Chapter 3

As I stared at the words on the screen, a cold, bitter sense of absurdity washed over me.

Had I followed the original timeline and obediently turned in a blank exam, staying in my hometown with them, I wouldn't have merely thrown away the grades I'd worked so hard for or my chance to attend one of the country's top universities.

I would have become nothing more than a source of support—and a stepping stone—for their twisted relationship.

They would have drained every last bit of value from me, and I would have spent the rest of my life trapped in their cruel little joke.

The absurdity of it all was almost too much to bear.

Memories from the past came rushing back like a tide, dragging every detail I'd deliberately ignored to the surface. Now, each one felt like a knife twisting in my mind.

The way Winona had always looked at Benjamin, her gaze lingering on him with an intensity I'd never questioned.

The way she seemed to come alive whenever he was around.

And all those times I'd stood there like a complete fool, watching them bicker and compete for my attention, never once realizing what had really been happening between them.

I'd been blind to it all until today.

Today, I saw the truth with my own eyes.

I tossed the towel aside and walked out of the bathroom. I'd had enough.

That evening, Winona called me. She sounded tired.

"Babe, I just got back to my hometown. I'm exhausted."

After a brief pause, she added, "Oh, you still haven't answered my question. You really did leave the exam blank, right? Don't worry. Even if we both got low scores, we can still go to the same college."

Her concern sounded sweet, but I could hear the lie beneath it.

A wave of disgust washed over me, yet my voice remained calm.

"Of course I left it blank. I didn't write a single answer. I did it for us."

After we hung up, I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection.

My face was completely expressionless. Then, slowly, I smiled a cold, knowing smile.

…

The two weeks before the SAT results were released were usually the most carefree days of a high school senior's life.

Winona spent those days pestering me, insisting that I keep my promise to take a graduation trip to Westland with her.

"Hector, we're about to start college. This will be our first real trip as adults."

Her voice message was gentle and full of anticipation.

"I've already planned everything. We'll go see Lake Aurelia and drive along Highland Pass. I'll take tons and tons of pictures of you."

A faint sense of mockery stirred inside me.

I simply replied, "Okay."

It was time to put an end to this relationship once and for all—and I decided to use this opportunity to do exactly that.

On the day of our departure, I arrived at the airport terminal on time, dragging my suitcase behind me.

From a distance, I spotted Winona immediately. Benjamin was standing beside her, dressed casually for the trip.

The moment he saw me approaching, he walked over and casually reached out to pat me on the shoulder.

"Hector, you're finally here! Winona said it'd be more fun with more people, so she invited me along. You don't mind an extra person coming with us, do you?"

I stepped aside, avoiding his hand.

"I don't mind," I said flatly. "Let's go check in."

At the self-service kiosk, Winona pulled out her ID and quickly printed two boarding passes. One was hers, and the other had Benjamin's name on it.

I stood beside them and tried to check myself in, but a message appeared on the screen.

"No reservation found for this passenger."

I turned to Winona and asked calmly, "Where's my ticket?"

Winona froze for a moment before smacking her forehead.

"Benjamin! Didn't I ask you to send Hector's information to the travel agent the other day so we could book all the tickets together? You forgot?"

Benjamin immediately frowned, looking offended. "Seriously, Winona? You made a mistake, and now you're blaming me?"

"Didn't I tell you?" he continued. "Hector usually upgrades whenever he flies. I was worried he'd complain about how cramped an economy seat was, so I didn't want to book one without asking him first."