Chapter 3

At the party, Freya had a few drinks and suddenly started sharing embarrassing stories from my childhood.

"You guys have no idea, but Cleo is really timid."

"In middle school, she was locked in the equipment room for an entire night. She didn't even dare to knock on the door, crying by herself until her throat went hoarse."

A colleague wiped away tears from laughing so hard.

"Cleo, that's ridiculous."

Freya nudged Tyler with her elbow. "If you don't believe it, ask Tyler."

Tyler froze for a moment, looking at my embarrassed state.

However, with Freya tugging at his sleeve, he still spoke up.

"Yes. Back then, when the teacher asked her what was wrong, she was so scared that she hid behind my back and didn't dare to lift her head."

The entire table erupted in roars of laughter.

My fingernails dug into my flesh.

I gathered my courage and spoke up. "Can you stop? I don't like being discussed."

Dead silence fell over the room.

A colleague leaned over and whispered to me in a low voice.

"Don't pick a fight with her. Freya is well-connected. Mr. Robinson specifically gave a heads-up because he was afraid people would make things difficult for her."

She paused, then said, "Since Freya has known you since childhood, you should also know Mr. Robinson, right? How come..."

I froze.

I recalled wanting to be closer to Tyler and fighting tooth and nail to get into this company.

When we ran into each other downstairs, he didn't even greet me.

"I don't want others to go out of their way for you just because of me, Cleo. You should rely on yourself to grow."

The corners of my mouth twitched.

"Just classmates. Not close."

During the latter half of the dinner party, someone egged everyone on to play an escape room.

It was hospital-themed with a five-star horror rating.

Clearly, this was targeted at me.

When it came time to group up, everyone avoided me.

A colleague said half-jokingly, "We're afraid of being dragged down if we're in a group with you."

In the end, only Tyler, Freya, and I were left.

Tyler gave me a conflicted look and stood next to Freya.

"Cleo, this is a good opportunity to build your courage. Try it by yourself."

Everyone entered together in pairs, except for me.

It was as if I had returned to my childhood.

Mom didn't like me, nor did the other kids.

Whenever it came time to split into groups, no one ever chose me.

So I wouldn't want to play anymore and wanted to go home. Yet Mom would still press me down and send me back to the line.

"You only know how to shrink back like a mouse. If you learn to be like Freya, someone will choose you!"

I stood all alone under the tree.

Tyler proactively walked over. "I'll be in a group with you."

However, when Freya's partner left, he still ran over to find Freya.

Twenty years, and I was still alone.

In the past, I thought he was the one who came to lead me out of cowardice and low self-esteem.

It turned out he had been holding Freya's hand all along, watching me flounder alone in deep water.

The staff member at the door asked me, "Hey, beautiful, are you by yourself?"

I clenched my fists.

"By myself it is."

The door pushed open, and my vision went completely black.

The scent of disinfectant, flashing red lights, and mannequins covered in white sheets.

At a corner, Freya suddenly leaped out.

My feet slipped, and I crashed onto the floor, knocking against the leg of a prop bed.

The lights all around lit up instantly, followed by a roar of laughter.

"Cleo, you're such a scaredy-cat!"

My knee was scraped, and a lump swelled up on my forehead.

I patted the dust off my body, turned around, and walked out.

Tyler chased after me.

"Are you angry? Freya's just looking out for you."

Enduring the pain, I shook my head.

"Not angry."

He touched my forehead and smiled.

"You're the best, Cleo."

Everyone dispersed.

Tyler was going to take Freya home.

"She has to go back to her apartment on the outskirts and is afraid to go alone. Just take a taxi back by yourself."

I looked into his eyes. "Why is it that when it comes to Freya, you don't think she's timid and needs to work on it?"

He opened his mouth but failed to answer.

Suddenly, I didn't want to pursue the already known answer anymore.

"Forget it. Just take her."

Returning home, Mom was sitting on the sofa, snacking on trail mix.

"Tyler brought you back?"

"He went to drop Freya off."

Mom threw the crumbs into the trash can.

"Look at you… So useless."

"Tyler comes from a good family background and has a great job, and Freya matches him so well. Someone would have to be blind to look at you, yet you're still not satisfied."

I looked deeply at Mom.

"Mom, Freya is indeed more worthy of Tyler than I am. She's certainly a better fit for being your daughter, too."