Chapter 4

Lennon sounded a little impatient.

“What’s wrong? I’m at a party.”

I fought back the pain in my stomach and crouched down, while leaning against the wall for support.

“I’m not feeling well. Can you come back?”

“If you’re not feeling well, take some medicine first. Everyone’s here. It wouldn’t be right for me to leave.”

As if afraid I would read too much into it, he added, “Be a good girl. Do as I say.”

A metallic taste filled my mouth.

A second before he hung up, I heard Chloe laughing heartily on the other end.

I forced a smile and dialed Neil’s number.

Less than ten minutes later, someone rang the doorbell.

A second before I lost consciousness, I saw that figure pause for a moment, then rush toward me in a panic.

“Leal!”

When I woke up again, the burning sensation in my stomach had eased up quite a bit.

Neil was leaning over the bed. He instinctively handed me a cup of warm water with his brow furrowed.

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

The curtains billowed in the breeze. The wind chimes clinked.

I smiled wryly as I reached for my phone and unlocked the screen.

There was not a single message.

However, one of my classmates had posted a new update on their Stories.

In the video, a group of people was cheering each other on during a game of Truth or Dare.

The bottle had spun and landed on Lennon.

He glanced at Chloe beside him and chose “Truth.”

“Lennon, you and Chloe were so happy in high school. Why did you choose someone else in the end?”

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Lennon paused for a moment and remained silent for a while.

“I lost a game of Truth or Dare with Chloe, and that was the penalty. Later, out of a sense of responsibility, we ended up where we are now.”

The other person pressed further.

“Lennon, you didn’t actually fall for her, did you?”

Lennon glanced at him.

“Leal is perfect as a girlfriend. I’m going to marry her.”

My fingers tightened around my phone.

In the next round, he drew “Dare.”

“A lot of people shipped you two back in high school. Why don’t you kiss Chloe today? Let’s just put an end to that relationship we’ve been shipping all those years.”

Lennon smiled helplessly, set down his glass, and yanked Chloe toward him. Then, he pressed his lips against hers.

Chloe only partially resisted it. They both kissed passionately, reluctant to part.

The screen reflected my teary eyes.

It turned out that what I had once believed to be mutual affection had been nothing but a joke the whole time.

I sat motionless on the bed all night. Goodness knew how long it had been when I finally heard the door open.

Lennon’s eyes widened in fury as he yanked my blanket back.

“Leal, what did you mean by that message in the class group chat?”

I numbly unlocked my phone. The group chat was buzzing with a heated discussion.

[Lennon, how could you let this happen? While you were out at a party, she snuck right into your house to have an affair!]

[I heard this guy is Leal’s childhood friend! Tsk, tsk. They even have rhyming names too!]

I took a deep breath and locked eyes with him.

“Lennon, I called you home because I had gastric pains. What were you doing? You were kissing Chloe.”

Lennon froze suddenly.

Just then, a message popped up from my top-pinned contact.

[Come downstairs. The airport shuttle’s here.]

I grabbed my luggage, but Lennon frowned and grabbed my arm.

“Where are you going?”

Before I could say a word, he sighed and massaged his temples.

“Can you stop messing around? I can’t handle your little tantrums every time. I’m really tired of it this time.”

Even at that moment, he still thought I was throwing a tantrum.

I paused for a moment. Then, I pushed his hand away.

“Once you leave, don’t come back. This time, I won’t try to persuade you to come back.”

I nodded and pushed open the door.

Through the crack in the door, I took one last look at the home I had lived in for so long.

I no longer needed anyone to persuade me.

I would never, ever come back.