Chapter 4

Cole's POV

My phone buzzed nonstop. I glanced at the screen and saw that Giselle and Harry had sent me countless messages.

"Your birthday's over. You got the cake and sunflowers. It's time to let bygones be bygones."

"You saw how easygoing Harry is. It's easy to get along with him as long as you're not petty."

At the end of the day, they just wanted to pin the blame on me. I was petty as long as I showed any emotion or got angry.

Harry suddenly sent a video to me when I didn't reply to their messages. In the video, he fiddled around with Grandpa's watch as if it was a toy. He grinned and said, "This watch of yours is pretty nice, Cole. It's the perfect size to play around with in bed."

A wave of nausea hit me as I stared at the screen. I then furiously dialed Giselle's number.

"Don't let him touch Grandpa's watch!" I snapped.

Giselle chuckled lightly on the other end of the line. "Finally stopped playing dead? Come over to my apartment. I'll head downstairs to let you in."

…

Giselle had been too poor to even afford a suit when she first joined the law firm.

I sold the Patek Philippe watch that Grandpa left for me as a keepsake, using the money to buy a tailored suit for her. I remembered the cost of her outfit clearly. Including the handmade leather shoes, her entire ensemble had cost a few thousand dollars.

"Give me three years," Giselle had said. "I'll definitely make enough money to get your Grandpa's watch back."

However, when I asked her about the watch this year, she had paused for a moment before saying that she hadn't tracked it down yet.

It turned out that it wasn't that she hadn't found the watch. She had given it to Harry after getting it back.

I rushed to Giselle's apartment in record time and hammered my fists on the door until it swung open. Harry strolled out of the apartment with the watch cradled in his palm.

"Looking for this, Cole?" he asked.

When my eyes widened, he grinned and continued, "Giselle insisted on giving this old and battered watch to me. She told me that it would give me good luck."

I tried to snatch the watch from Harry, but he jerked his arm back.

"Is this yours?" he asked. "Why did Giselle give it to me? She's so immature. She doesn't cherish your belongings at all."

I stood rooted to the spot. It felt as if someone was squeezing my throat, making it impossible for me to say a single word.

Giselle had a cold look on her face as she leaned against the doorframe and said, "You just have to apologize, Cole. I'll return the watch to you as long as you take back what you said about breaking up with me."

I didn't look at her. Instead, I held my palm out to Harry again. "That's the last thing that my grandfather left for me. Give it back!"

Giselle snickered, looking at me as if I was a fool. "He won't return the watch to you unless you do as I say."

I stared at her, feeling as if I was seeing her for the first time. Not only did she trample all over my genuine feelings for her, but she also stabbed me in the back.

I pursed my lips before saying, "I'm sorry. I won't break up with you."

Raucous laughter erupted from the bedroom the moment the words left my lips. A swarm of people emerged from the room and pointed at Giselle.

"You won again, Giselle, you damned wretch!"

"Cole is a total pushover. He conceded just because of an old and broken watch. He was just all bark and no bite when he talked about wanting to break up with you."

A smug smile played on Giselle's lips. She paused when we made eye contact. A few seconds later, guilt flickered across her face.

"I'll explain everything to you later," she said.

"There's no need," I said, shaking my head. "Just give the watch back to me."

Harry's eyes flashed before Giselle could respond. The corners of his lips curled up into a knowing smile before he threw the watch at me.

Cracks appeared like a spider web across the glass surface of the watch when it hit the floor. The broken shards of glass scattered near my feet as my tears dripped on the floor.

It felt as if an explosion had been set off in my head. I crouched down as I clutched my head. I couldn't stop myself from shaking as an image of Grandpa on his deathbed flashed before my eyes.

Grandpa's hands had been trembling when he pressed the watch into my palms. The dial was stained with the blood that he had coughed out. "My dear Cole… I don't have anything to give you except for this watch."

The watch had been a love token from Grandma. Grandpa couldn't bear to sell it even when he was at his lowest—even when he was teetering on the brink of death.

The watch had accompanied Grandpa in Grandma's place for 50 years. It was with me through my tears and my smiles. It was by my side during my toughest times when I couldn't feed myself or keep myself warm.

Now, it had turned into broken parts on the floor.

I dropped to my knees and frantically began to pick up the broken parts. Bright red blood beaded on my fingers when I accidentally cut myself.

Harry's voice dripped with faux-concern as it resounded above me. "Sorry. My aim was off. But it's just an old and broken watch. You don't have to act like this—"

"Shut up, Harry!"

Giselle glared at him before crouching down to swat my hands away. "Stop it. You're bleeding. I'll just buy another for you!"

The watch clattered to the floor again, with some of the components spilling out. I let out a strangled laugh as I looked at the broken parts.

She was going to buy another for me? How? Grandpa couldn't bear to part with the watch even when he was at his lowest. Why did I foolishly sell it for a woman like her?

I closed my eyes and clutched the utterly broken watch in my palm. My voice was shaking when I looked up at Giselle and shouted, "I hate you, Giselle Harris! We're done!"

I straightened up and rushed out of her apartment on unsteady feet after my outburst.

"Cole!"

Harry held Giselle back just as she was about to chase after me. "The glass cut my feet, Giselle. Send me to the hospital!"

Giselle looked between his bloody foot and the deserted hallway. She sighed before ultimately ushering him into her car and rushing him to the hospital.

The cab I was in drove past her car just as it was leaving the area. A notification popped up on my screen.

"Where are you? You should go to the hospital. I'll look for you later."

I glanced at the message before locking my phone. I then pulled out the SIM card and threw it out the window.

You would never find me ever again, Giselle.