All Chapters of Gone with the Wind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I ended the video call and opened my chat history with Zach as my hands shook. When I scrolled up, all I saw were my messages.I had sent sunsets, sweet and sour ribs from the cafeteria, and orange cats crouched by the road. He didn't say much in the chat, just a few things here and there. One "yeah" every few hours. One "okay" every couple of days. Sometimes, only a sticker.I exited the messaging app and opened his Facebook.The background photo had changed. Previously, it was a photo of the two of us on New Year's Eve. Now, it was a group photo from an award ceremony.Amy stood on his right, their heads tilted slightly toward each other like the perfect partners.My eyes burned. I blinked hard, trying to hold it in, but the tears fell first.Just as I was about to lock the screen, Amy's message popped up at the top of my phone.[Megan, I've thought about this for a long time, but I still think I should tell you. If you really care about Zach, stop sending him those random upd

Chapter 2

The next day, I switched on my phone.In my chat with Zach, the message sat alone at the bottom without a reply. Like every message I had sent over the past four years, it had vanished without a trace.I stared at the screen and laughed. Not even a breakup was worth an answer.Just as I was about to lock my phone, a class group message popped up.It was the roster for the school basketball exhibition game, and I spotted Zach's name immediately. Amy's name was beside his.My roommate leaned over, took one look, and clicked her tongue. "Those two are Easton College's famous grad-school prep couple. They spend every day in the library. Even the professors say they look good together."She pulled up a screenshot from Amy's Facebook feed. "Look at them. They look so good together. One ranks first, the other second, and they even get their certificates in pairs."I pushed down the ache in my heart and nodded along, but my nails dug into my palm.From that day on, I avoided the librar

Chapter 3

My roommate dragged me over to look after her brother, Connor Rivers, at the basketball game the next day. He had just started college and was competing for the first time, so his hands were shaking from nervousness.I bought drinks and stayed on the sidelines to help.As soon as the whistle blew, I looked up without thinking and saw Zach dribbling past someone. Amy stood outside the line, holding a towel and a bottle of water.Every time he scored, she clapped and shouted, "Nice!"Whenever he paused to catch his breath, she handed him water and intimately wiped his sweat. The students around me whispered, "They really do look good with each other."Another student said, "Zach can play the whole game without getting tired. Amy probably deserves some credit for that!"I forced a faint smile and turned my attention back to Connor.At the end of the third quarter, Zach came off the court to have a drink, and Amy draped the towel over the back of his neck. I lowered my head to unscr

Chapter 4

"I wasn't there?" My voice was hoarse as I glared at Zach. "I called you eleven times when you had a fever at the end of the semester for your freshman year, and you didn't answer even once. The next day, you said your phone was silent, and I believed you."In the winter of your sophomore year, my part-time job withheld my pay. I crouched by the road and sent you a voice message saying 'I feel awful'. It took you two days to reply with a hug sticker."Last month on my birthday, I waited until two in the morning, and you didn't even say happy birthday. The next day, you said you forgot and told me not to be so dramatic."I stared at him, and my tears finally rolled down my chin. "I wasn't there when you needed me? Did you ever give me a chance to be there? Every time you needed someone, Amy was already beside you. Where was I supposed to stand?!"Zach opened his mouth. His lips moved, but he could not say a word.Amy let go of his jersey and softly said, "Zach, stop... Megan is pro

Chapter 5

I rented a beach guesthouse with white walls and blue windows. When I opened the balcony door, I could step right onto the beachfront.For the first three days, I did nothing but lie there listening to the waves and sleep until I woke up on my own. When I was hungry, I would go to the entrance of the street for some spaghetti marinara.Warm sunlight fell across the tops of my feet, and I rested my phone on my stomach. When the screen lit up, I saw Connor had sent a message: [Are there strong waves today? Don't go into deep waters.]Before I could reply, another message popped up: [Never mind. You won't listen even if I say it.][I checked the tides. It's safe from two to four tomorrow. Go in around that time instead.]I froze for a moment and typed back: [You checked the tide for me?][Yeah. I don't feel right leaving you alone.]Outside the window, ocean waves rolled in one after another. I stared at those never-ending lines for a long time, and my heart felt as if it had been

Chapter 6

Zach quickly scrolled up, but the chat history was completely clean.He remembered Megan telling him to read the messages earlier, but only his one-sided message was in the chat window.Megan would not lie to him, and the only person who could touch his phone was Amy.Zach called Amy.She picked up quickly, her voice sleepy. "Zach? It's so late..."He held back his anger. "Did you touch my phone?"Amy paused for a second. "What? I didn't...""You deleted the messages Megan sent me." He cut her off. "I'm asking you. Did you delete them?""Zach, listen to me..." Amy's voice softened, full of hurt. "I was afraid you'd get distracted. She kept sending pointless things. You were at a critical stage with your studies, so I filtered them for you...""Filtered?" Zach held his phone tight. "What else did she send?"Amy stayed silent for a few seconds, then lowered her voice further. "She... brought up breaking up. I was worried you would feel upset after seeing it, so I deleted it."

Chapter 7

Connor sneered at Zach. "You were keeping two girlfriends at once. What's the point of playing the act of a devoted boyfriend?"Then, Connor continued with a lazy tone. "A woman as good as Megan should move on. Wouldn't it be a waste for her to stay tied to you?"Zach grabbed Connor by the collar. "Who are you to tell her what to do?"Connor did not pull away. Instead, he smiled. "Ask yourself. She sent so many text messages, but you didn't reply to any of them. She got sick, and you weren't there. You forgot her birthday completely. Amy was the one who stood beside you and replied to her messages for you. She even made the decisions and dated Megan for you. Now you come asking me where she is? Go look in a mirror."Zach's eyes were red, and he felt like his mind was going to explode as Amy's words kept circling in his ears."The two of them were flirting"In that moment, every word Connor said seemed to prove it.Zach clenched his fist and swung hard. Connor did not dodge, and

Chapter 8

Zach came again in the evening.He was holding a paper bag, and inside was a silk scarf. It was the same color as the one he had saved up for and bought me after working during the summer of his first year.Back then, I had wrapped it around myself and taken seventeen selfies. He had liked every single one. He placed the paper bag on the bedside table, his tone careful. "I passed by that store and saw a new design... You said you liked this brand before."I glanced at it without moving.Connor leaned over at once, picked up the scarf, and unfolded it. "Isn't this color somewhat outdated? Megan likes bright colors now."He folded the scarf and stuffed it back into the paper bag before pushing it back. "Appreciate the thought, Zach. Please take it away."-The next day, Zach came with a thermos of hot lemon honey drink. "Your period is coming soon."He remembered that.In the past, he would send only one line every month: [Drink more hot water.]Connor took it and sniffed, then

Chapter 9

A few days later, my phone screen lit up.Amy had sent me a long message.[Megan, I've thought about some things, and I still think I should tell you.]I was about to swipe it away, but my fingers paused.[Zach's phone. I took it secretly while he was showering. I deleted the message where you said you wanted a breakup. I also deleted all your messages from that time. He didn't know anything.][I kicked the ball on purpose at the basketball game that day. I calculated the direction and wanted Zach to protect me. But I didn't expect it to hit you.][When we picked gifts, I chose things you wouldn't like. The earrings were too tacky, the scarf color made your skin look dull, and the handbag style was outdated... I did it on purpose. I wanted him to give you things you hated so that you would get angry, he would be disappointed, and the two of you would break up.][On the day Zach went to your college and fought Connor, I told him that you two were together. I made those things up

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