Chapter 2

I have an old house in the suburbs, left to me by my parents. I hadn't lived there for years, but now it was my only refuge.

After showering, I saw a missed call on my phone.

It was from my friend, Liam.

Just as I was about to call back, Liam called again.

"Alex, are you and Chloe fighting again? Why bother? You'll just end up crying, throwing a fit, and crawling back to her anyway."

Liam's words cut deep, each one a dagger to my heart.

I stood by the window, the cold wind making me shiver. "This time it's really over. We're not getting back together."

Liam hesitated for a moment. "Really over? What if she comes crying to you, begging for you back?"

I let out a cold laugh. "I'm not masochistic by nature. Five years. I'm finally awake."

"I don't believe it!"

Liam then changed his tune. "Unless you actually show up for our high school reunion tomorrow."

I: "..."

What does that have to do with anything?

Liam scoffed. "I knew you weren't serious about breaking up."

I sighed. "...Fine, I'll go. I promise I'll clean up nicely and attend tomorrow, okay?!"

Liam finally sounded satisfied. "There's a surprise tomorrow!"

What surprise could there be?

I was exhausted and in no mood to guess. "If you keep playing coy, I'm going to bed."

Liam immediately spilled the beans. "Your goddess, Seraphina, is coming tomorrow."

The moment those three words left his mouth, my foggy mind snapped into crystal-clear focus, and my grip on the phone involuntarily tightened.

Her full name was Seraphina Sterling.

She was my untouchable goddess during my naive high school days, and the goddess of half the boys in our school.

Excellent grades, a radiant aura, kind and generous to everyone.

Liam teased, "The whole point of this reunion is to welcome her back from overseas. I asked, and she's still single. You're single now too. Perfect timing, isn't it?"

I walked into the bathroom, looked at my haggard reflection in the mirror, and let out a bitter laugh. "That's all in the past."

After hanging up, I silently found a sheet mask and put it on.