Chapter 1

They finally untied me after shaving my head bald.

"Caleb, look at her! She looks like a toad!"

Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, pointed at my head and laughed her lungs out while sitting in a wheelchair. His friends stood nearby, cracking up and joining in the mockery.

Caleb glanced at me and said lazily, "Julia is allergic to wigs on the market. Your long hair is just perfect for making one."

I didn't respond. Clutching the few strands left on my scalp, I felt like my heart had been sliced open.

Two hours ago, Caleb had asked me to join Julia's birthday party.

I never got along with Julia, but for Caleb's sake—and because she had cancer—I still showed up with a gift.

What I didn't expect was that this so-called party was actually an ambush. They tied me up and shaved my head.

As I stared at Caleb's indifferent expression, a memory came rushing back. Two days ago, he'd been oddly sweet to me. He even gave me a fancy set of shampoo and conditioner.

"It's dry out there. Take care of your hair, okay?"

I didn't understand why he had suddenly become so concerned, but I was touched. That night, I used them right away.

Only now did I realize that he only told me to take care of my hair so that Julia's wig would be softer and more comfortable for her.

Caleb suddenly walked over.

For a second, I thought that he was going to apologize. But then he pinched the last lock of hair left on my shoulder with visible disgust and snipped it off without hesitation.

He turned to his friends and asked, "Can you not be so sloppy next time? What's the point of leaving even a strand of hair? I'm buying you dinner, and you can't even do this right?"

The group burst out laughing again.

"Yeah, yeah, our bad! Look at Maeve! Is she about to cry? Julia is on meds every day, yet she never plays the pity card."

Their cruel jokes just kept coming. Caleb didn't even blink.

His friends hated me because I didn't fit in with their crowd. They would have their little get-togethers and never invite me.

Even when I asked Caleb if I could join them, he brushed me off, saying that we were from different circles and I shouldn't try to force it.

When I didn't respond, Caleb finally looked at me. He raised a brow and smirked. "Maeve Griffith, are you seriously mad? Come on, lighten up. Just think of it as doing a good deed."

I looked at him, heartbroken. "Just tell me one thing. Was it your idea to take my hair, or was it Julia's?"

Julia suddenly wheeled herself between us and started sobbing. "It was my idea. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. Don't take it out on Caleb."

Caleb shot me an annoyed look. "Julia is sick. Can you not stress her out? We've grown up together. She's like a sister to me, which means you're basically going to be her sister-in-law. What's so wrong with donating some hair to her?"

When I noticed how little Caleb cared, my eyes stung with unshed tears. How could someone change that drastically?

Back then, my parents forced me to cut my hair so they could buy my brother new toys.

I got bullied for having choppy, short hair at school. But Caleb stepped in, grinning as he shielded me.

"From now on, your hair's under my protection!"

Now, I felt all my strength drain out of me. I said, "Caleb, from today on, we're done. Make sure you pay me for the hair. I'm not obligated to donate it to her."