Chapter 3

Tears of heartbreak and humiliation had long since fallen.

Jacob's words echoed in my mind over and over again.

They had almost completely destroyed all of my self-esteem.

If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never would have believed that he and the person who had been so intimately entangled with me last night were the same person.

Apparently, it was possible to do such intimate things without love.

Even in the most passionate moments of losing all reason, it was possible to lie and deceive.

What I had foolishly believed to be the fruition of our relationship was nothing more than a joke to others.

The more I cried, the more upset I became.

But I didn't dare make a sound, my body shaking uncontrollably.

After a long while.

My phone buzzed with a message notification.

It was Jacob.

[Take a cab home yourself, the team has a celebration party tonight, it's not convenient to take you.]

I didn't reply.

He added another message.

[Remember to go to CVS and buy Plan B, I don't have time to go with you today. Make sure to take it, be good.]

I stared at these two messages for a long time without saying anything.

Yesterday from evening until dawn, Jacob had worn me out over and over again.

In the end, when we were both exhausted, just before he fell asleep holding me, he had mumbled twice.

"We weren't fully prepared for the first time, I'll definitely take you to buy emergency contraception tomorrow."

He even reminded me that girls need to protect themselves, and that Plan B is more effective the earlier you take it.

At the time, I thought he was being responsible towards me, that I had finally found my happiness.

But now...

In an instant, I sobered up quite a bit.

I pinched my palm hard, forcing myself to stop crying.

I wiped away my tears and tidied myself up before leaving the bathroom.

Too embarrassed to go to the pharmacy myself, I just ordered the pill on Uber Eats.

After the rider left it at the door, it took me a long time before I dared to sneak out and bring it back.

After swallowing the pill with tears in my eyes, I seemed to lose all my strength and just sat numbly on the carpet, staring blankly.

Ever since Jacob's family moved in next door, I had followed him around like a little tail for ten years.

I had never imagined what a world without him would be like.

I didn't dare to imagine it either.

But from now on, it would just be me alone.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of Minneapolis came on one by one, then gradually went out.

I don't know how much time had passed when my best friend Sarah FaceTimed me.

"Emily, why didn't you come to the graduation party with Jacob tonight?

"That cheerleader Jessica showed up instead, and she's been all over Jacob while you're not here. They're being so gross right now."

Sarah turned the camera to show me.