Chapter 4

I rummaged through the items in the prop room for a long time before finally finding a rusted metal pole.

Instead of forcing the lock open, I smashed a hole in the ground.

I crouched down next to the hole and thought about the possibility of having to compensate the school.

If they really made me do so, I'd forward the bill to Connor.

If he refused to take responsibility for it, I'd forward it to his brain.

Surely at least one of these two would be empty.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

I immediately banged hard on the door.

"Anyone outside? I'm suffocating!"

I could hear Henry's voice through the door.

"I'll let you out if you agree to go onstage to apologize to Connor."

"Sure," I readily agreed.

"Open the door first."

Henry wasn't that easily fooled, though.

A phone slipped in under the door.

An apology script was on the screen.

I picked up the phone and pressed the record button.

"Hello, everyone. I am Gerald Lindt. I'm currently locked in the prop room backstage by Connor Graham and Horace Jones. If anything were to happen to me, please have the police investigate this intellectually questionable male student outside the door."

The phone was pulled away at once.

Horace kicked the door in anger.

"You can continue staying there and rot away!"

I covered my nose and mouth and leaned against the wall for over ten minutes.

A cleaning lady walked past while pushing a cleaning cart and heard me banging against the door. That was when she finally went looking for keys to the door.

She jumped back in fright at the sight of how red and swollen my eyes were.

"Young man, your face is so swollen! Quick, go to the sickbay!"

The school doctor gave me some medicine and instructed me to sit down for half an hour to keep me under observation.

I had wanted to listen to the doctor's orders.

However, a loud overture sounded in the hall, marking the start of the event.

My bank card and clothes were still with Connor.

Although my house key had sunk to the bottom of the pond, I had to at least make everyone find out tonight that it wasn't the key to the door of romance.

It was the key to my house.

When I rushed to the hall, Connor was standing in the middle of the stage.

He was dressed in a smart suit, carrying a bouquet of roses in his arms as he stood under a pink spotlight. It was as romantic as it could get.

It almost looked like his wedding.

The screen was playing a collage of photos of him and Wanda together on loop.

On closer look, about 80% of them were cropped from group photos.

In one of them, half of Amy’s head could be seen right in between them.

The host announced excitedly, "Next up, Mr. Connor Graham will be publicly confessing to the one he's had a crush on for three years!"

Wild applause broke out amongst the audience.

Horace spotted me almost immediately.

He charged at me with a bunch of student council members in tow and pushed me up onstage.

"Since you're out, recite the apology script."

A look of frustration flashed past the depths of Connor's eyes.

But the next moment, it quickly disappeared as he flashed the audience a look of helplessness.

"Gerald, I know you can't let go of Wanda, but love isn't possession. You should see clearly where you stand, with all the teachers and students of our school as witnesses."

The screen switched to photos of me sending Wanda breakfast, holding her jersey, entering the Stewarts' residence, and even bringing in the laundry.

The last photo was cropped from our family photo.

Only Wanda and I were left in the photo.

My parents, as well as the cake that had the message "happy family" iced on it, were all cropped out.

A chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

Connor handed me the microphone.

"Admit that you've been harassing Wanda. Promise you'll never barge into the Stewarts' house, and I shan't pursue the matter regarding you stealing the bank card and key."

I took the microphone from him and said, "The bank card is mine. So was the key."

Connor sighed with disappointment.

"You're still lying even now. In that case, I'll have Wanda reject you in person."

The moment he said so, the audience erupted in cheers.

The school team had returned ten minutes earlier than expected.

Wanda walked into the hall, wearing the team jersey and dragging her luggage case behind her.

Connor's eyes lit up as he rushed over to her with the bouquet of roses in hand.

"Wanda, you're finally back. You no longer need to fear Gerald harassing you.

"I've taken the bank card and house key he stole from you.

"He's also agreed never to enter your house or touch your clothes.

"All the more, he won't keep bugging you and calling you his sister."

Wanda walked right past Connor and looked at the photos on the screen.

She then turned her attention to my swollen eyes and injured arm.

Her face darkened.

Connor was still trying to claim credit for what he had done.

"He had the gall to claim that he's your elder brother. He's the only one who could come up with a lie like that."

Wanda fell silent for three seconds.

"That's not a lie."

The smile on Connor's face froze.

Wanda took the microphone from me and looked coldly at Connor.

"Gerald Lindt is my biological brother, with the same father and mother. Did you get my parents' permission before forcing him to cut ties with me?"