Chapter 4
I decided to leave town.
With the villa key in hand, I went to Jake’s
headquarters one last time.
No makeup, just jeans and Converse.
When I walked in, many didn’t recognize me.
But when I took off my hat, the guys who
used to eagerly call me “Mrs. Peterson” fell
silent.
They probably knew about Jake moving on.
One of the guys who was close to me piped
- up.
“Sarah, we still think you and Jake are the
く
perfect match.”
“Some college girl? What’s the point? Taking
her out is embarrassing.”
“Why don’t you go talk to the boss? He
always listens to…”
I laughed self–deprecatingly.
Ten years with Jake.
I looked innocent, but with makeup, I could be
striking.
Plenty of guys eyed me, but Jake was my
protector.
Anyone who dared touch a hair on my head
ended up in some far–off labor camp.
If I shed a single tear, Jake would drop
everything to comfort me.
That was a privilege once reserved for me.
But this time, the guy couldn’t finish his
sentence.
A mug flew across the room, smashing
against the wall.
<
Jake’s face was thunderous.
“You think this is Sarah’s headquarters?”
“This is how you run things when I’m not
around?!”
The large room fell silent.
That was Jake’s power.
Only now, it was directed at me.
I tried to explain.
But the girl behind him peeked out cautiously
and said, seemingly innocently,
“Jake, is this the Sarah you told me about?”
“She dresses just like me!”
Jake frowned, looking me up and down.
Jeans and Converse. Just like Lily.
He looked at me uncertainly.
“Sarah, did you look into Lily?”
Lily did resemble me at eighteen.
Especially in jeans and Converse.
I saw through the girl’s little game.
But I didn’t want to say anything.
<
Wasn’t it more likely that someone had
researched Jake’s preferences?
Ten years together, and he didn’t even trust
me…
I pressed my lips together stubbornly.
Jake scoffed, his voice laced with sarcasm.
“Dressing the same doesn’t make you
eighteen again.”
“Sarah, what are you trying to prove?”
I blinked, unable to believe what he’d just
said.
“Tell you what,” Jake said, licking his lips, his
voice ruthless.
“Ten years. Name your price.”
I froze.
I’d been with Jake for ten years.
Taken bullets for him, faced knives for him.
But no moment had ever hurt more than this
one.
My nails dug into my palms, my voice
<
trembling.
“Jake, what did you say?!”
“I said, for wasting ten years of your youth…”
“Name your price.”
Jake shoved his hands into his pockets.
Even though his eyes were stormy, he gritted
his teeth and finished his sentence.
I could barely stand.
Lily tugged at Jake’s sleeve, whispering,
“Jake, don’t be so mean.”
“Sarah didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jake looked down and nuzzled her nose.
“Be good. Listen to me.”
He pulled her behind him. “I won’t let anyone
bully you.”
Jake used to protect me the same way.
I couldn’t take it anymore, the acid churning
in my stomach.
I looked down and saw the silver bracelet on
my wrist.
L
It had been tight when he first gave it to me.
But the deeper I fell for Jake…
The looser it became.
Chapter 2: Happily Ever After
I still remember the second year I was with
Jake.
A bad flu hit the city, 3% mortality rate.
My immune system sucked, and I got
quarantined.
Burning up with fever, I saw Jake’s face
hovering over me.
I thought I was dreaming.
I grabbed his hand, my voice hoarse.
“Jake, I miss you so much.”
“Am I never going to see you again?”
I was only lucid for a few minutes each day.
Jake had never cried in front of me.
That day, he sobbed like a baby.
Somehow, he managed to get himself
assigned as a volunteer at the school, even
<
though he was a Shark.
He went from building A to building C before
he found my name on the quarantine list.
I called him an idiot, risking his life to take
care of a critical patient like me.
But Jake wouldn’t listen. He slipped a silver
bracelet onto my wrist.
He said, “Sarah, happy birthday.”
We were dirt poor back then.
We would stare at a silver ring in a cheap
jewelry store for ages.
I thought I wouldn’t see another spring.
But the day Jake wished me happy birthday,
cherry blossoms drifted past the window of
the isolation ward.
Later, I found out the silver bracelet was
melted down from Jake’s childhood ID
bracelet.
Jake said, “Sarah, I’m tough. I can handle
anything. Your job is to be happy.”
I wore that silver bracelet for nine years.
It was a mark Jake had put on me, a symbol
of our youth.
Back then, I really believed our lives were
intertwined because of that bracelet.
Happily ever after.
Jake, to me…
Was like that bracelet, no longer fitting.
I gritted my teeth, pulling at it until my wrist.
was red.
Jake panicked, stubbing out his cigarette.
His eyes were bloodshot as he yelled, “Sarah,
what the hell are you doing?!”
I frowned, tears welling up.
Hadn’t he asked me to name my price for ten
years?
I did, and now he couldn’t handle it.
“Jake, let’s just pretend we…”
“Don’t say it!”
He lunged to cover my mouth, but Lily tripped
<
him.
I smiled faintly, a tear rolling down my cheek.
“Never happened…”
With that, I tossed the mangled bracelet into
the fishpond outside.
Ripples spread across the water.
Jake rushed to the pond, kneeling in the
pouring rain, desperately searching for the
glint of silver.
Seeing his frantic search, I fought the urge to
jump in and retrieve the bracelet, a sharp
ache in my chest.
What was this? Did it mean he still cared?
The ten years with Jake flashed before my
eyes.
The pain numbed me, making it hard to
breathe.
Just for that “happy birthday,” it was almost
worth it.
But Jake and I, no matter how hard it was to
<
let go of the past….
There would be no future.
The rain softened to a drizzle.
I walked out into it, feeling like I’d lost a part
of myself.
Jake chased after me, holding an umbrella.
He reeked of cigarettes, but his hand on my
shoulder was firm,不容拒绝.
“Sarah, I’ll walk you out.”
I didn’t turn around, but Lily splashed through
a puddle.
Her bangs were plastered to her pale, fragile
face, looking utterly pathetic.
“Jake, are you going to leave me here all
alone?”
