Chapter 1

Though it was suffocatingly hot inside the mascot suit, a chill ran down my spine. I stood frozen, my eyes locked onto the all-too-familiar figures standing right in front of me.

After what happened to Madison and Clyde, I had fallen into a severe depression and tried to end my life multiple times. It was my best friend, Andy, who stayed by my side, dragged me to the hospital time after time, and helped me pull myself together.

Yet right now, Andy had his arm wrapped casually around Clyde’s shoulder, throwing a playful wink at Madison.

"Clyde knows how to treat a woman right. He’ll make sure both you and the baby are spoiled rotten!"

And then there was my mother. The same mother who had been bedridden for five years, unable to care for herself, whose diapers I had changed right before leaving the house this morning.

Now, she was standing there, vibrant, healthy, and glowing. There wasn't a single trace of illness on her face.

"If Clyde ever steps out of line, honey, I’ll straighten him out myself!" she said cheerfully.

Clyde pulled Madison closer by the waist and gently kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, Mom. Madison is my wife. I could never love her enough."

It was the grand opening of their new shop, and a huge crowd had gathered to support them. Almost all of them were mutual friends of mine and Madison's.

Over the past five years, these same people had visited me during the holidays. Some had even offered to help me find easy part-time jobs, pretending to feel sorry for how hard I was struggling all alone.

And yet, not a single one of them had ever told me the truth.

Tears mixed with sweat poured down my face inside the suit.

Back then, right after their accident, my mother supposedly became bedridden from the shock. Drowning in massive debt, I took on every dirty, exhausting job I could find. Whenever I couldn't take the pain anymore, I would go to their headstones just to pour my heart out and tell them how much I missed them.

I had dreamed of reuniting with them countless times, desperately wishing I never had to wake up from those sweet dreams.

Now the dream had finally come true, only to reveal a lie.

Clyde carefully held the heavily pregnant Madison, his tender gaze piercing through me.

On our wedding day five years ago, Madison was already eight months pregnant. When I rushed to the hospital after the crash, all I was shown was the shattered body of our unborn child. The doctors told me they tried an emergency delivery, but they couldn't save the baby.

I had spent years drowning in endless guilt and self-blame, constantly asking myself if any of this would have happened if we just hadn't held that wedding.

During those nights when I wanted to give up on life completely, I survived by holding onto the words she once told me.

"Dean, no matter what happens in the future, you have to stay strong. Promise me you'll keep living, even if it's just for me."

Those words were the only thing that gave me the courage to keep going. But I realized now that her fake encouragement was nothing more than a cruel joke. She just wanted to watch me suffer.

Seeing me standing frozen, Andy shoved me hard. "Hey, mascot! What's wrong with you? Stop slacking off!"

I stumbled from the push, nearly losing my balance.

Clyde immediately stepped in to play the nice guy. "Come on, Andy. Working in this heat isn't easy. Let him come inside and rest for a bit. It's close to the house anyway."

Andy sighed dramatically. "You're way too nice, man. That's why Dean used to step all over you back in the day."

The moment my name was mentioned, it felt like an absolute taboo. The mood shifted instantly, and everyone’s face darkened.

Finally, Madison broke the heavy silence. "Clyde, I'm tired. Let's just go home."

Andy dragged me along, forcing me to follow them.

Madison drove a brand-new Porsche, a model I knew all too well. Back when I first started delivering food, I accidentally scraped a car just like it.

The owner had slammed my face against the door frame, snarling, "Look at this badge and remember it! Stay the hell away from cars like this next time. Your pathetic life couldn't even pay for the scratch!"

Their place was a luxury penthouse, fitted with plush leather couches, crystal chandeliers, and expensive abstract paintings I couldn't even begin to understand.

Clyde motioned for me to take a seat, and the housekeeper quickly brought over a glass of water. "Go ahead and take that mascot head off. It must be boiling in there."

Andy walked in as if he owned the place, grabbing a drink from the fridge. "He's getting paid to hustle. Honestly, even if you made him stand out there all night, he wouldn't dare complain."

My mother sank into an electric massage chair with a sigh of relief. "Ugh, lying around in that dirty little apartment all day was literally breaking my back!"

Slowly, I unlocked the suit's headpiece and pulled it off.

As everyone stared at me in shock, I looked them in the eye and spoke softly.

"Long time no see."