Chapter 1

I’d been dating Ethan for three years, and we promised we’d go to the same college.

So when the recommendation list was posted, everyone shot us knowing looks.

“You two are totally using your recommendation spots to get into the same school, right?”

“So jealous!”

But when I got to the bulletin board, where my name should’ve been, there was someone else’s.

Serena Bell, the scholarship student in our class.

Ethan stood in the crowd, shielding Serena, and looked at me calmly.

“I asked the teacher to give the spot to Serena. She needs it more.”

“Babe, your family’s well-off, and your grades are amazing. You don’t need this recommendation.”

The crowd went dead silent.

I stared at Ethan, but I didn’t break down and demand to know what was going on with him and Serena, like I used to.

Ethan had no idea I was leaving the country next week.

Jade’s face went dark, and she started to charge at Ethan.

I grabbed her arm before she could swing.

She turned, her eyes redder than mine.

“Serena did this on purpose! You worked your ass off for that spot. Who the hell does he think he is, just giving it away—”

“Jade.” I cut her off, voice low. “Let’s go back to class.”

The whole class had already shifted their attention from me and Ethan.

They were all focused on the girl named Serena.

She clutched her books, trailing behind Ethan, timid and small, her fingers gripping the edge of his jacket.

Ethan probably didn’t even realize that the person following him hadn’t been me for a long time.

All morning, I sat at my desk.

Taking in the pitying or curious stares from every direction.

Ethan was on the other side of the room, laughing it up with his friends.

Serena sat right next to him, leaning in to talk to him every few seconds, so close they were almost hugging.

She didn’t used to sit there.

She transferred into that class just last week.

Ethan started bringing her to group study sessions, calling it “helping each other out.”

Eventually, he even started bringing her to our friend hangouts.

At lunch, Jade dropped her tray across from me.

She slammed her fork down and lowered her voice to a furious hiss.

“Serena’s been throwing herself at Ethan for ages. I asked around—she’s got serious moves. And Ethan, he just—”

“Jade,” I said, dropping a piece of chicken into her bowl, cutting her off. “Eat first.”

She snorted but didn’t say any more.

The last bell rang, and everyone started filing out.

Ethan strolled over, casual as ever. “Walk out together?”

He grabbed my bag like it was nothing, his other hand reaching for my shoulder, a move he’d done a thousand times.

I shifted slightly, dodging it.

“You go ahead. I’ve got club stuff.”

Ethan blinked, then nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

He leaned against the hallway wall, scrolling on his phone, texting somebody.

The late afternoon sun slanted through the hallway.

My shadow, blurry against the wall.

My uniform was neat, but it couldn’t hide the exhaustion in my eyes.

I ignored him and walked straight out.

“Hey,” he said, suddenly catching up a couple of steps behind me. “Serena’s overall assessment isn’t as strong, so this spot really matters to her.”

“Think of it as helping a student with financial struggles.”

I didn’t answer, just stared at the people running on the distant track field.

He waited a beat, then finally tore his eyes from his phone and looked at me. “You mad?”

He leaned in closer. “We agreed, right? Next time, I promise.”

His fingers slid through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck,

like he was soothing a grumpy kitten. “You’ll ace the college entrance exams. You can get into any school you want. There’s no need to fight her for this.”

A bitter ache spread through my chest.

It was always like this.

I had the better family, the better grades, so I was supposed to step aside.

Afterward, he’d toss out a casual apology, and automatically assume the whole thing was over.

“Ethan.” I stared at our long shadows on the floor.

“Yeah?”

“I had a deal with my parents.” My voice was calm. “If I didn’t get the recommendation spot, I had to leave the country with them.”

“They’ve already finished the immigration paperwork.”

The hallway went quiet for a second.

His hand on my neck stopped moving.

“Your parents are just messing with you,” he said with a dry laugh.

His hand started moving again, but this time it felt dismissive. “What’s so great about going abroad anyway? You’d really leave?”

No plea to stay.

Just straight to “going abroad is bad.”

I suddenly remembered something I’d overheard once, Ethan talking to one of his friends.

I’d gone to find him and caught his friend asking, “Aren’t you scared Riley might leave?”

Ethan had laughed. “She can’t live without me.”

I hadn’t thought much of it then.

I’d even made excuses for him in my head—he was just talking off the cuff.

Now I realized he’d probably always believed that.

From the very beginning, he thought I’d never leave him.

The sun dipped lower, and the building’s shadow stretched further.

Ethan glanced at his watch.

Like he figured the earlier conversation had already smoothed things over, he reached for my hand, casual as could be.

I raised my hand, gently blocking his.

He froze.

“I’m heading home, Ethan.”

Chapter