Chapter 3

3

Caleb and I grew up in the same neighborhood. After our parents passed away in the line of duty, we were separated.

I moved in with my grandmother, and we lost contact for years.

It wasn't until college that we reconnected. I was studying forensics, and he was at the police academy nearby.

He told me he recognized me the moment he saw me.

Fate brought us together, and our shared history made us inseparable.

Soon, he confessed his feelings.

Back then, Caleb was the campus idol―cool, handsome, and sought after by everyone.

I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

But then, Vanessa appeared.

She was unlike anyone else; wealthy, manipulative, and a master at playing the victim.

Worst of all, she set her sights on my boyfriend.

The first sign of trouble was a group hangout.

The moment we met, she showed open hostility, dropping snide, passive-aggressive remarks.

I didn't take the bait, and I fired back until she had nothing left to say.

The dinner was suffocatingly tense.

I didn't want to cause a scene, but afterward, Caleb dismissed it all. "Vanessa is just young and spoiled. Why do you have to be so difficult with her?"

He thought I was overthinking it.

I was furious. My own boyfriend was siding with her.

That night, we had our first major fight, and it took three months to reconcile.

Later, we fought over her countless times, nearly breaking up several times.

Things only improved when she left the country.