Chapter 5
I used to willingly wait for Antonio to come back to me, no matter how heartbroken I was.
He was used to it.
Everyone told him I’d never leave him.
He believed it.
Carrying my luggage, I was gonna leave.
Sandra’s soft voice came from behind.
“Antonio, you’re back.”
She ran to Antonio and held his arm tightly. Almost her whole body was on him.
“How’s your allergy?”
Antonio lifted the stray hair from her eyes and scrutinized her.
“Much better,” Sandra replied with a bright smile. “Antonio, don’t blame Grace.”
She shook Antonio’s arm.
“It’s my bad. I was born frail. Otherwise, my dad wouldn’t have made Grace switch rooms with me.
“Then, she wouldn’t have been mad at me.”
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Chapter 5
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“How is it your fault? She’s petty.”
Antonio glanced at me and held Sandra intentionally.
“Let’s go inside. You’ve just recovered. Don’t stand in the wind.”
“Hmm.”
They left arm in arm, like conjoined twins.
I was calm, though, like the serene lake surface without ripples.
After my mom’s day of mourning, my dad didn’t come and get
- me.
Before one could blink, Antonio’s birthday was around the
corner.
If it were before, I would’ve prepared a gift for him.
I would’ve booked a hotel and made elaborate decorations.
This time, I got him nothing.
I wouldn’t celebrate his birthday.
At 5 p.m., I was on my way to the airport.
Messages kept coming on my phone.
My dad asked, “What’s taking you so long? Marie, Sandra, and I have arrived.
“Grace, be tolerant. Antonio will be a member of our family someday.
“If you don’t come, what will outsiders think? They’ll think you
Chapter 5
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and your sister don’t get along.”
It was absurd. I didn’t reply and blacklisted him.
A message came from WhatsApp when I was about to board the plane.
It was from Antonio.
“Why aren’t you here yet? People are waiting.”
It made me laugh. I didn’t reply and blacklisted all of his contact. information.
I walked through the boarding gate without looking back.
It was 7 p.m.
Still, Antonio didn’t declare the commencement of the birthday banquet.
He was fiddling with a lighter on the couch, his expression nonchalant.
From time to time, he’d raise his wrist to check the time.
And now and then, he’d unlock his phone screen.
“Antonio.” Sandra bit her lip and gently pulled at his sleeve.
“It’s late. Everyone is hungry.”
Antonio looked at her with a smile, but that smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“You mean you’re hungry,” he quipped with a pinch on her face.
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“I’m starving. I
Sandra got into his arms.
Antonio smelled a faint but familiar fragrance.
Surprised, he asked quietly, “What perfume are you wearing?”
“Something I found in the dressing room of our house.”
Sandra was puzzled. “What is it, Antonio? Don’t you like it?”
Antonio shook his head. “It’s lovely.”
It was the fragrance of Grace’s favorite perfume.
But Antonio didn’t recall the brand.
Later, the guests began smearing cake on each other.
Antonio took a cigarette and came to the terrace.
His phone was still quiet. No reply from Grace.
She had promised she wouldn’t miss a single birthday of his.
She broke that promise.
The look in Antonio’s eyes grew chilly when a faint sneer appeared on his lips.
“Grace, are you dead? Why didn’t you reply to my message?”
He clicked on “send.”
But it didn’t send. The red exclamation mark on the screen was appalling.
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She blacklisted him!
Without hesitation, Antonio dialed Grace’s number.
But he couldn’t get through.
Standing on the terrace, Antonio looked into the dark at a distance. Inexplicable rage rose in his chest and spread.
He abandoned Grace. He was the one falling for someone else.
He got tired of her and wanted her to stay away from him.
Now, he got everything he had wished for.
Yet he wasn’t as happy as he had thought.
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Chapter 6
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Beads of sweat trickled down my back.
Kelsey piped up, her voice all giddy with excitement. “Gavin, what brings you here?”
“I was here for some business and spotted an old buddy, so I figured I’d stop by.” As Gavin spoke, his gaze caught mine, lingering for a brief moment before it slipped away.
“I hope I’m not intruding on your dinner,” said Gavin.
“Not at all!”
Everyone was buzzing with excitement, all eager and warm. “You’re more than welcome!”
Gavin finally strolled in, grinning. “Thank you.”
He just so happened to grab the seat right across from me.
My classmates were all chatting with him.
I was the odd one out, keeping my head down the whole time, too chicken to meet his gaze.
But Gavin didn’t seem ready to let me off the hook.
“Grace, it’s been ages. Are we suddenly strangers now?”
Hearing my name, I looked up and found Gavin smiling gently at
- me.
In a flash, my face turned red, and the back of my neck felt like it was on fire.
It took me a beat, but I finally got up and raised my glass.
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“Gavin, it’s been a while.”
“Grace, it sure has.” Gavin held my gaze for a moment before clinking glasses with me.
I took a small sip of the strong alcohol, just about to settle back into my seat.
Kelsey tugged at my sleeve, giving me a knowing wink. “You guys are acting kind of odd.”
“How odd are we?”
“Gavin hasn’t taken his eyes off you since he walked in.”
“You’re wrong, Kelsey.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this radar for drama. I can spot a romantic mess from a mile away.”
I found myself biting my lip. My heart was racing wildly.
After graduation, Antonio and I headed back to Vertway City.
I hadn’t crossed paths with Gavin since.
We barely kept in touch, just sending each other an odd holiday message on WhatsApp.
Then, out of the blue, when Antonio started wooing Sandra, Gavin got in touch with me.
Until now, we had only chatted over the phone a couple of times.
This was the first face–to–face meeting since I said yes to his
