Chapter 3

Harrison's POV

As Charlotte looked over, I quickly turned off my phone's screen.

"Alright. Go on back. I'm leaving first," I said.

After hearing my answer, Charlotte hesitated before speaking. "Harrison, where are you going?"

"Just walking around. It's been a while since I've been back," I replied.

Only then did she finally relax and smile sweetly at me. "Okay. Don't go too far. Once I'm done here, we'll go register our marriage."

I watched her run back into the wedding venue before turning away and wandering aimlessly. Familiar scenery filled my vision, but my thoughts drifted far away.

Jonathan was the orphaned son of the person who had saved my parents' lives. From the moment he took our family name and was brought into our home, he stole all of my parents' affection.

I had heard that parents loved children who did well in school. Desperate for them to notice me too, I pushed myself to study as hard as I could.

The year I took the SAT, I brought home an acceptance letter from a top university, hoping they would praise me the way they praised Jonathan and gently tell me what a great son I was. But they never did.

What I got instead was Jonathan dropping to his knees, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Mom and Dad personally destroyed my future and sent me to an obscure community college.

"Harrison, this is a matter of life and death. You don't want to see Jonathan die either, do you?" they said.

It turned out that love needed no reason. I could never compete with Jonathan.

Every time I curled up alone to nurse my wounds, Charlotte would stand by my side and chatter endlessly. "They're just blind. You're the absolute best, the most outstanding.

"You're such a kind person. There's no way you'd hurt anyone. It must be your adopted brother stirring up trouble again. Don't worry. One day, I'll help you take back everything you lost."

Charlotte was the only light in my life. She was cheerful, confident, and carefree. She gave me her undivided affection, something she reserved for me alone. Whenever I was with her, even if we said nothing and simply walked side by side down the street, I still felt incredibly happy.

But now, as I stood there looking at the bustling, noisy street, I was utterly alone with nowhere to go.

While wandering around, I found myself back at the house I shared with Charlotte without even realizing it. That place held the happiest memories of my life and was the only reason I had left to keep going.

I stood at the front door and entered my birthday into the keypad, but the screen indicated that the password was incorrect. I froze for a moment. Charlotte had never told me about changing the password.

I tried again and again, entering every meaningful date I could think of, including our anniversary, her birthday, and other special occasions we had shared. None of them worked.

Something suddenly hit me. With trembling hands, I entered Jonathan's birthday.

A beep sounded. As the door swung open, my heart shattered.

The furnishings inside remained the same, yet every trace of me had disappeared.

My shoes were gone from the shoe rack, replaced by Jonathan's limited-edition sneakers. The clothes hanging on the balcony belonged to him as well. Even the framed photo of Charlotte and me on the table had been swapped out for a photo of her and Jonathan.

So during the year I disappeared, even the last role I had left had been taken over.

I sat on the couch, waiting for Charlotte to come back and give me an explanation. I waited until sunset, until the courthouse had closed for the day, yet Charlotte still hadn't returned.

Even my phone stayed unusually silent. Not a single person sent me a message.

Even though I hadn't expected much from getting the marriage certificate, I still couldn't help but feel sad after seeing Charlotte break her promise.

Love had such a short shelf life. I watched something good rot away little by little, yet I still wanted to wait until it was completely spoiled before finally throwing it away.

In the silent darkness of the night, the only glow came from the cigarette between my lips.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Charlotte finally called, sounding drunk. "Harrison, where are you? I'm coming to find you."