Chapter 4

I returned and found William wasn't home.

"Paige, William is Daniel. I know it's hard for you to accept. But Daniel came back to me. As my best friend, shouldn't you be happy for me?" Sarah said, swirling the wine in her glass, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.

I stared at her, not understanding how Sarah had become this person. We had spent four years together in college, practically inseparable, sharing everything.

She knew how much William meant to me.

"Why are you putting on this act? If you love Daniel so much, why are you still clinging to William?

"Is it just because William has Daniel's heart?"

"Paige, after all these years, you still don't understand me," she sighed, looking at me with a hint of pity.

"Paige, do you think William will still want you after seeing you hurt me?"

I heard the click of the door unlocking. Sarah's expression instantly changed. She smashed the wine glass, grabbed a shard, and slashed it across her own arm. Blood streamed down in a chilling red line.

Before I could react, she stumbled toward the door in panic, just in time to crash into William as he stepped inside.

"William! I won't call you Daniel anymore, just please, tell Paige not to kill me!"

I didn't even get a chance to explain. William stepped forward with long strides, shielding Sarah behind him, and shoved me hard.

I fell straight onto the shattered glass, red liquid spreading beneath me. Whether it was wine or blood, I couldn't tell.

"Paige, didn't I just warn you?"

The coldness in William's eyes cut into me like a blade. I couldn't bear to look anymore. Without another word, he scooped Sarah into his arms and rushed out the door.

"Paige, I won't let anyone bully you." William's old promise echoed in my ears.

"William, treat Paige well." Bella's dying wish flashed in my mind.

I looked around the empty room. My body was so numb I couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

Dazed, I walked out. Just as I was about to faint at the bottom of the stairs, I collapsed into someone's arms.

I woke up again to see David. My injuries had already been treated.

"Paige, don't you want to know the truth?" he asked, handing me a file.

"I'm the Daniel Sarah's been talking about.

"Sarah's favorite flower is the daffodil. She always said people should only love themselves. She has a mole right here, on her chest..."

"Stop..." I shut my eyes tightly, refusing to hear more. There was no way David could know her so intimately.

But David went on. "Back then, Sarah didn't want to make our relationship public. So she made up Daniel.

"Which means William has been lying to you this entire time, working with Sarah to deceive you."

I spent a few days recuperating at David's place, and William hadn't sent me a single message since.

David, on the other hand, was always out from dawn to dusk, but he would bring back delicious food for me every evening.