Chapter 2

It was Rain.

I had only ever seen her photos twice.

The first time had been during a gathering with Jacob’s friends.

They had played truth or dare, and someone started clamoring to see what Jacob had hidden in his wallet.

He opened it, and in the transparent compartment was a photo of Rain in her school uniform.

As the group snickered maliciously, I learned that Jacob’s friend was trying to put me in my place.

But without batting an eye, Jacob had taken the photo out and tore it in half. “I forgot to take it out.”

Later, though, I found that photo mended back with cellophane tape in a drawer in his study.

Back then, I had still lied to myself, saying that he was a nostalgic person.

The second time was the high-definition photo in the e-book I just read.

When I did not open the door even after a long time passed, Jacob came forward. “What’s wrong? Why are you daydreaming so early in the morning?”

He then opened the door. When he saw who was standing outside, his voice died in his throat.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob rubbing his thumb and index finger together.

It was an instinctive reaction of his when he was nervous.

Jacob was the CEO of a publicly listed company. He was always at ease when it came to business and life, but a single woman had been able to shake him to the core.

Rain was the first to speak, and she did so with a soft voice. “Jacob, I just wanted to record my love life. I never expected it to have such high readership. I heard that you’re about to get married. I didn’t bother you, did I?”

Jacob continued rubbing his fingers. After staying quiet for a while, he asked, “You were just recording your love life? Why did you only talk about me? What about the man you left the country with?”

There was a hopeful note in his voice. He did not even notice it.

My heart felt like it had been seized by an invisible hand. My throat tightened, and I felt a bitterness in my mouth.

He did not care about his private life being made public and did not care about how his company’s reputation might be ruined.

He only cared about the man who had stolen her from him.

Rain’s eyes filled with tears, and her tears threatened to spill. “I never left the country with another man. I was sick back then and needed to leave the country to get treated. That man was an excuse I made to leave you because I didn’t want to be a burden to you.”

It was a cliché, cheap excuse, but Jacob immediately believed her. Or perhaps, he just needed a reason to make him forgive her for leaving without a single goodbye.

It did not matter whether the reason was real or not.

Complex emotions churned in Jacob’s eyes. He looked moved and also sympathetic.

As I watched them lock teary gazes upon their reunion, I felt like a third wheel, and I cleared my throat.

It was only then that Jacob snapped out of his daze and introduced me to Rain. “This is Rain. She’s my high school classmate. It’s been years since we last met.”

Then, as if he were trying to recover from his lack of composure earlier, he whispered, “I-I really sympathize with her life.”

I forced down the bitterness in my heart and put on a dignified smile. “She was your girlfriend in high school, isn’t she? Everyone has an ex. I can understand. Don’t just stand at the door and block the way.

“Jacob, invite her in.”

Jacob hesitated for a while before turning to the side to let her in.

Rain stepped into the entryway and looked around the apartment before she covered her mouth and giggled, “My goodness. Your place is cream colored. It was my favorite color.”