Chapter 2

The day of Grandma’s funeral, the city experienced its worst rainstorm in fifty years.

Rain mixed with my tears as I watched the cemetery staff place Grandma’s ashes into a small, cold stone niche.

I watched them seal it. I watched them engrave the words letter by letter.

Evelyn Vance’s Grave.

Beloved Grandson: Julian Vance.

Beloved Granddaughter: Maya Cooper.

My emotions completely collapsed. I called Julian's phone over and over.

On the fifty-sixth call, he finally answered.

"Maya, if it’s not an emergency, let’s talk later. I have a patient here who needs an urgent scan."

He hung up in a hurry, but he forgot to disconnect the call.

Through the static, Chloe’s voice drifted over clearly. "Julian, my grandma just had a small fall. You should really go to Grandma Evelyn’s funeral."

"She’s old. What if she fractured something? The dead are gone, Julian. We must cherish the living."

"Grandma Evelyn loved me. She won't blame me for keeping you here."

Hearing their intimate whispers, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the wet mud.

"Grandma, Julian loves Chloe. What should I do?"

Rainwater filled my mouth. After crying myself dry, I tried to convince myself again.

Julian is just temporarily blinded. I’m his childhood sweetheart. We grew up together.

He was the one who bought me pads when I was a clueless teenager. He was the one who held me through the cold, lonely nights when we were poor.

If Julian stayed by my side, I could guide him back.

When I got home, I went to Grandma’s room to pack her things, but I noticed Julian’s bedroom door was slightly ajar.

I walked into his room—a place he had strictly forbidden me from entering.

The walls were covered with photos of Chloe. The floor was littered with love letters, and women’s clothes were scattered across his bed.

Finally, I understood why he never wanted to touch me, even though I was his girlfriend.

"Maya, I have severe OCD and a phobia of physical intimacy. Are you willing to have a platonic relationship with me?"

I had blindly followed him for ten years. I believed him. I agreed.

The man I didn't dare to touch with even a finger was kissing Chloe in front of cameras all over the country.

Each photo had a date. The very first one was dated on the exact day Julian and I officially became a couple.

My body went completely numb. With trembling hands, I opened the letters he had written but never sent.

“Chloe, my sweet girl. Loving you as your professor is a sin, but I cannot control my dark desires. I had to have you. I am so sorry.”

“To protect you, I’ve decided to date Maya publicly. She is a guest lecturer at the university. With her as our shield, no one will look at us or suspect our relationship. To make it up to you, I’ll take you to the beach this summer.”

I had begged Julian countless times to take Grandma and me to the beach.

Grandma had once told me, while secretly clutching her savings, that her only son had drowned at sea while saving someone.

Her biggest wish before she died was to see the ocean where her son was buried.

But when I brought it up, Julian had snapped at me for being immature.

"The beach is crowded and people wear next to nothing. You know I have a germ aversion. What if someone touches me and triggers my anxiety?"

"Besides, what if Grandma wanders off? Can you take responsibility for that?"

It wasn't that he couldn't go. It wasn't his OCD. He just didn't want to go with me.

He had never loved me.

My ten years of devotion were nothing but a tragic joke.

The last letter Julian wrote was dated on the day Grandma died.

“Chloe, Grandma died because no other surgeon could take over her operation in time. But don't be afraid. I will bury this secret forever. I will use my life to repent to Grandma by marrying Maya. We are star-crossed lovers, but I will do everything in my power to secure your future.”

Inside the large envelope was a property deed under Chloe’s name and several bank transfer receipts.

He gave her millions without blinking. Yet, when I asked him for a few thousand dollars to hire a 24-hour caregiver for Grandma, he made me beg for it in installments.

Tears poured down my face. Grandma, was it really worth it for you to keep his secrets?