Chapter 2

Sheila and I went to a university reunion the following day. I didn't expect Jeremy to be there as well. He sat next to Sheila, dressed in a light-colored suit.

It was then that someone burst out laughing and teased, "You're actually here, too, Jeremy? You and Sheila were the ultimate campus duo back in the day—one was a pyrotechnician prodigy, and the other was a visual arts icon! You know, everyone assumed you two would end up together after graduation!"

I reached the doorway, my steps faltering for a moment. Jeremy was two years my senior. He was already well-known in our university back then. He was good-looking and outstanding, and his work was always placed in the most prominent positions in the exhibition hall.

I first heard about Sheila because of him, too, with many people saying that they were a match made in heaven.

I even secretly thought that maybe fate was finally on my side for once when Sheila started pursuing me, but now, Jeremy was sitting next to her.

Those teasing remarks from the crowd felt like a barrage of sharp needles stabbing into my heart.

I barely managed a smile before sitting down beside Sheila on her other side.

I got up to go to the restroom halfway through the reunion. I had just returned when I noticed that the door to the private room was ajar.

I then heard a tipsy voice. They were laughing as they said, "You gotta be honest with us, Sheila. You and Jeremy got along so well back then. Why did you suddenly decide to pursue Christian? I mean, even now, we still can't wrap our heads around it!"

In that instant, everyone in the private room fell silent.

Sheila sounded a bit drunk, her tone far more relaxed than usual. "It's all in the past now."

Jeremy suddenly chuckled. "What's there to hide? Sheila and I had a huge fight back then. She insisted on proving that I wasn't her only option."

He spoke softly, but I heard him perfectly. "Christian happened to walk by that day, so Sheila casually pointed at him and said, 'I'll win him over in three days, Jeremy! Do you really think you're irreplaceable?'"

It was then that someone burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right? Does that mean Christian was just someone you grabbed on a whim when you two were fighting?"

Jeremy didn't respond right away. He seemed to realize he had stepped out of line a moment later, so he sighed softly and said, "I didn't mean anything bad by it. Christian is a really great guy. It's just that that's really how things started back then."

In that instant, every sound around me became distant. I could feel a sharp pang in my chest, leaving me almost breathless. It turned out that the love I believed fate had brought me was nothing more than a casual bet Sheila made when she was angry.