Chapter 1

Severe weather was rolling in, heavy rain. I was stuck in the classroom, waiting for Caleb to pick me up.

After half an hour, I couldn't wait any longer and walked downstairs myself. But as I turned the corner, I overheard Caleb on the phone:

"I get it, I'll bring her back! It's not like I asked her dad to save me, I don't owe her anything!"

"Why is she trying to emotionally manipulate me?!"

My heart clenched painfully. If I could, I'd wish my dad had never saved him. Then I wouldn't be stuck living under their roof.

That night, I submitted an application to teach in a remote area, putting as much distance between Caleb and me as possible.

It was an hour later when Caleb's car finally pulled into the driveway. He stomped upstairs, fuming.

"Harper, why didn't you wait for me tonight?!"

Caleb's voice boomed from outside the door. I quickly put away my dad's photo and replied calmly, "I waited for half an hour."

Caleb stood in the doorway, a flicker of impatience crossing his face. "It was raining, traffic was backed up – couldn't you have waited a little longer?"

"What's so great about interning at that rundown school? You can work for our company instead!"

I didn't agree. "Got it."

I wasn't ready to tell him about the teaching application yet.

"It's late. I'm going to bed. If there's nothing else, you can go back to your room."

I stood up and pushed him out of the room. Caleb's face darkened, and he braced himself against the doorframe. "Harper, there's a high school reunion the day after tomorrow. Come with me!"

A high school reunion. Just thinking about that crowd sent a shiver of disgust down my spine.

Before I could reply, he typed my name into his phone.

"I signed you up."

"I'm not going." For the first time, I refused, snatching his phone and deleting my name.

"Caleb, I won't go. Those are your buddies, your friends. They have nothing to do with me!"

"I don't need you telling me how to live my life!"

Caleb froze at my words, then let out a cold laugh. "Fine! I guess I'm just wasting my breath on you!"

"I don't need it!" I took a deep breath. "I don't need you to look after me, not anymore. I'm not a burden to you, and I'm not your responsibility!"

His slamming door was my only answer.

Looking at my dad's photo on the table, my heart was a mix of emotions.

When I was six, Caleb fell into the water. There was a flash flood at the time, and his family was camping by the river, with no time to escape.

Caleb was swept away. My dad happened to be passing by and jumped in without hesitation to save him.

But my dad ran out of strength and was carried off by the flood. By the time they found him, his body was so swollen and disfigured from the water.

I lost my father that day. Caleb's family heard I was an orphan and took me in.

Caleb always looked out for me. We grew up together, inseparable.

Even his friends used to call me his little girlfriend!

Now, he was saying I was emotionally manipulating him. If I could, I'd wish he had died in that flood.

Then, I wouldn't have to go to sleep every night looking at my dad's photo.

As for the reunion he mentioned, I'd already seen the buzz in the group chat.

Those people, back in school, they spread rumors that my dad knew we were poor and sacrificed himself so I could latch onto Caleb's family.

I'd rushed up and beaten one of them until they were bleeding and crying hysterically that day, ready to be disciplined rather than apologize.

Caleb was the one who got the surveillance footage to prove the truth, and the rumor-monger apologized to me in the end, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive him.

Because he was one of Caleb's good friends. When they were saying those things, Caleb must have agreed with them deep down, right?

I left the group chat, reread my application materials, and clicked send.

Soon after, Megan called me.

"Harper, you agreed? And Caleb agreed too?"

Megan had met Caleb before. Hearing her words, I smiled. "Megan, he's not my guardian or anything. I make my own decisions; it's fine."

Megan sighed silently on the other end of the line, then finally said, "Okay, everything goes well, see you the day after tomorrow."

"Mm, thanks, Megan."

I hung up, scanned the room, and packed my luggage.

Since I was going to teach in a remote area, I hadn't planned on coming back. Some things, if I couldn't take them, I'd just throw them away.

That night, I slept poorly. One moment, I dreamt of my dad staring at me from the water; the next, Caleb was stepping on my dad. I woke up crying.

When I woke up, it was almost dawn. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and went downstairs. Vivian was already downstairs.