Chapter 4

With that, Chris turned and walked out of the station.

I was scared out of my mind he'd really sue my grandma, so I hurried after him, hoping to stop him.

I wanted to tell him that she just couldn't accept my death, and it messed up her mind.

But now, he couldn't even see me.

He couldn't hear my voice, couldn't see my frantic waving.

I watched as he pulled out his phone and said into it, "You're back in the country, right?"

Chris said, "It's nothing major. I just need your help suing someone.

"Make the charges as severe as possible—no settlements, no negotiations..."

I was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I followed him into the car.

I leaned in close to his phone, trying to hear what was being said on the other end.

The man's voice coming through the phone was playful, and sounded strangely familiar.

"What's got under your skin, Chris? Even the great Attorney Grant needs someone else to file a lawsuit for him?"

Chris got into the car and said calmly, "It's not really convenient for me to handle my own case. You handle it."

The voice on the other end grew more serious. "Is it something serious?"

It was the dead of winter, and the first snow of the season began to fall outside the car window.

Chris stared out, seeming lost in thought for a moment.

After a while, he finally replied, "It's nothing serious.

"An old lady stood in the middle of the road with a dead body, claiming I was the one who ran her over and killed her."

The serious tone on the other end vanished instantly, replaced by loud laughter.

"Come on, that's nothing—just pull up the surveillance footage.

"If there's no footage, run an autopsy and inspect the scene. You'll see the truth in no time.

"The old lady must be out of her mind. Who would carry around a corpse just to pull an extortion scam?"

Chris stared out the window, saying nothing.

The voice on the other end kept laughing. "The Bayview City M&A deal is still pending, waiting for your input.

"Don't waste your time on something this trivial. Just let the cops know and have some rookie lawyer handle it..."

Chris cut him off. "No, I'm taking this to court."

"I'm not heading to Bayview City until this case is wrapped up."

The voice on the other end laughed in disbelief, "Are you insane? That is a massive acquisition—you're really going to leave the client hanging and torch your own reputation? What kind of vendetta do you have against that old woman?"

Chris replied absentmindedly, "Yeah. Bad blood."

Before the other person could ask any more questions, he hung up.

My grandma and Chris had never even met, so there was no way they could have any kind of grudge.

If there was any grudge, it was between me and him.

Looking back, he probably still resented me for how things ended between us.

I was filled with regret. Maybe I should have been completely honest back then, and given our breakup the clean, dignified closure it deserved.

My mind wandered for a moment, and when I snapped back to reality and looked at Chris, I realized his eyes were rimmed with red.

*****

Three years ago, when Chris and I broke up, it was anything but pleasant.

That day, he rushed to the hospital to see Sophie, then barely made it back to school for his defense.

After it ended, I waited outside his classroom and stopped him as he was leaving.

Students dispersed in all directions as a bustling crowd streamed past us.

I met his gaze, my voice low and steady. "Let's break up."

Chris looked totally unfazed.

Figures. If you don't care, you just don't care.

Even when I brought up breaking up, he didn't show a single trace of the emotional reaction he had whenever he was around Sophie.

Maybe he felt that agreeing so quickly would seem wrong.

Chris thought for a long moment before finally forcing out, "Is it my fault?"

I'd thought about confronting him, maybe even criticizing him.

I wanted to cry, to let it all out.

But seeing how calm he was, somehow, I just felt relieved.

I tried to rein in my emotions and managed an awkward smile.

"You're a good guy, but honestly, I just realized you're not really my type."

"You're a bit too serious for me. I prefer someone who's more lively and cheerful."

Saying it like that, it felt like I was the one dumping him—at least I wouldn't have to feel so awkward about it.

Chris remained indifferent.

Maybe it was a touch of guilt, or just some sympathy for me, but after a long pause, he finally spoke.

"If you want me to, I can try to change."

But what I really wanted, he just couldn't give me.

I shook my head. "It's fine. I don't like you anymore."

Chris replied, "Okay."

As if it was nothing but a minor detail.

He stayed completely emotionless from start to finish.

That night, I got caught in the rain and ended up with a fever that burned through me till morning.

The next morning, Chris's mom showed up looking for me.

She'd never liked me.

She had no clue Chris and I had already broken up.

She asked me out, then pushed a fat check across the table toward me.

Then came that painfully clichéd soap-opera line, "Take this money and get away from my son."

I couldn't help but laugh. For some reason, I blurted out, "But he really likes me. He's always clinging to me."

Chris's mom added a zero to the check and let out a cold, dismissive laugh. "That's the most you'll ever get."

"Don't get the wrong idea. Chris has always had a childhood sweetheart he's kept close to his heart."

"The only reason he dated you was probably because you looked a bit like her."

That really stung.

Holding back my embarrassment and anger, I forced a smile and took the check.

"Since you're being so generous, Mrs. Grant, I won't stand on ceremony."

With Chris's mom glaring at me in disgust, I left with the check in hand.

Even now, that check is still lying in my drawer, never cashed.