Chapter 3

Oliver suddenly seemed to come to his senses. He remembered that year when someone had confessed to me.

In a panic, he had gotten drunk, stolen his family's bracelet in the middle of the night, and come to my house. He cried and begged on his knees for me to wear the heirloom bracelet.

Now, he tugged at his tie, exhaled deeply, and forced a smile. "I overreacted. I… don't take back things I've given away. You can keep it."

"It's fine. I'll return it. I'll grab it from home right now," I said evenly. "I'll be quick. It won't take long."

Before anyone could react, I grabbed my bag and left.

...

When I came back with the bracelet and was about to knock on the door, a burst of cheerful laughter caught me off guard.

"Welcome—" Oliver froze the moment he saw me. "Why is it you?"

He clearly hadn't expected me to come back, let alone actually return the bracelet to him.

When I held it out to him, disbelief flashed across his face. He took it at last, leaned close, and whispered, "Geraldine, since we've always gotten along so well, do me a favor and don't stir up any trouble today. Abigail's a sensitive lady. Don't say anything that might upset her."

I didn't bother replying. So, Abigail was a lady, and I wasn't?

I looked at the man I had loved through my entire youth, and the coldness in my chest nearly swallowed me whole.

Ten minutes later, Abigail arrived at the Holland residence with the matchmaker.

The elders quickly fell into an easy conversation, getting along surprisingly well. That was exactly why my parents had agreed to come. Over polite small talk, they subtly laid out the Holland family's finances and plans for the matchmaker.

Meanwhile, Oliver sat beside Abigail. He was attentive to every move she made. He was almost 30, yet he looked like a nervous teenager on his first date.

I had nothing to do there, so I started looking for a quiet way to slip out.

But then Abigail turned to me with a soft smile and said, "So, you're Geraldine. I've heard a lot about you. You were the art department's beauty, right?"

Caught off guard, I waved my hands quickly. "Oh, that's not true. People were just teasing back in college."

I thought that would be the end of the topic, but she wouldn't let go. She continued, "Oh, come on. I remember the dance performance you did at the school ball. There were piles of flowers under your dorm the next day!"

Before I could respond, she tugged playfully on Oliver's arm and asked, "You two grew up together, didn't you? I always thought you'd end up together. Everyone did."

All eyes turned toward me.

Despite her gentle tone, there was a sharpness beneath her words that made my skin prickle.

"She?" Oliver laughed lightly, passing Abigail a slice of apple. "In your eyes, she may be a lady, or even a goddess. But to me? She's like a man. She's my best friend."

He chuckled as if recalling something funny. "You should've seen her as a kid. Every time she cried, snot and tears were everywhere. If I hadn't wiped her face, it would've gone straight into her mouth.

"And when she was 15, she fainted during PE and started mumbling nonsense. She even waved her arms like a crazy person—"

"I have to go," I said sharply, cutting him off before I could explode.

I turned to the elders, forcing a brittle smile. "Please, enjoy the evening."

Abigail glanced awkwardly at Oliver and asked softly, "Did I say something wrong? I hope I didn't upset her."

Oliver shot me a furious look, as if I were the one who had ruined the mood.

Before he could speak, I said flatly, "I have a date with my boyfriend tonight. I don't want to be late."