together in a little album, and hand it to him.

A few days before the college entrance exams, I slipped the album into Ethan's desk drawer after school.

But the very next morning, it was plastered right up on the school bulletin board for everyone to see.

Vera and her friends stood in front of the bulletin board, loudly reading out those embarrassing lines for everyone to hear.

"I know you don't see me, but I just want to stand somewhere you can notice me," Vera read, making sure everyone caught every word.

"Seriously, this makes me want to puke. It's disgusting. Who would even write something like this?" one of them said, making a face.

"Should we check the security cameras and find out who did it?" another suggested.

I was mortified—embarrassed beyond words, wishing the ground would just swallow me up.

I reached out to my online confidant for help, but she ghosted me completely.

For days, I couldn't sleep, and I was too scared to even set foot on campus.

When the college entrance exams rolled around, I totally bombed them. Instead of getting into a top university, I ended up at a non-selective college.

After graduation, I got a new number and cut off all contact with my high school classmates.

Once I started college, I worked my butt off, taking on every job I could find.

I worked like crazy to lose weight and learned how to do makeup from scratch.

I even changed my name.

I wanted to leave my old self behind for good.

After I started working, I was nothing like the person I used to be.

Ethan was parachuted in as the company's new CTO, and he didn't even recognize me.

Was it really wrong to fall for someone?

I never tried to steal him away, never messed with anyone else's life. I really don't deserve all this.

When I finally dragged myself home, exhausted, Ethan was packing his bags.

I leaned against the doorframe, just watching him in silence.

"How many days will you be gone?" I asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Ethan replied.

I nodded, then added, "Bring your smoky gray cardigan. You look good in it."

But he frowned.

"I really hate smoky gray," Ethan said.

Before long, he finished packing and was ready to head out.

I stood there, staring at him in silence.

"Do you really have to go?"

Ethan cleared his throat. "It's a pretty important client—they asked for me personally."

Yeah, it must be someone so important that nothing could stop him from seeing them.

He walked to the door, then came back for a moment.

He barely brushed his lips against my forehead, just going through the motions.

"Take care of yourself," he said.