Chapter 2

She finished speaking and gave me a faint smile.

It wasn't a petty, taunting smirk. It was the calm smile of a victor.

I yanked my bag back with all my strength. The zipper tore open, and my documents scattered across the floor, landing right at Julian's feet.

He bent down to pick them up, but held onto them.

"Calm down first."

My voice shook. "How much longer do you need to tell me to calm down?"

He frowned. "You're unstable right now. I don't want you running home and saying reckless things to your grandmother."

I stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, I lunged forward and snatched the papers right out of his hand.

Caught off guard, the sharp edge of the folders sliced across the webbing of my thumb, and blood welled up instantly.

Julian froze.

"Evie, your hand..."

I ignored him, digging my phone out from the bag.

The screen lit up with twenty-six missed calls.

Every single one was from Grandma.

The latest text message was sent eleven minutes ago:

Evie, sweetie, Grandma is waiting by the stone bridge. Why aren't you here yet?

Right then, Martha’s call buzzed through.

My hands shook so violently I could barely swipe the screen.

On the other end, Martha's voice broke into panicked sobs:

"Evelyn! You finally picked up!"

"Your grandma went out to City Hall to look for you! She took a terrible fall near the stone bridge—she’s in the emergency room right now!"

By the time I rushed to the hospital, Grandma was already in the trauma room.

Martha sat on a bench outside, her hair soaked from the rain, still wearing her kitchen apron.

The moment she saw me, her tears spilled over.

"Your grandma couldn't sit still all morning. She kept saying today was your big day, that she had to cook your favorite birthday noodles for good luck."

"When you didn't show up, she got worried and insisted on walking to City Hall to check on you."

I leaned against the cold corridor wall, the pain in my chest suffocating me.

"When did she fall?"

"A little after eleven."

Eleven in the morning.

At eleven, I was standing outside City Hall, waiting for Julian.

At eleven, my phone was locked inside his backpack.

At eleven, Julian was sitting in a warm diner, peeling shrimp for Serena.

I stared down at the dried blood on my hand, suddenly remembering the way Grandma had brushed my hair this morning.

Her arthritic fingers were clumsy, pinning it a little lopsided, but her face had been glowing with joy.

"Our Evie is getting married today. You’ll have someone to cherish you for the rest of your life."

I had laughed and teased her back then:

"Grandma, I already have you to cherish me."

Looking back now, it felt like the cruelest joke in the world.

Half an hour later, Julian arrived.

Serena was right behind him.

She walked beside him, carrying a plastic takeout bag filled with food.

When Julian saw the blood on my hand, his face shifted.

"Why haven't you bandaged that?"

I didn't answer.

He sat down next to me, his voice softening into that placating tone he always used:

"Evie, I'm sorry about earlier."

"Serena’s ex was genuinely threatening her. I was terrified something would happen to her."

I looked up, looking right into his eyes.

"So my grandma was the one who deserved to get hurt?"

His expression stiffened.

Serena stood nearby. She didn't hide, nor did she cry.

She looked right at me and spoke plainly:

"Evelyn, you can hate me all you want."

"But Julian chose who he wanted to be with today. Nobody forced his hand."