Chapter 2

Jessie had expected that it would take a while for Zane to respond, but to her surprise, he called her immediately. "Jessie, you're not messing with me, are you? You've had a crush on Brandon for as long as I've pursued you. With me, your heart has always been as hard as a diamond, so what made you suddenly come around?" Zane Stafford was Jessie's senior back in school and was basically considered royalty among the city's elite social circle. He had pursued Jessie for seven years, and she had almost chosen to be with him. But on the very night she was going to make her decision, Brandon gave her a glimmer of hope. That was how Jessie gave Zane up. Hearing Zane's questioning, Jessie lowered her head in guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't think things through. Just pretend you didn't see my text. A clatter came from the other end of the line. He seemed to be furious. "What do you take me for, Jessie? Someone who's at your beck and call? Now that you've chosen me, don't even think about running away. I'll give you one month to deal with that loser Brandon. After a month, I'll be taking you away myself!" With that, Zane ended the call before Jessie could say another word. She smiled faintly. He hadn't changed one bit. That night, Brandon never came home. It wasn't until the next day, when Jessie was putting her things in a box, that Brandon finally returned. "What are you throwing away?" Jessie froze slightly. Hiding her panic, she merely uttered, "I'm just getting rid of some junk I no longer want." Upon getting closer, Brandon noticed that the box was filled with gifts and clothes he had once given her. "You call this junk?" "They're all old things that are just taking up space at home. I'm donating them to a charity under your name. They'll be given to children living in remote areas. That way, you get a bit of good publicity too." Brandon's frown eased at the explanation. Smiling lightly, he remarked, "I can always count on you to do things." Seeing that he bought the story, Jessie let out a quiet sigh of relief, though she did feel somewhat bitter. It wasn't that Brandon believed her wholeheartedly. He just didn't want to waste any more time on her. Suddenly, the sound of something shattering came from behind them. Jessie whipped her head around, only to lock eyes with Anna. Just like always, Anna wore her sweet, disarming smile. "Brandon, Jessie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break that." Not even glancing at the broken item on the ground, Brandon rushed over to check if Anna was hurt. Once he saw she was unharmed, he was relieved. "It's fine. Nothing else matters as long as you're okay." But Anna wasn't satisfied yet, so she tilted her head slightly and asked Jessie, "Jessie, you don't mind, right?" Jessie's gaze fell on the shattered sculpture on the floor. It was a sculpture she had commissioned from a trip she and Brandon had taken together—the only sculpture where they appeared as a couple. And now, Anna had destroyed it. Jessie knew it was intentional. That was basically a declaration of war. The old her would've been furious. Maybe she would've even snapped back at Anna. But now, Jessie simply replied with composure, "It's fine." A look of surprise crossed Anna's face, followed by a faint smile. "You sure are magnanimous, Jessie. Brandon, seeing how magnanimous Jessie is, don't you think she'll definitely agree to my next request?" Brandon turned to Jessie, his tone more of a notification than a discussion. "Anna just got back to the country. With your parents overseas, she's too scared to stay at the Hickman residence alone, so she'll be staying here for a while. Anna has always been intolerant of the cold. Since your room faces the sun, she'll have to stay in your room."