Chapter 1

At 2 AM, my ex-boyfriend, Richard Hunt, called to get back with me.

Red-eyed, I said yes.

Then followed a hearty guffaw from the other end of the line.

"As I said, Christine Jefferson is dying to crawl back to me as long as I give her a chance," Richard boasted.

I didn’t get angered. I just asked whether we were good again.

"Jack Fleming, I will do anything as long as you come back to me..." I pleaded.

Silence fell.

Then, Richard howled, "Christine! I am Richard. Who the hell is Jack? Answer me!"

At midnight, I was burning up with a fever.

Half-awake, I heard my phone ring.

I answered it and heard noises. After quite a moment came a magnetic voice from the other end of the line. "Christine, I miss you."

Instantly, the familiar voice turned my eyes red.

During the past few months, I had to get some rest with the help of sleeping pills.

Hearing the familiar voice again, I couldn't help but sob. "I miss you too."

After a moment, that voice sounded again. "Christine, enough of the farce. Let's get back together."

That voice was like rich red wine, and I was completely carried away. My feverish body broke out in a sweat, so my clothes got soaked.

My long nails almost dug into the edge of my phone as I anxiously whimpered yes.

Then, I heard hearty guffaws from the other end of the line.

"Richard, how impressive! With a few words, you made your ex-girlfriend crawl back to you."

"Does she really believe that you want to get back with her? At midnight? Richard, your ex-girlfriend is a weirdo. She played up to you when you two were together. She can't get over you yet though you two have split up for three months."

"Because Richard is charismatic. He got her completely tamed, like his pet."

"He once let Christine bring him some condoms via a call when he was dating another woman."

"Is she so cheap?"

"Because Richard is charming. I will drink as agreed."

After some wild laughter, Richard's voice came. "As I said, Christine is dying to crawl back to me as long as I give her a chance."

Richard's voice, as deep and magnetic as before, was now laced with a smug satisfaction.

Then, Richard said to me over the phone, "Christine, we're playing Truth or Dare. Thanks to you, I don't need to take the punishment."

His tone was careless, and he was ready to hang up.

I didn't want to lose this precious opportunity, so I anxiously asked, "Will you keep your word?"

Richard was stunned by my question. The music on his side was turned down a bit.

"Christine, are you out of your mind? Do you seriously believe that I called you in the middle of the night to get back with you?" Richard cursed.

I ignored the insult and insisted. "You asked me, and I said yes."

Speaking, I couldn't help but burst into tears. I forgot my pride and pleaded in a broken voice, "Jack, I will do anything as long as you come back to me..."

There came no answer. Silence pervaded. After quite a long time, Richard growled, "Christine! Who the hell is Jack? Answer me!"

Jack Fleming, this name was woven into all my youth.

At that moment, I flashed back to that year, when I was 16 years old, and that summer when my first acquaintance with Jack had happened.

Those were the darkest days of my life.

After the death of my grandma, with whom I had lived, I went completely off the rails.

After I was caught in a fight again, my teacher gave me an ultimatum that I would get expelled from school if my parents didn't show up for reconciliation.

I couldn't care less. Slouching against the wall, I said casually, "Both my parents are abroad, and I can't reach either of them. Do you want me to invite my dead grandma over?"

"Christine!" My teacher was so pissed at my attitude that she dragged me to the principal's office for my expulsion.

Right then, Jack popped up. He hurried over, stood with me behind his back, and said, "Sorry that I'm late. I'm Christine's brother."

'Brother?' I thought.

I was shocked, and so was my teacher.

My teacher was shocked because the man before her was quite a contrast to me. He looked sharp and neat, while I wore heavy makeup with colorful hair. It seemed he and I lived in two different worlds.

I was shocked because I had never expected either of my parents to have an illegitimate child who was older than me.

Therefore, I didn't like Jack.

"Bullshit! I don't have any brothers!" I snapped. I intended to shove Jack out of the way.

However, Jack, skinny and bookish as he looked, easily stopped me from leaving with one hand and then calmly communicated with my teacher.

He sincerely apologized on my behalf and promised to discipline me from then on.

His plea convinced my teacher to give me another chance.

Jack dragged me away.

On the way home, he shoved me into a barbershop. There, he got my messy hair cut and my heavy makeup removed.

Looking in the mirror, I saw my real self again.

Jack stared at me for a while, smiled, and gave my head a soft rub. "So much better. This is how a student should look," he said.

I didn't dodge his hand. Instead, I seized the opportunity to give it a hard bite.

However, my attack didn't succeed. Jack grabbed my chin and held me in place. "Whoa, you're a feisty one, huh?" he teased.

"Fuck off! I'll call the cops, you freaking kidnapper!" I shouted with a lisp.

Jack was handsome, but that didn't make me like him any better, especially his blindingly bright smile.

I started swearing, kicking, and throwing punches.

Jack didn't lose his cool, and he let me have my way. After I finally calmed down, he explained in a steady voice, "I'm not a kidnapper. Your parents sent me to look after you."

"Bullshits! They don't give a damn about me. Grandma died. If they care about me, why haven't they come home yet?" I yelled.

I tried to act tough, but my voice cracked with sobs. My eyes turned red as I glared at Jack. Then, my cheeks were itchy and a bit wet...

Jack went silent and let go of me. After a long moment, he promised, "They will after you get into college."

I thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, dream on."

Regardless of my opinion, Jack moved into my place.