Chapter 2

I lowered my head and stared at the old scar in my palm, which had long since healed. Memories came rushing back.

Back in high school, Dolly had been cornered and harassed by a group of troublemakers from outside the school.

Without a second thought, I rushed forward to protect her and took a slash from a knife across my palm.

I could still remember the searing pain of flesh tearing, but when I saw that Dolly was unharmed, I felt it had all been worth it.

When Patrick came running after hearing what happened, his face instantly went white.

“Yuna, does it hurt? How could you be so reckless?”

Dolly was already crying, her eyes red as she hugged me tightly.

“Yuna, thank you. You’re my best friend in the world. I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life. I’ll never let you down.”

I foolishly believed her, thinking the bond between the three of us would remain unchanged forever.

But when the SAT results came out, I had performed far worse than expected, scoring significantly lower than I had on my practice tests.

Meanwhile, Patrick and Dolly earned places at Northvale’s most prestigious university.

I sent a message in our group chat.

“I think the university in Northvale is a good choice too. Its ranking isn’t as high, but its programs are excellent.”

But Dolly was the first to reject the idea.

“No. You’re such a talented artist, Yuna. Southvale School of the Arts is one of the best in the country. You can’t throw away your future for a man.”

Patrick immediately echoed her.

“Listen to Dolly, Yuna. You have real talent. Don’t waste it. Southvale isn’t even that far from Northvale.”

Together, they convinced me to attend a school in Southvale, nearly five hundred miles from Northvale.

At the time, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

I even believed they were genuinely looking out for me.

Our once-lively group chat gradually became a private conversation between the two of them.

The chat was always filled with updates about life in Northvale—the latest restaurant, the evening breeze on campus, and weddings of mutual friends.

They chatted enthusiastically, perfectly in sync.

As an outsider living all the way in Southvale, I couldn’t get a word in.

I told myself not to overthink it. After all, Dolly was the one I asked Patrick to look after.

As Patrick’s birthday approached, I secretly bought a ticket to Northvale, hoping to surprise him.

But when I opened the door, I found Dolly standing there with flushed cheeks, having just stepped out of the shower.

When she saw me standing there unexpectedly, she looked delighted rather than flustered.

“Yuna, what are you doing here? You should’ve told us you were coming! We would’ve gone to pick you up.

“The pipes in my dorm burst, so I complained to Patrick. He told me to come over and shower.”

She draped an arm around my shoulders, the damp scent of steam still clinging to her bathrobe.

“Don’t worry. With me keeping an eye on Patrick, no other woman will get close to him.”

My gaze slowly swept across the entire apartment, and my heart sank.

The walls were painted a soft apricot, Dolly’s favorite color. Her beloved chamomile flowers sat on the windowsill, and a woodsy-scented diffuser filled the room with her familiar fragrance.

Patrick’s little apartment was filled with Dolly’s presence.

Not knowing how to face him, I made up an excuse and fled back to the B&B.

It wasn’t until ten that night that Patrick finally messaged me.

“Yuna, you came today? I was in the lab and didn’t see your message.”

“Dolly told you, right? Don’t overthink it.”

A sharp screech of brakes pulled me back to the present.

The car came to a smooth stop outside the B&B.

Patrick got out first and naturally took all the luggage from Dolly.

“You just carry the small one. I’ll take the heavy bags.”

Dolly pouted. “It’s not like I can’t carry them.”

“Your back still bothers you. Don’t push yourself.”

They walked side by side toward the entrance, forgetting about me once again.

Once, all it took was the slightest furrow of my brow for Patrick to know I was upset.

Now, he couldn’t even tell that I was limping.