The family outing we'd planned fell apart the moment Jeremy Mason inserted himself into our lives.
My daughter's spirits had sunk. She barely touched her cotton candy—her favorite treat—taking only a few listless bites.
At noon, I brought her to a hotel for a reunion with some old college friends.
During the meal, someone asked why Virginia hadn't come along.
I forced a smile and deflected with some excuse.
A friend raised his glass, teasing me with a knowing grin.
"Virginia used to buy train tickets just to come see you back in college. You two were the couple everyone envied!"
"Childhood sweethearts who actually made it work, and now you've got this adorable little girl. Living the dream, man!"
I smiled and knocked back my drink, swallowing the bitterness along with it.
Virginia and I had grown up together. Childhood sweethearts, just like they said.
She'd been the ringleader among the neighborhood kids—mischievous, fearless, always stirring up trouble.
Whenever we played house, she'd point at me with that impish grin of hers.
"I pick Rudolph to be my groom!"
I was the quiet, bookish one. The other kids never wanted me on their team. But Virginia would grab my hand without hesitation and pull me to her side.
That was when I first fell for her.
The memories of our happiness collided with the reality of how she'd been favoring Jeremy. The contrast left a weight on my chest. I excused myself, needing air.
As I passed one of the private dining rooms, I stopped cold.
Inside, Virginia sat shoulder to shoulder with Jeremy. Across from them were two elderly people—clearly his parents.
Through the gap in the door, I heard Jeremy's laughter.
"Mom, Dad, don't worry. Give it another year or two and I'll marry Ginny properly. You'll have your grandson before you know it!"
I shoved the door open and fixed Virginia with an icy stare.
The two elders looked up, confused, asking who I was looking for.
A flicker of panic crossed Virginia's face, but she composed herself quickly.
"Mom, Dad—this is a distant cousin of mine. What a coincidence running into him here."
I let out a cold laugh and repeated her words.
"Distant cousin?"
So that's what I was to her.
And that casual "Mom, Dad" she'd used—it seared through me like a brand pressed to bare skin.
Virginia stood and pulled me aside, her voice low and urgent.
"Jeremy's parents showed up unexpectedly. He asked me to help him put on a show, just to put their minds at ease."
"Go wait outside. We'll talk about this at home."
I pushed her away, my gaze cutting.
"If that's what you want, I can give you your freedom. Let you be his wife—officially."
Virginia's face flushed with anger. She opened her mouth to argue, but my attention had already shifted.
The jade pendant and necklace in the elderly couple's hands.
They were my parents' keepsakes.
My mind went blank. I stared at Virginia, unable to process what I was seeing.
"You gave away my parents' belongings as gifts?"
Virginia stammered, her eyes darting away from mine.
I strode directly to the couple, teeth clenched, palm outstretched.
"Give them back."
Jeremy shot to his feet and shoved me hard, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Rudolph, don't you dare make a scene in front of my parents. Get the hell out!"
He turned to comfort them, his tone shifting to syrupy reassurance.
"Mom, Dad, Ginny's cousin isn't right in the head. He's the reason his own mother died—can't stand seeing other families happy. Just ignore him."
The blood in my veins turned to ice, then fire.
Those words. That history.
My deepest, most private wound.
Virginia had told him everything.
Something inside me snapped. I lunged for Jeremy, fist raised—
Crack.
The slap echoed through the room.
I stood frozen, staring at Virginia. She'd struck me.
"Rudolph, are you done?" Her voice was glacial. "Jeremy and I are meeting his parents today. Stop making a scene."
Her face was carved from ice. That cold, merciless expression shattered whatever love I had left.
