Chapter 3

When John opened the door, he saw me sprawled on the couch.

With a frown, he placed a bag of food in front of me.

"I brought you supper. Eat them while they're warm."

I glanced at them. They were all high-fat, high-sugar foods.

"No, thanks. I don't feel like eating."

John rubbed his temples in annoyance.

"Why are you upset again? I already texted you and told you not to wait for me. You're the one who chose to wait. Minnie, do you think other people have to be eternally grateful to you for every little thing that you do? I'm human too, and I get tired sometimes. I don't have time to play your little games."

I checked my phone. John had indeed sent me a text about coming home late.

At the same time, there was also a notification of Selena's new social media post.

"There's a power outage at the office, but a fool is here to keep me company, so I'm not scared."

The accompanying picture showed John's hand holding a cup of hot coffee next to a computer.

I numbly liked it and looked away.

"Did the proposal revision go well?"

John's gaze softened instantly.

"Yeah. We haven't collaborated in a while, but Selena and I still work really well together. Although she has a bad temper, she's highly efficient and competent. She truly lives up to being my rival."

"Work really well together" – that was high praise indeed.

In all the time John and I had known each other, he had only praised me once.

What was the praise again?

Oh, right. It was "understanding".

My eyes were unfocused and drooping.

"Yeah, you and Selena really are made for each other."

John lowered his voice, clearly indifferent. "Are you done? Selena and I have known each other for a long time. If anything was going to happen between us, it would have happened already. You wouldn't even get the chance to be with me, so stop saying things like that. It's damaging our relationship."

I stopped talking. I stood up unsteadily and slowly made my way to the bedroom.

Only then did John notice the bloody blisters on my feet. He quickly scooped me up.

"Why are you so hot? Do you have a fever?"

A quick check with the thermometer showed 101.3 degrees.

John hastily gave me fever medicine and applied a wet towel to cool me down.

The phone by the bed kept ringing, and I groggily glanced at it.

It was a call from a contact saved as an "apple" emoji.

John glanced at my flushed, feverish face, then swiped to answer.

"Minnie hasn't replied to my texts for three hours. Where is she?"

John told her about my condition, and Selena became more anxious.

"You don't know how to take care of anyone. I'm coming over right now."

I vaguely drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up some time later.

John looked worried, and he sounded anxious.

"Selena sprained her ankle when she went downstairs. I need to go check on her. I'll put your medicine and water here. Take the meds when the alarm rings."

I called out to John with a hoarse voice.

He glanced at me impatiently, his tone irritable.

"Selena sprained her ankle because of you. This isn't the time to act up."

I suppressed the nausea from my dizziness and calmly reminded him, "We have an ointment for sprains. Take it with you."

John paused, then grabbed the medicine box and left.

As I fell back onto the pillow, I suddenly remembered what John had saved me as in his phone.

Minnie Jost, Class 1, Senior Year.

We'd been together for five years, and that contact name had never changed.

Meanwhile, Selena's contact name in John's phone was the simplest, yet also the most unique.

As I thought of that, tears inexplicably streamed down my face.

Mixed with the sweat from my fever, they blurred my vision and filled my heart with sadness.

The closed door was pushed open once more. John had suddenly returned.

He picked me up, panting heavily.

"Selena insisted she wouldn't let me go alone, so you're coming with me. That way, I can take care of both of you, and you won't be alone at home, so we don't have to worry about you."

I struggled weakly but couldn't break free.

"John, I don't want to go."

John ignored me, forcibly shoving me into the back seat of his car.

Lying there, I saw his GPS display Selena's address as a frequently visited location.

I didn't say a word, wrapping myself tighter in the blanket.

When we arrived, John rushed upstairs, leaving me alone in the car.

Once again, I was left behind.