Chapter 2

Truth be told, Andrew and I didn't fall in love just because we were engaged.

We're three years apart, and ever since I was adopted by the Carter family, they made sure I went to the same school as him.

On my very first day at school, I actually punched an upperclassman right in the face.

She stood at the classroom door, acting like she owned the place.

"Where's Lily?" she demanded.

She found my desk, snatched up my brand-new books and notebooks, and hurled them to the floor with all her strength.

Then she stomped on them with her fancy princess shoes, grinding them into the ground.

I was so stunned. I stood there, frozen.

"Who are you? I don't even know you," I said. "You're not even worth talking to. Just remember, don't even think about going after Andrew."

She was two heads taller than me, towering over me and acting all high and mighty.

Then she turned to my new classmates.

She sneered, "Bet you guys don't know; her mom's been dead for years, and her dad's nothing but the Carter family's driver.

"She only managed to sneak into this school because her dad saved Dylan.

"She's a nobody. She doesn't belong at Westbridge Academy."

Kids at Westbridge Academy are all loaded or come from big families. Someone like me? I was only good for waiting outside, picking up the rich kids.

After hearing her words, their faces turned cold, and they looked at me like I was dirt.

I was completely at a loss, not knowing what to do.

She smirked, not even realizing how mean she was.

She wasn't satisfied with seeing me embarrassed.

"Who knows, maybe her dad was in on the kidnapping. People from the slums are always scheming; poor people are just naturally shady," she sneered.

She could say whatever she wanted about me, but dragging my dad into it was a line I couldn't let slide. She'd hit a nerve.

I lost it and started fighting her. In the end, I pinned her under the desk and pressed her head down with my backpack.

Her friends were completely stunned, just standing there frozen.

Then they all bolted out to find someone for help.

Andrew walked in, and that was when it hit me; she was actually his classmate.

I let go, and she ran over to Andrew, sobbing, and clung to his hand.

Andrew shook her off with obvious impatience and then checked my injury and asked coldly, "What happened?"

Someone quietly filled him in. He gave the girl a cold look from above and said, "Nice work.

"Lily belongs to the Carter family now. If any of you dare mess with her again, you'll have to deal with me.

He looked down at the girl, who was shaking like a leaf. "Don't ever show your face around here again."

The Carter family ran Harbor City, and after she pissed off Andrew, her family bent over backwards apologizing to the Carters.

She vanished from school after that.

Rumor had it that her family shipped her overseas.

Having lost my dad and with no one to rely on, Andrew felt like my guardian angel that day.

Throughout my school years, Andrew and I were always together.

Whenever I got stuck on a problem, he'd patiently sit down and teach me until I understood.

I was super picky about food, but he always spoiled me and let me eat whatever I wanted.

"Lily, eat whatever you want. The Carter family can afford it," he'd say,

He even picked out my clothes for me.

My classmates would joke, "If you didn't know better, you'd think Lily was Mr. Carter's daughter."

Those were the happiest years of my life.

Whenever I wanted to hate Andrew, those memories always flooded back and stopped me.

Hating someone was too draining, so I decided to let it go and give myself a break.

Andrew shot me a look in the rearview mirror.

"Lily, did you forget you once loved me?" he said.

He was already with someone else, and I was married to someone else. Bringing this up now felt wrong.

I shot him a surprised look.

"That's our high school." Andrew nodded.

He gestured at the school outside, his face full of nostalgia.

As I looked at those familiar walls, memories of the old days flooded back.

Back in high school, Julian was the campus heartthrob from a wealthy family; everyone knew his name.

The school tried to crack down on dating, but no matter how strict they got, it never made a difference.

Girls kept sending him love letters, one after another.

He never accepted any of them. Right in front of the girls, he'd toss the letters straight into the trash without a second thought.

He'd grin as the girls fled, their cheeks bright red with embarrassment.

"Andrew, you shouldn't treat them like that. You're just breaking their hearts," I said,

I was honestly pissed for them.

"You really want me to take those love letters, Lily? Tell me the truth," Andrew said,

At some point, his eyes got kind of mysterious as he looked at me.

I shook my head, honestly admitting I didn't want him to accept them.

He tapped me on the forehead, then grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight inside his coat pocket.

Ever since my dad died, I stopped having birthdays.

When I turned eighteen, Andrew brought me to my parents' graves and lit birthday candles for me right there.

He said, "From now on, I'll take care of you, Lily."

The spring flowers in the cemetery were blooming like crazy, and when the wind blew the petals around, it felt like my parents were gently touching my face.

I felt so happy.

But in the end, everything I thought was love got erased. Andrew shrugged and said, "I was wrong," and all those feelings vanished like they never mattered.

I stared out the window, lost in thought. All of that it felt like a lifetime ago now.

The pain in my bones was piercing, and I couldn't help but let out a low groan.

Andrew frowned, his voice cool as he asked, "Does leaving him hurt that much?"

He thought I was crying.

After a moment, I finally spoke, my voice heavy with sadness. "So few people have ever truly loved me, and now he's gone too. It really hurts."

Maybe it was because I was dying, but I always thought I'd hate Julian for betraying me. Turned out, I didn't.

I felt sorry for myself. I was about to die, and there was no one left who loved me.

I was such a failure.

I gave them all the love I had.

Andrew's face darkened even more. "He loved you? If that's what you call love, then I must've loved you a hell of a lot more than he ever did."

There was something off in his voice.

I cut him off. "I don't want to talk about him anymore, Andrew. I'm just so tired."

And it hurt, everywhere.

Andrew didn't push it, his tone softening a bit.

"Come home. Mom and Dad really miss you," he said.

I shook my head. "Let's just go to Regency Gardens.

"It's not really convenient to go back to the Carter Estate; it wouldn't be good for Vanessa."

Andrew shrugged, not really caring. "You're overthinking it. When has she ever cared about you?"

He seemed to realize what he'd said, pressed his lips together, and didn't say anything more.

I had known since five years ago. Vanessa never even bothered to acknowledge me. Andrew would never let his girl feel even a hint of sadness.

He only ever gave the best to his girl.

Unlike me, who'd been his fiancée since we were kids, always thinking I meant something to him.

I really was out of my league.

I thought Andrew had loved me.

*****

The school had a strict no-dating policy.

But with all those teenage hormones running wild, it was impossible to keep them apart. The principal was getting so many complaints from parents, it was driving him crazy.

One morning, his mistress noticed another bald spot on his head, and he totally lost it.

He gave a big speech at the school assembly.

"You can date if you want, but don't pick someone who lets go of your hand the second a teacher walks by," he said.

A few days later, Andrew and I got called out as the perfect bad example.

We had to stand up and read this ridiculously long apology letter in front of the whole school.

It was the first time Andrew had ever been so humiliated, but just a few minutes later, he had to give a speech as the model student.

As the whole school burst out laughing, he walked down from the stage, his face completely blank, and took my hand.

"You know the principal did that on purpose," I said to him.

"Dummy, even if I knew, I'd never let go of your hand," Andrew replied.

The principal really knows what he's doing. Looks like I really did choose the right person.

Who would've thought that years later, Andrew would finally admit to me that he was in love with someone else?

*****

Andrew graduated college three years ahead of me, and right after, he started working at the Carter Group.

As Dylan's health kept declining, he put Andrew, his most trusted grandson, in charge of the Carter Group.

I was caught up with my graduation thesis, and he was buried in work too. We were both running nonstop.

When I finally graduated and got my diploma, I was practically bouncing with excitement.

I rushed straight to the Carter Group, all ready to drag him off to pick out wedding dresses with me. But when I got there, he sat in silence for what felt like forever.

He said, "Lily I'm sorry. I can't marry you.

"I thought I loved you, but after meeting the right person, I realized what I felt for you was just routine. It was only because of that old engagement that I felt obligated to take care of you."

I was head over heels for him, way more than he ever was for me. I never saw it coming; just a few months ago, everything was perfect, and now he was a completely different person.