Chapter 3

"Hey, Emma, are you running away again?"

Celeste called out unwillingly.

She continued to provoke me.

"Emma, I knew it. As long as Declan pretended to be mute, you'd feel sorry for him. No matter what he wanted, even if it meant digging out your heart for him, you'd do it."

"Because you've never forgotten Jasper for a single day!"

"Jasper, that dirty soul, only a fool like you would give your all to love him, while I can't even stand looking at him!"

Hearing Jasper's name, I couldn't control my emotions anymore.

My eyes turned red, all my reason vanished.

I rushed over, grabbing Celeste's collar, crazily demanding:

"Celeste! What right do you have to talk about him like that! I won't allow it! I won't allow it! Jasper is the cleanest person in the world! He's the best, the kindest!"

"He's just disappeared, he must still be alive! Tell me! Where is he now! Where is he now! Tell me!!!!"

My chest heaved violently, years of pent-up emotions exploding.

I felt wetness at the corners of my eyes, not knowing if it was blood or tears.

Declan was startled by my outburst and hurried to stop me.

He said:

"Emma, calm down. Hit me if you must. It's my fault, not Celeste's."

His words made my emotions even more intense.

"Slap!"

I slapped him across the face.

"Hit you?! Yeah, I should hit you!"

"Declan, did you have fun this year, huh? Can't help but laugh when you think about it, huh? A Rich Kid pretending to be mute, playing me like a fool. Should I be grateful?"

Declan stood still, his face swollen from my slap.

"Emma, I'm sorry. You can hit or scold me."

"Bang!"

I didn't hold back, kicking him. Declan clutched his stomach, painfully kneeling.

"Declan, stop pretending to be deep. I'll never forgive you!"

"Never!"

"Hit you? Yeah, maybe I should!"

"Declan, did you enjoy this past year, playing your little charade? Laughing at the thought? A wealthy heir pretending to be mute, making a fool out of me. Should I be grateful?"

Declan stood there, his cheek red from my slap.

"Emma, I'm sorry. You can hit me, shout at me, do whatever you need."

"Thud!"

I didn't hold back, kicking him hard. Declan doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Declan, stop faking sincerity. I'll never forgive you!"

"Never!"

"You can choose not to love me, deceive me, yell at me, but pretending to be mute to trick me is unforgivable! Jasper was the only beautiful thing in my life! He was the untouchable part of my heart! Why did you have to ruin that? Why?!"

By the end, I was hysterical.

Tears streamed down my face, perhaps because the boy who used to wipe them away was long gone...

I never wanted to believe he left me, but I searched every corner of the world and couldn't find a trace of him.

In my despair, Declan appeared, pretending to be mute.

I was like a drowning person clutching onto the last piece of driftwood.

I gave him everything I had.

Even if he only resembled Jasper a little, I was content.

But it was all a lie...

Just then, Celeste pushed me aside, her fingers gently brushing Declan’s face with concern.

"Emma, are you insane?! How dare you hit Declan? Don’t you know he’s the heir of the Declan family?"

"Just wait, I won’t let this go. You'll be begging for our forgiveness!"

Her threats didn’t faze me.

After all, these rich people are experts at crushing those of us who have nothing.

I'm tired of this life, wishing I could just die right now.

Maybe in another world, I could find him.

---

"No... don't..."

"Let her go. I'm fine," Declan said, struggling to lift his head, tears falling from his eyes.

"Emma, I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

I looked at him coldly.

"Declan, hear me clearly. I never want to see you again!"

With that, I turned and walked away.

Declan kept his word. When I got home, I found two million dollars deposited into my account, undoubtedly from him.

It was labeled as a "voluntary gift."

I scoffed and blocked all his accounts.

I never want to have anything to do with him again.

Back in my tiny rented apartment, surrounded by decay, I lost the will to live.

I pulled out a teddy bear from the bottom of a box.

It's the only thing Jasper left behind before he went away.

Since he left, I haven't slept well. I keep running on that road in my dreams.

I wish I could run faster, fast enough to keep him, fast enough not to miss him again.

"Jasper, don't go."

At those moments, I would hold the teddy bear tightly.

Tighter, so it wouldn’t slip away from my grasp.

When Declan came, I locked the bear deep in the box.

I wanted to give myself a fresh start, a detox.

I saw Declan, who invaded my world, as another Jasper.

When I learned he also couldn't speak, I didn't hesitate for a moment. Instinctively, I wanted to save another him, to let him have the happiness Jasper never got.

But I was wrong, Declan wasn't him.

He wouldn’t deceive me, wouldn’t let me cry...

I clutched the bear, kneeling on the ground, crying.

"Jasper, can I come find you? I'm so tired alone..."

As I cried, I noticed something strange.

One of the teddy bear's eyes seemed to flicker with a red light.

I squinted, removed that eye, and found a small USB drive hidden inside.

I quickly got up, stumbled back to my room, grabbed my laptop, and plugged it in.

The USB contained a video, an address, and a password.

When I played the video, I saw the face I dreamed of, the twenty-year-old Jasper.

With his slender fingers, he signed:

"Emma, if you're watching this, I'm probably gone. I'm sorry I lied, but I couldn't leave with you."

"I hate him. He destroyed my life. I want him dead! I want to expose his crimes and make him pay!"

"I know I might not succeed, but I have to try."

Jasper stood up, reached out to touch my head on the screen.

"My dear Emma, even without me, you must be happy."

When he sat back down, I saw his eyes were red too, filled with reluctance.

He continued signing:

"Emma, I've saved some money for you. Enough for you to live well your entire life."

"This money... is clean..."

"Forget me, Emma. Your life should be bright and brilliant."

The video abruptly ended, yet I was still lost in thought.

5

"Jasper!!!"

I screamed his name, crying, hugging the screen, trying to see his face again.

But no matter how many times I watched the video, ten, a hundred, a thousand times, he never came back.

With the account password, I went to the bank to open the mysterious safety deposit box.

As Jasper said, he left me enough money to live comfortably for life.

Inside was also a letter that read:

"Emma, take this money and leave City A. Never come back, and don't investigate my cause of death. Forget me and start anew."

Staring at Jasper's handwriting, tears fell, soaking the paper, smudging the ink.

In an instant, I made up my mind.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. This time, I can't listen to you."

I know the road ahead is long and my abilities limited. But I'm not giving up.