Chapter 4

"If you want to leave, then go! Don't ever come back!"

Kendra's voice rang out behind me, but I didn't look back. I walked away without hesitation.

After all, there was nothing in that house worth staying behind for.

It had originally been the home Kendra and I shared. My family had been the ones to come looking for us, claiming they couldn't make ends meet back in the countryside and asking to stay with us.

I had refused at first.

But after Kendra lost her parents, she'd spent years being passed from one relative's house to another. She missed having a real home and a family of her own.

So, she'd begged me to let them stay.

However, I didn't get an ounce of the warmth I'd expected from having a family around. Every day, they either came begging me for money or took what was mine and gave it to Jude.

My bedroom, the car I'd bought with my own money, and even Kendra—they'd taken everything from me and given them to Jude.

I dragged my suitcase all the way out of the apartment complex, and not a single person came after me to stop me.

Just then, a car came barreling toward me at full speed.

I realized it was my car at first glance. I threw myself out of the way, but I still wasn't fast enough.

The impact sent me tumbling to the ground.

A security guard from the complex immediately ran over and asked if I needed medical attention, while the driver was dragged out of the car.

It was Jude.

The guard restrained him, and not long after, Mom and Dad came rushing over.

"It was an accident. Let our son go!"

Kendra came over to me and tried to reason with me.

"Jude didn't mean to do it," she said. "Please, just forgive him this once."

Jude lowered his head, a flash of smugness passing through his eyes as he pleaded, "I'm sorry. I drank too much. I didn't see you."

The pain that shot through my body was nothing compared to the ache throbbing in my chest.

"Drunk driving, huh?" I gritted out. "Then I'll make sure you're held accountable."

A slap sent my head snapping to the side.

"He's your own brother!" Kendra cried. "Are you seriously going to send him to jail?"

"My brother? Then what the hell was he doing just now? He tried to run me over!"

"I told you, he didn't mean to. He apologized. You have to forgive him."

"I won't."

Seeing that I wasn't going to back down, Kendra sighed.

"You once promised you'd do three things for me. I'm using one of them now. Don't press charges against Jude."

When we first got together, I'd promised Kendra I'd grant her three requests. I'd already fulfilled two. The first was agreeing to let my parents move in with us, and the second was agreeing to the mystery-box game.

And the third was this—to let Jude off the hook.

The way Kendra was so protective of Jude finally made me realize the woman I'd once fallen for was already dead.

"Fine. I agree."

I'd take it as closing the final chapter in the seven years of our relationship.

The moment I agreed not to press charges, everyone crowded around Jude.

Meanwhile, I limped to the hospital by myself.

Fortunately, I'd only suffered a few scrapes. The injury felt like this rotten family of mine—nothing fatal, but painful enough to keep hurting.

I spent several more days recovering at a hotel.

…

Later, when I was about to board the plane bound overseas, Kendra sent me a message.

"The class president asked me to invite you to our class reunion."

I knew what she was doing. She was giving me an easy way out, an excuse to come back without having to admit that she was asking me to return.

But I ignored the message.

I turned off my phone, boarded the plane, and left to begin my new life.

…

At the class reunion, Kendra kept looking around the room, but the person she was waiting for never appeared.

Instead, one of my old friends, who had known me since elementary school, came over to talk to her.

"You're Owen's girlfriend, right?

"That guy, he's a great one. I once tried to kill myself by jumping into a lake, and he was the one who saved me. He stayed with me and talked me through it for a long time. He gave me a reason to keep going. I wish you two the best!"

"He saved someone? That's the first I've heard of it," Kendra said, smiling. "But the Lockhart brothers are really nice people. It was Jude who saved me back then when I accidentally fell into the water."

"Jude?" The lady froze. "But he couldn't swim. He's been terrified of water his entire life."

Kendra's body went rigid. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

Realization finally dawned on her.