All Chapters of I Am Not Your Keyword: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

My calm response must have tipped off that something was wrong, because Harrison Evans lowered his voice and started offering excuses."Things were crazy busy this afternoon, and my phone battery died before I could charge it."That had been his go-to excuse for the past three months. If I hadn't seen the truth with my own eyes, I would still have been kept in the dark."Okay," I hummed.His voice was brimming with worry. "How are your injuries? Is it serious?"I glanced up at the clock. It was 7:40 PM—eight full hours after I had tried calling him.I snapped a photo of my leg, wrapped tightly in a thick plaster cast, and sent it to him. It was a comminuted fracture.Harrison looked at it, but he didn't bother asking any more questions. Instead, he sent back a few photos of blooming crabapple blossoms."They're all in full bloom," he marveled. "Looks like an ocean of pink. It's breathtaking."I stared at the images. "Is Charleston really that much fun?"Was it fun enough for

After dropping Aurora off, Harrison rushed to explain, "Don't take it to heart. She just loves making jokes.""Do you even remember you're getting married?" I asked bluntly.Harrison's face darkened slightly, and he fell silent. I turned to look out the window, my mind drifting back.Harrison and Aurora used to be the quintessential golden couple. Back in college, they were star students who did debate together, won competitions together, and traveled together.But they were both too stubborn, caught in an endless cycle of fighting, making up, and fighting again. By the time they graduated, real-world pressures drove them to break up.Harrison wept as if his whole world had collapsed. I had never seen a grown man break down like that, so I got off the bus and pulled my beanie over his head.I ran off before he could react, and we didn't cross paths again until more than a year later. Exchanging numbers felt natural, and eventually, we started dating.Everything was calm and swee

Harrison frantically darted from room to room, but after searching every corner of the apartment, there was still no trace of me.That was when he finally noticed how empty the place felt. Half of our shared belongings were gone. Without missing a beat, he dialed my number.I let it ring three full times before slowly picking up. His trembling voice came through, though he tried his best to sound natural."Cindy, where are you?""I went home.""This is your home.""I canceled the venue and the wedding. We're done."A sudden wave of panic seemed to hit him, and I could hear his rapid, restless pacing through the speaker."You're being impulsive! We're about to get married!"He practically roared the last words, as if he cared about the wedding.Exhaustion washed over me, and my voice dropped to a murmur. "Drop the act. Wouldn't it be easier to just be honest for once?"Harrison choked on his breath, his voice suddenly sounding distant."What are you talking about?""Last mo

"You're nothing but a loser to me, so why act all high and mighty?" Aurora hissed. "Do you honestly think doing this will make you two last? It won't! As long as I'm around, you will never last.""I know." I shrugged. "That's why I kicked him to the curb. Instead, I wish you two a long and happy life together."By then, our roles had reversed. She became the anxious performer trapped in the drama, while I became an indifferent bystander."What do you want from him?" she demanded, her voice cracked. "You're so completely unremarkable. I don't understand why he keeps chasing after you."I stood up to leave, speaking lazily over my shoulder. "Maybe he's just the type of guy who can never get over his ex."Unconvinced, she chased after me. "Wait! Show me your phone. You're still flirting with him, aren't you?""Are you out of your mind?" I snapped, shoving her away."I turned down a job offer in Korulville just to move here for him!" she shrieked. "He can't treat me like this!"I p