“I saw you and Mark at the bookstore buying
textbooks. He was smiling, looking at you. I
found it amusing. And irritating.”
She smirked, triumphant. “You have the
money, the looks… your love life couldn’t be
perfect, could it?”
She gloated, her eyes gleaming with malice.
I knew her family wasn’t wealthy, but I hadn’t
realized the extent of her jealousy, the
く
twisted nature of her personality.
I finally asked the question that had been on
my mind. “Do you even like Mark?”
She laughed, her face full of pride. “It’s just a
game. He lost everything, except your
affection. Didn’t you notice? I was copying
you, every move. And he fell for it. He’s too
stupid to realize he likes you, and you’re too
dumb to see it.”
Yes, I had been dumb. I’d offered my heart to
the world, only to have it shattered.
13
Lily had made one crucial mistake.
I’d recorded her confession on my phone. I
sent it to Mark.
I couldn’t wait to see his reaction.
Teenage pride could be stronger than love.
They broke up.
Someone saw Mark pinning Lily against a
wall, his eyes red, furiously confronting her.
く
R
The person you loved, peeled back like an
onion, revealing a rotten core.
It must have been a painful experience.
I hoped he felt a fraction of the pain I’d felt.
30 days until the exams.
14
On the day of our final practice exam, Mark
disappeared. The teachers went crazy looking
for him, contacting his family, searching his
home, but he was nowhere to be found.
He didn’t show up for the two–day exam.
Exhausted, I walked home. A man dressed in
black stood at my door.
My nerves jangled. I clutched my pepper
spray.
“Jenna.”
It was Mark. He was so thin, I barely
recognized him. His voice was shaky, filled
with despair.
He rushed towards me, his body trembling,
く
embracing me.
It felt exactly like that night with Mark in my
past life.
He murmured, “I had a long, terrifying dream.
I dreamt we were together, married. And on
our anniversary, because of Lily, I left you to
face the world alone.”
