Chapter 2

Back then, just because Daphne had said that she wanted to see me every day, I had foolishly rejected my parents' plans for me to study abroad and made up my mind to attend the same university as her.

Even though I didn't care for the school or the major, I was naive enough to believe that as long as I could be with Daphne every single day, it would all be worth it.

I clenched my fists, overwhelmed by how worthless that choice felt now and how pathetic I had been to give everything up for her.

Just then, a notification from my study-abroad agency snapped me back to reality.

Sitting in the empty room with my head hung low, I methodically gathered all the necessary documents and hit send.

…

By evening, I had just finished packing when the front door clicked open.

Daphne walked in, laughing and chatting with a few of her friends. Nathan was with them.

I heard his sheepish voice carry into the apartment. "This is so embarrassing. I didn't see the rock. I tripped and fell right into the lake. I'm totally soaked. It's a good thing I left some clothes with you last time, Daphne."

Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water, leaving me completely numb.

Daphne had rented this apartment because her schedule didn't align with her roommates'. I usually stayed in my dorm and only came over occasionally.

How could she let Nathan come here, let alone leave his clothes?

Unaware that I was in the room, they continued talking without a care in the world.

"Impressive, Daphne. Not only did Jenson give up going abroad for you, but now, Nathan is totally head over heels for you too."

"Honestly, Jenson might have the looks, but he's way too cold. He's nothing like Nathan. Nathan is so sweet and considerate."

Her friends started egging Daphne on, telling her to just dump me and date Nathan instead.

Daphne did absolutely nothing to stop them. She just offered a faint smile and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I only see Nate as a younger brother."

That affectionate tone immediately drew a chorus of teasing groans. "Oh, please. You're so close to him. Doesn't Jenson throw a fit?"

"Let him." She let out a dismissive scoff. "He loves me so much that he gave up studying abroad. He's never going to break up with me. He'll throw his little tantrum and then come crawling right back."

That scoff was the final straw that shattered what little sanity I had left.

Why? Why did my unyielding devotion to her become nothing more than bragging rights and leverage to manipulate me?

As they joked about how well she had me wrapped around her finger, I felt like a humiliated clown. With tears pricking my eyes, I stormed out into the living room.

The laughter died instantly.

Just as I wanted to open my mouth to speak, I noticed the Ragdoll cat cradled in Nathan's arms.

My voice instantly carried a barely perceptible tremor. "Who brought a cat in here? Get it out now!"

I had asthma, and cat hair was one of my worst triggers.

Daphne knew this perfectly well, yet she still allowed Nathan to bring it over. "Sunny is the cat Nate keeps in his dorm. The dorm manager has been cracking down lately, so I told him I'd look after it for a bit."

Smiling, Nathan shoved the cat directly toward my chest. "Do you want to hold it, Jenson? It's adorable!"

The moment the long cat hair brushed against my cheek, my airways violently constricted. It felt as though an invisible hand had clamped around my throat.

"Get it away…"

I gasped like a fish out of water. Every single breath sent sharp stabs of pain through my chest.

Driven by pure survival instinct, I used every ounce of my remaining strength to shove him away. Nathan and the cat went tumbling to the floor, and I collapsed right after them, completely drained.

"How could you do that?" Nathan whimpered, instantly playing the victim. "You're just mad because Daphne bought me dinner, aren't you? But Sunny didn't do anything wrong…"

His shoulders shook, and Daphne's friends immediately jumped to his defense. "What is wrong with your boyfriend? It's bad enough that he's petty, but now he's bullying people?"

"How could anyone be this cruel to hurt such a cute little cat? Honestly, Daphne, I don't know how you've put up with him for so many years!"

Their accusations only made my breathing tighter. The suffocating pressure brought a sudden rush of tears to my eyes.

Humiliated and helpless, I reached a trembling hand out toward Daphne. "My inhaler…"