To win over the boy I’d loved my whole life, I took my yoga teacher’s advice. I got my braces off, had laser eye surgery, and threw myself into self-improvement. My yoga teacher, Jasmine, had an icy sort of beauty, but her love life was anything but. On a few urgent occasions, she even had me run errands for her—delivering condoms to her dates. I was finally ready to confess my feelings to him. Then, I got a call from Jasmine. “Sweetie, be a doll and bring me the morning-after pill.” Her voice was a husky, seductive purr. “I really hit the jackpot. Never met a virgin with this much stamina.” She hung up. My heart sank as I looked at the address she’d sent. The location pinged to the house of the one person everyone considered untouchable, the school’s ice prince— My childhood friend, Chaz. 1 I stood at Chaz Levine’s front door, but I couldn’t bring myself to knock. For years, this was my spot. Every morning, I’d wait here for him so we could walk to school together. Every evening, I’d stand here to bring him dinner. But this time, clutching the small paper bag with the pill inside, my hand wouldn’t move. As I hesitated, another message from Jasmine came through: 【Just hang the bag on the doorknob! Whatever you do, DO NOT KNOCK!】 Before I could even wonder why, a series of voice notes followed. I played the first one, my phone pressed tight against my ear. 【I take back everything I said about college guys. This one knows what he’s doing… or at least, he’s an enthusiastic learner.】 Jasmine was slightly breathless, a thrill humming in her voice. 【He might not have the technique of a more experienced guy, but damn, that raw strength… He’s wearing me out in the best way…】 Her words were cut off by a sudden rustling sound. The chat went silent. But through the thin wood of the door, I could hear it—Jasmine’s voice, a playful, purring plea for him to go easy on her. I fought back the acid rising in my throat. My fingers hovered over the keypad of the lock, the code a familiar rhythm under my skin. But I couldn’t do it. I hung the bag on the handle and sent a single word back to Jasmine: 【Done.】 Then I fled, like a deserter abandoning the battlefield. 2 I had imagined a hundred different ways Chaz might react to my confession. The worst-case scenario was a simple rejection. I never, ever imagined it would be like this, a suffocating, silent blow. I clutched the eight-hundred-word love letter I’d poured my soul into and hid in a quiet corner of the park, crying until I couldn’t cry anymore. By the time night fell, I walked home with two puffy, red-rimmed eyes. 3 When I got home, Dad poked his head out of the kitchen. “Annie, you’re back! Was it a long day?” I mumbled a noncommittal reply and was about to escape to my room when Mom grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” Before I could answer, she tapped my arm playfully. “Annie, you’re such a scatterbrain. Did you really forget what today is?” I stared at her blankly. Before my mind could catch up, the front door opened with a familiar click, and Chaz walked in, carrying a bag of fresh fruit. Mom instantly let go of me, her face lighting up as she went to greet him. And then I remembered. It was Chaz’s birthday. That’s why I had chosen today to confess. But now, seeing him, I couldn’t find the courage to even look him in the eye. Chaz acted as if nothing was wrong, heading straight to the kitchen to help my dad. I used the moment to splash cold water on my face, trying to erase the evidence of my breakdown. When I came out, the table was set with dinner and a birthday cake. In the flickering candlelight, I watched the sharp, elegant line of his jaw and couldn't stop picturing him with Jasmine, their bodies tangled together. Jasmine was adventurous. She loved to brag to us about the new tricks she tried with the men she slept with. … “Chaz, you and our Annie have known each other your whole lives.” After a few glasses of wine, my dad’s eyes were red with emotion. “It’s been so many years since your parents… well, your Aunt Sarah and I have always thought of you as our own son.” He paused, his voice thick. “You know that, right?” I snapped out of my thoughts, my head jerking up to look at my dad. I was about to say something, anything, to stop him. But under the table, my mom gently patted my hand, giving me a slight shake of her head. I heard my dad, usually so steady, his voice trembling with a rare uncertainty as he spoke to Chaz. “We’ve all seen how much Annie looks up to you… how much she likes you. You’re both adults now, you’ll be starting university together soon. Your uncle was hoping…” He trailed off, then downed another glass of wine as if for courage. “I’ve watched you grow up. We wouldn’t trust anyone else with her. You… you’ll take good care of our Annie, won’t you?” The air in the room froze. My parents stared at Chaz, their faces filled with hopeful expectation. I could feel my mom’s body trembling slightly next to me. But Chaz’s expression was as cool and unreadable as ever. His long, elegant fingers tapped a light, rhythmic pattern against his wine glass. Just as I was about to jump to my feet and break the unbearable tension, I heard him speak. A soft, simple, “Yeah.” He lifted his gaze to meet my father’s, his voice calm and even. “I will.” 4 I looked up, my eyes wide with disbelief. Chaz’s gaze met mine, and a faint smile touched his lips. “I’ll take good care of Annie. You and Aunt Sarah don’t have to worry.” Just as I was about to speak, my phone buzzed. It was a video from Jasmine, of her dancing with a male model at a club, followed by a voice note. Flustered, I quickly hit the voice-to-text option: 【Annie Song! Are you still hung up on that boring childhood friend of yours? Take a lesson from me, babe. It’s about the body, not the heart!】 【I was supposed to have a date with a rich heir tonight, but that college guy completely wrecked me today. I’m too sore for anything serious, so I just came out for some eye candy and to feel up some abs. ;)】 【But thanks for the help today! I’ll give you a free class tomorrow, good girl!】 I stared down at my phone like a student caught cheating in class. I typed back: 【Are you and that college guy… a couple?】 My question must have seemed to come out of nowhere. The “typing…” indicator blinked for a long time before she replied with a single “?” I glanced at Chaz across the table, a wave of guilt washing over me. Just as I was about to delete my message, her reply came through: 【Are you kidding? Me, tied down by him?】 【He’s lucky I’m even letting him be my friend with benefits. He wants a title? He’ll have to get in line behind the forty other handsome, rich guys who’ve tried!】 For some reason, a wave of relief washed over me. I shut off my phone, looked up at a slightly tipsy Chaz, and smiled at him. “Happy birthday.” 5 Maybe it was the alcohol, but my dad’s eyes welled up. “Good, good,” he said, repeating the word several times. He stood and clapped Chaz on the shoulder. “Good boy. I always knew you were a good boy.” His voice cracked. Realizing he was getting overly emotional, he stood up abruptly, wiping his face with his hand. “I’ll… I’ll go make you some longevity noodles.” I was feeling a little dizzy myself. I leaned against my mom and started counting on my fingers. “This is the… seventh birthday we’ve celebrated together…” Time really did fly. The timid, fragile little boy had grown into a tall, handsome young man. That year, he had lost both his parents overnight. He was left completely alone. The thought of raising a child, paying for his education, a car, a house, a wedding… it was enough to make all his other relatives avoid him like the plague, terrified of the responsibility. Only my parents, their hearts breaking for him, stepped up. To make sure he never felt like a charity case, our whole family went out of our way to give him the best of everything. And it had all been worth it. Everything had turned out so well. “Chaz’s had a bit too much to drink. Why don’t you walk him home?” Mom nudged me with her elbow. “Go on.” “Oh,” I said, looking up. My eyes met Chaz’s. They were dark, intense. He smiled, his voice a low, husky whisper that felt like a spell. “Annie. I’ll be in your care, then.” 6 Chaz’s apartment was just one building over from ours. For years, he’d spent nearly all his waking hours at our place. I’d never once thought the short walk between our homes was long. Until tonight. “Annie Song.” I was lost in thought when Chaz’s voice, soft and lazy, called my name. “Annie Song.” There was an intimacy in his tone I’d never heard before. Before I could ask, he had pulled me into his arms, pinning me against the cold metal wall of the elevator. I struggled for a moment, but froze when he suddenly leaned down. His eyebrow was arched, a smirk playing on his lips. Flushed with alcohol, he lowered his face to mine— I squeezed my fists, my heart hammering as I shut my eyes. After a few long, agonizing seconds, Chaz chuckled. “So you really are in love with me.” His beautiful, dark eyes stared directly into mine. “How did I never notice? How did I miss it?” A sense of dread washed over me. I blushed, my voice barely a whisper. “What?” “Why did you close your eyes?” he asked. “Did you think I was going to kiss you?” Just like that, his voice turned cold, back to the familiar, distant tone he always used. “Is this fun for you? What is this, some kind of guilt trip? Forcing me to repay your family’s kindness?” “I told you, once I start making money, I’ll pay your family back for everything, with interest. Why are you trying to force me into a relationship?” “I don’t get it! Am I your family’s… what? Indentured husband? Just because you took me in, I have to be with you? Tie myself to your family for the rest of my life?” His voice grew louder with every word. I had never seen him so out of control. In my shock, I forgot the one thing I should have said. “You know, you could have just said no.” 7 Chaz pulled a cigarette from his pocket. As I stared in shock, he let out a bitter laugh. “What? Going to run and tell on me?” He took a drag and blew a perfect smoke ring right in my face. “Go on. Tell them I smoke. Tell them I’m not the good guy you should spend your life with. Then… set me free.” I looked at him, and it was like seeing a complete stranger. After a long, heavy silence, I spoke, my voice soft. “I’ll talk to Mom and Dad.” I looked down, fighting to keep the tears from falling. My voice was choked. “You don’t have to do this.” 8 Chaz was always distant with everyone. He hated when people got too close. Except for me. Not only did he not push me away, but he’d secretly laugh when I did something silly. He’d carry me on his back to the clinic when I was sick with a fever. I always thought he liked me, too. That he was just naturally reserved and bad at expressing his feelings. So I told myself that if I could just become a little more beautiful, a little more confident, I would be the one to confess. I signed up for yoga classes to improve my posture. After I met Jasmine, she taught me how to be beautiful. How to… capture a man’s heart. Looking back now, I was such a fool. 9 The next morning, I went to my yoga class as scheduled. My plan was to act like nothing had happened, finish my remaining sessions, and then go on a long trip with my parents. I never expected to be slapped the moment I walked through the door. Jasmine stood there, her long neck held high, her voice dripping with contempt. “You look so innocent. Who knew you were such a shameless, backstabbing bitch?” My head was ringing from the blow. When I looked up, I saw that it wasn’t just the other students in the room. Chaz was there, too. “Writing love letters to my boyfriend? You have some nerve, don’t you?” Jasmine’s face was red with fury. Her long, manicured nails poked me hard in the chest. “What, you think because you’re young you can just seduce other people’s boyfriends? You want to be a homewrecker?” She stomped her foot dramatically and linked her arm through Chaz’s, her voice breaking into a sob. “Chaz, say something! This is the little tramp who’s trying to ruin our relationship! This is why you wanted to break up with me, isn’t it?!” 10 I didn’t even have time to process what she meant by “break up.” My hand flew up instinctively to strike back. But Chaz caught my wrist. “Have you caused enough trouble?” he snapped, his voice filled with irritation. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted to see?” He started pulling me towards the door. He glanced back at Jasmine, his voice low and heavy. “This is my fault. I’m the one who’s sorry.” “Forget about me.” His grip on my wrist was painfully tight. The look he gave Jasmine was a mixture of resignation and something that looked like regret. “Once school starts, Annie and I will be at Kingston University. You… you won’t see me. It’ll be better that way.” Jasmine’s mouth fell open in disbelief. I knew her. She was proud, arrogant. A veteran of the dating scene who had never lost. Chaz was probably the first man to ever deal her such a blow. I never imagined she would get so angry that she would forward my love letter, along with intimate photos of her and Chaz, to the entire yoga class group chat. 【Everyone, meet my star student! Not only does she take my class, she also tries to steal my boyfriend!】 After sending it, she tagged my parents. 【Is this how you raised your daughter?】 I lunged for her phone like a madwoman, but Chaz held me back, whispering soothing words to Jasmine. “Let it out, it’s better this way. It’s already happened, I didn’t…” I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. Fine. I pulled out my phone and scrolled back through my chat history, finding all the records of my condom delivery runs for her. “Chaz,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “You don’t actually think your so-called girlfriend is some kind of innocent angel, do you?” 11 In the month I’d known Jasmine, I had delivered condoms for her fifteen times. “So many men, so little time,” she’d always say. “The new ones are always the most fun.” I’d once asked her if she was ever afraid of getting her heart broken. She just laughed. “Oh, you really are still just a little flower bud, aren’t you?” “Listen, sweetie—I’m always accepting boyfriend applications, but I’m never looking for a long-term commitment. I have no exes, you understand?” Back then, I had just blinked at her, confused. I had to admit, Jasmine was stunning. She had that bold, striking beauty that turned heads, and she always wore tight dresses that showed off her figure, adding to her allure. Sensing my gaze, she had tapped my forehead playfully. “Stick with me. In one month, I’ll turn you into the kind of woman men can’t resist. You’ll have your crush eating out of the palm of your hand. The only condition is, you have to be my errand girl. Because you… you’re fast.” A call from my dad pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at the screen, then hit decline. Without another thought, I forwarded my entire chat history with Jasmine, along with the receipts, to the group chat. Behind me, the other students staring at their phones gasped. “Holy crap, she’s wild!” “I knew she played around, but this is a whole other level! Damn. How does someone like that even become a teacher?” “So she’s that promiscuous, and she has the audacity to accuse someone else… Wait, so is Annie the other woman or not?” Their scorching gazes felt like they were burning holes in my skin. I tried to stay calm, pulling up the screenshot from last night where I had asked Jasmine if she and Chaz were a couple, ready to prove my innocence. “Jasmine is my girlfriend.” Chaz’s voice cut through the murmurs. His face was a dark mask. He stepped forward and put a protective arm around a stunned-looking Jasmine. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. “I don’t care what she was like before. She is my girlfriend now, and I don’t want to see any of you prying into her private life and making a big deal out of it.” Jasmine’s head snapped up, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. I stood frozen, feeling like I’d just been nailed to a cross for the whole world to see.
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