Broken for One More Time

July was unbearably hot, yet it started raining out of nowhere.

From the other end of the line came the laughter of Cole Miller and Jessica Justice.

Jessica said, "Hello?"

Thinking I hadn't heard clearly, she repeated herself. "Cole said climbing the tower was too easy, so it doesn't count. Come to Hyacinth Diner for your new punishment tonight."

Jessica had always been like this.

In order to get back together for the 97th time, she made me buy her birth control. After I did, she still said it was too easy and insisted I eat 99 mangoes for it to count.

The doctor said not even a miracle could have saved me if I had been even a minute late.

A chill spread uncontrollably through my chest as I ended the call.

I was done playing this carefully planned humiliation game with Jessica.

I thought about the message I sent Grandpa this morning, agreeing to go back home and inherit the family fortune worth billions. He was so overjoyed, he said he would personally come to Haryndale to pick me up in three days.

I'd gotten quicker at packing. But then, I unexpectedly found something.

Under the bed was a Ferris wheel model, plush dolls, and all the little gifts we'd exchanged back in college.

Yes, Jessica and I once had sweet, loving days too.

Back then, we went to the same high school and then got into the same college. We ended up getting closer after that.

Under the willow tree, I held out a bouquet of red roses and confessed, "I like you, Jessica."

Jessica's eyes reddened. Her emotions were full when she told me she liked me too.

It couldn't have been more different from the way she later curled up in Cole's arms, telling me she didn't like me at all.

Sometimes, time could change people, turning them into strangers.

With a bitter smile, I tossed the items holding memories into a black trash bag. Then I caught sight of a small box hidden underneath the bed.

A thick notebook labeled "Diary of Love" caught my attention.

Flipping to the first page, I saw these words:

Lose 11 pounds.

Get into Haryndale College.

Get Percy Graham to fall in love with me in college.

I was surprised. Had Jessica already liked me back in high school?

The later pages barely mentioned her weight loss or getting into Haryndale College. But the remaining pages were filled with my likes, dislikes, and even the tiny habits I didn't notice about myself.

My hands trembled, barely able to hold the notebook.

It turned out Jessica had once loved me deeply. But even so, it wasn't enough to stop her from falling for Cole in the end.

I put the diary back where I found it.

A love Jessica had already buried should stay buried.

I packed up more than a dozen boxes of belongings, but I couldn't find the signet ring belonging to my family.

It wasn't just proof that I was the heir to the Graham family. With it, I could walk into any bank under the Graham Corp and withdraw hundreds of millions.

After I got into college, Grandpa was eager for me to come home and take over the family business.

He wanted me to go abroad to study finance, but I wanted to come to Haryndale and study wood carving.

After the huge fight with Grandpa, I cut off all contact and financial support from my family.

The signet ring was the only thing I carefully gave to Jessica.

I gave her a call, but it was busy every time.

Then I recalled what she said that morning.

It seemed like I had no choice but to go to Hyacinth Diner tonight, even if it was just for the signet ring.

…

Elegant piano music echoed through the hallway outside the private rooms of the diner.

The closer I got to Room 808 that Jessica had mentioned, the quieter everything became.

I opened the door, leaving a small crack. Laughter spilled out through the gap.

"Jessica's amazing! Back then, she said she'd go after Delta High's heartthrob, Percy, and she actually got him."

"And now she's got him trained like a dog. The women who used to chase after him would be so heartbroken if they saw this."

"Well, he made Jessica work so hard to win him over back then. Now she's successful, about to secure investment from the Graham family, and becoming the top female president in Haryndale. Why should Percy get to coast along and live off her while messing around with that stupid word carving?"

Jessica merely responded with a quiet hum.

Her usually cool and detached tone made my chest tighten.

It turned out that all the humiliation under the guise of punishment was due to the jealousy Jessica felt deep down.