As Victoria closed her umbrella, the edge brushed against Edmund’s chest, a light graze that felt heavier than it should have.
Rain had already soaked through the thin fabric of his shirt, leaving faint, damp patches scattered across his chest.
Flustered, Victoria stumbled over her apology, but her words faltered when she caught Edmund’s gaze; his eyes, damp but piercing, held a quiet intensity.
His thick lashes framed those strikingly clear eyes; their corners tinged with a faint redness from the sting of the rain.
"It’s fine. I was walking too fast," he said, his voice low, yet it resonated within her, stirring something deep.
Falling for him had felt effortless, as though it had always been meant to happen.
Victoria memorized the name on the cover of his textbook, traced his school and class and eventually learned about the ex-girlfriend he’d broken up with when she went abroad.
But none of that diminished her enthusiasm, not even for a moment.
She had always loved with all her heart and hated with equal clarity.
Over time, Edmund had unknowingly grown accustomed to having her in his life.
They ate together, sat side by side in every class, celebrated every holiday and gradually embraced each other in every sense.
That night, Edmund kissed every inch of her skin as though he was trying to merge her into his very soul.
Again and again, he whispered her name, "Victoria, Victoria..."
"Promise me, you’ll never leave me!"
At that moment, Victoria truly believed that they would be together forever.
Now, as she fed their photographs into the shredder one by one, her heartfelt surprisingly steady.
The matching couple figurines on the desk, alongside the bouquet of blue roses, were swept into the trash without a second thought.
On the bedside table sat the stuffed bear, a prize from last Christmas.
They had been shopping that day when they stumbled upon a couple’s three-legged race in the mall.
Out of thirty-six pairs, they had taken first place.
A couple in the next lane tripped in the race, crashing directly into Victoria’s right shoulder. Almost instinctively, Edmund had pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the impact.
As they finally received the prize, Victoria’s gaze fell on Edmund’s pale face and she noticed the fine droplets of sweat gathering on his forehead.
When she pulled up his sleeve, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his entire right arm bruised, dark and swollen.
Panic surged through her, but Edmund’s uninjured hand gently pat her head, his voice calm as ever.
"Protecting you is my duty."
The stuffed bear, large enough to fill an entire seat, was something Victoria had intended to toss right into the trash.
But just as she descended the stairs, a small child peeked out from behind the fence.
"Sister, are you throwing the bear away?" the child asked with a hesitant voice.
Victoria couldn’t help but nod, seeing the spark of hope that appeared in the child’s eyes.
"Do you want it?" she offered.
And just like that, the stuffed bear was spared from the trash, now the child’s new companion. At least it wouldn’t go to waste.
After getting rid of the last remnants, Victoria spotted Edmund approaching.
He must have just dropped Isabella off at her dorm, considering the timing.
"What did you throw away?" Edmund asked, his tone curious and a little wary.
"Just some useless things," Victoria replied casually, her voice light as she turned away, not looking back.
Fortunately, Edmund didn’t push her further. Instead, he shifted the topic to their earlier encounter.
"I really did have something urgent to deal with at school. As for Isabella, we just happened to cross paths on the way back."
"So, don’t overthink it. I really..."
"I know," Victoria cut him off with ease, her tone flat and composed.
"You two are friends, right? Friends help each other out. There’s really nothing for me to overthink."
It was odd, though.
By all logic, Victoria should have been furious.
She should have demanded answers; why was he always with Isabella? Why were their lunch plans tossed aside every time Isabella appeared? What was going on between them and what did she even mean to him?
But instead, she said nothing.
