Chapter 3

Lance's brows knitted tightly, there was surprise in his eyes.

But more than that, there was impatience.

"Blair, what are you doing now?"

"Are you still upset about the kidnapping?"

"Or are you angry because I didn't accept your proposal?"

"I already told you. I'm not ready for marriage yet, isn't what we have right now good enough?"

"Why do you have to keep forcing me to get married?"

I looked at the anger on his face.

Then I didn't answer, I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

My deliberate distance made Lance feel both restless and irritated.

"Blair, do you know how annoying you are being right now?"

"I'm a person too, not a dog you own."

"I've been accommodating you and letting you throw your tantrums for all these years."

"Can't you accommodate me just once?"

Hot tears instantly filled my eyes, they blurred my vision.

For a moment, the terrifying faces of the kidnappers from earlier that day slowly overlapped with Lance's face.

I took a few more steps back, putting distance between Lance and me.

"Enough!"

Lance turned his face away impatiently.

His voice was filled with obvious annoyance.

"I'm really about to lose my patience with you."

"It was just a joke. How long are you going to keep dwelling on it?"

"Those people today didn't actually do anything to you."

"Don't you think you're being too dramatic?"

Then he said the words that shattered me completely.

"If Aurora hadn't kept persuading me..."

"I would have broken up with you a long time ago."

His voice wasn't loud, but it struck me like thunder.

My mind went completely blank.

Darkness spread before my eyes.

And suddenly, I remembered a scene from many years ago.

A seventeen-year-old Lance, a boy who had nothing but his own body to protect me.

He stood in front of me and took every blow meant for me.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

I also remembered the day by the school lake.

Lance nervously held my hand, his ears were red as he stumbled over his words.

"Blair..."

"Give me a chance."

"Let me protect you for the rest of my life."

"I promise I'll never let you suffer any more grievances."

"Will you?"

The world began spinning.

Everything changed after Aurora transferred into Lance's class.

That evening, just like always, I waited for Lance outside the school building so we could walk home together.

But I waited until every student had left.

Only then did Lance finally run out of the building in a hurry.

"Blair, I'm sorry!"

"I forgot you were waiting for me."

I was about to tell him it was okay.

But then he lowered his voice awkwardly.

"I can't take you home today."

"The new transfer student happens to sit next to me."

"The teacher said she's unfamiliar with the new environment, and there have been some troublemakers around here recently."

"He asked me to walk her home and help her get familiar with the class."

After saying that, Lance even waved his fist angrily.

"I already told her I needed to go home with my girlfriend."

"But she kept bothering me."

"She's seriously annoying."

I didn't say anything.

My eyes fell on the pink bag he was holding.

Lance had never been someone who liked getting involved in other people's problems.

And walking me home every day had been a promise he made when we first started dating.

After a long silence, I softly reminded him.

"It's already dark."

"I'm a little scared walking home alone."

"You forgot..."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

For the first time...

Lance interrupted me in a cold and impatient tone.

"You can just take the bus."

"Or take a taxi and stick to the crowded roads."

"Those troublemakers from before have already been arrested."

"Nothing will happen."

He looked toward the school building.

Then he sighed.

"Forget it. The transfer student is still waiting for me in the classroom."

"She's impossible to get rid of."

He turned around and walked away quickly.

I stood there for a moment.

Then swallowed the words that had reached my lips.

Slowly, he stopped walking me to school and home.

Instead, he spent every day wandering around campus with Aurora.

Laughing.

Talking.

Acting like they were the only two people in the world.

And in all his plans for the future, my place quietly disappeared.

I often stood awkwardly beside them, listening silently as they discussed which universities they wanted to apply to and where they wanted to live after graduation.

In everyone's eyes, Lance and Aurora looked more like a couple.

Only after they had finished making all their plans did Lance finally remember me.

He suddenly turned around and slapped his forehead.

He said: " I'm sorry, Blair."

"I completely forgot you were standing there."

"Tell me what you want to do later. I'll go with you."

That was how Lance always comforted me.

With a careless apology.

With a few meaningless words.

And then, he would turn around and ignore me again.

Again and again.

For Aurora.

For thirteen years.

I could no longer count how many memories that belonged only to us had been stained by Aurora's presence.

And in the end, for the sake of a ridiculous bet Aurora made, he didn't hesitate to tear open the deepest wound in my heart.

The pain in my chest became unbearable.

I stared at Lance's face.

The face I had loved for thirteen years.

Then I raised my hand without hesitation, and slapped him.

"Get out."

Lance's face turned to the side from the force of the slap.

For a few seconds, he remained frozen.

Then he slowly stood up.

Dark anger surged in his eyes.

His voice was cold.

"Blair, I've really had enough of you! "

The next second, he slammed the door shut.

And left.