Ten years after high school graduation, an old photo of me and my first love went viral online. In the picture, we were in our school uniforms, fingers interlocked, smiling brightly at the camera. Smitten netizens started searching for us, only to be disappointed. We had broken up amicably years ago. He became the youngest rising star on Wall Street. I was forced to return to my hometown, working odd jobs to pay off debts, just another ordinary person struggling to survive. Aside from one class reunion, our lives never intersected again. That night, an anonymous question trended: "How are things with your high school sweetheart now?" A familiar username caught my eye— His answer was a single, cold sentence: "Seeing her doing poorly puts my mind at ease." 1 My gaze lingered on those words for a long time. I was the one who helped Julian register this account back in the day. I even picked the username. And the profile picture was of our matching promise rings. The internet sleuths quickly identified him and pushed his comment to the top. "Holy crap, the guy from the photo showed up." "Bro, you're successful now, no need to be so petty, right?" "Didn't you guys break up peacefully? Why the animosity?" Julian didn't reply again. It was as if he couldn't be bothered to explain a past relationship. I didn't comment either. Holding my phone, I silently liked his comment. 2 The photo's popularity lasted longer than I expected. Soon, media outlets reached out for interviews. No face reveal, just three questions. But they offered $3,000. I didn't refuse. "How do you feel seeing that photo?" The host asked gently, "Do you have any regrets?" "No," I said honestly. If not for this photo popping up out of nowhere, I hadn't thought of Julian in a long time. A high school crush, no matter how deep, is hard to remember for a lifetime. Especially when I'm working 18 hours a day for corporate overlords. I don't have time for nostalgia. "What was the specific reason for the breakup?" I was silent for a moment. "I gave him up for my future." The host paused, instinctively asking, "Do you regret it?" I shook my head without hesitation. "Last question," the host's voice softened. "You both attended the class reunion last year." "Did you speak to each other?" My heart trembled. 3 Last year, Julian came back to town. It coincided with our high school's centennial celebration. He was invited and casually donated five million dollars. The class reunion was held around the same time. Halfway through the dinner, Julian pushed the door open. The big shot arrived, and the whole room cheered. Only I sat in the corner, feeling like I was on pins and needles. Without the school uniform, the boyishness had faded from him. Standing there with ease, his slightly smiling gaze swept calmly over everyone. Unreadable. Julian had other engagements and didn't stay long. He symbolically drank a few glasses, didn't even glance my way, paid the bill, and left. The dinner ended early. I found my electric scooter outside, wanting to deliver a few more takeout orders. It rained heavily that night. Rushing to deliver an order that was about to be late, I turned left before the red light and accidentally hit a car going straight. Seeing the Bentley logo, my heart went cold. The car door opened. Julian stepped out with an umbrella. "How are you driving? This is a straight lane; you're fully responsible for turning. A scratch on a car this expensive means a full repaint at the factory, tens of thousands in repairs..." The driver looked at the scratched paint, furious and trying to deflect blame. A few steps away, Julian leaned lazily against the car, well-dressed, expression cold. His gaze swept over me occasionally, devoid of emotion. I apologized profusely. Desperately bowing my head, burying my remaining dignity under the heavy, oversized helmet. "What happened?" A pleasant female voice hit my ears. There was a third person in the car. A woman lifted her skirt and jumped out. Seeing my disheveled state, she frowned impatiently. "Mr. Rhodes, forget it. Don't waste time on this small matter." Julian didn't speak. He lowered his eyes silently, lost in thought. The woman's voice revealed a hint of difficulty: "You have to take me home to meet your parents tonight. If we waste time on this, what about your parents?" The sound of rain was clear. Then someone seemed to laugh. Julian looked at me, his tone cold and mocking: "Yeah, what about them?" 4 I was dazed for a moment. "What about them?" or rather, "What do I do?" I used to ask Julian this question all the time. What do I do if I can't finish my homework? What do I do if I fail the exam? What do I do if the corner store is out of popsicles? Julian would laugh and mercilessly tap my forehead: "Mia, can you not survive without me?" It seemed so. Julian and I met in kindergarten and had never been apart. Whenever I encountered a problem, my first reaction was to find him. Because he would always fix it for me in the end. Before we broke up, I had never tied my own shoelaces. Julian often called himself my excellent manservant. Mine alone. Classmates joked that I was a keychain on Julian's backpack. He took care of me wherever he went. Julian didn't deny it. He just held my hand in his, playing with it while looking down. Thinking of something, he sighed softly: "Mia, actually, if we separate..." "I'm the one who won't be able to survive." 5 The woman speaking was named Sophie. She was Julian's secretary and had been with him for years. Thanks to her, Julian not only didn't make me pay but also arranged for the driver to take me to the hospital for a checkup. I breathed a sigh of relief. I have a sister who just started middle school this year. School is expensive, and it's time to spend money. My mom's health isn't good; she's always running to the hospital. After working for a few years, my savings were meager. Going into debt now would be adding frost to snow. While waiting for the checkup results at the hospital, the driver gossiped with a friend nearby: "Yeah, Mr. Rhodes took Secretary Sophie back to his hometown to meet his parents." "Former colleague, future boss's wife... sigh, some people are just lucky. Both from humble beginnings, but she's about to fly up the branch and become a phoenix." "It's sudden though. I could tell Secretary Sophie liked Mr. Rhodes, but because of his first love, he never looked at other women... I don't know how he accepted it." "Yeah, maybe he moved on." I got home very late that night. Exhausted, I fell asleep immediately. In my dream, I went back to the year after high school graduation. The acceptance letters arrived. I got into D University. It was in the south, while Julian's school was in the north, thousands of miles apart. But getting into the same university was our goal since the beginning of senior year. Our SAT scores were only a few points apart. Without any accidents, we could have easily gotten into the same school. "How did this happen, Mia?" Julian's eyes were red as he forced a smile: "You must have slipped when filling out the form, right? It's okay. I'll take a gap year and reapply. I'll go to D University as your junior. It's better than being apart for four years." How could I have slipped? We checked each other's applications repeatedly, terrified of making a mistake and being separated. I pulled my hand away and stepped back: "Stop lying to yourself." Contrary to his pain, I was calm, almost cruel: "I changed my application on purpose." The tall figure in my peripheral vision went pale instantly: "Why?" "To get away from you." "Julian, I approached you just because I wanted you to tutor me and improve my grades." "The person I really like is the class president next door. He got into D University with me. I lied to you until today because I was afraid you'd cling to me and fight for the limited spots." "Julian, I beg you, don't reapply to find me. Let me go." I lowered my eyes: "I really don't like you."
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