Chapter 3

3.

Around nine o'clock that night, the doorbell rang again.

My father, looking miserable, flicked on the lights and opened the door.

When he saw it was my boyfriend, Xavier, his face soured even more.

"Sir! Is Jade home? Has she been here?"

My father replied sarcastically, "Shouldn't you know where she is?"

He hated my boyfriend. To be honest, he just hated seeing me happy.

When I first told them I was in a relationship, my father threw a chair at me.

He said I had no right to fall in love or get married because my brother never got those chances.

Xavier adjusted his glasses, looking desperate.

"She hasn't contacted me in a week!"

"And? Your point is?"

Xavier was stunned by the hostility. He bit his lip.

"There's a killer on the loose. It's dangerous out there. If she's been gone for a week, the consequences..."

His eyes began to turn red.

Xavier and I had known each other since high school. We were seatmates for three years.

When others bullied me, he stood up for me. When I was so poor I couldn't afford a decent meal, he shared his allowance with me.

We worked hard to get into the same university and chose the same major. Eventually, he confessed his feelings.

We had been together for five years.

He stayed by my side through my darkest moments.

He loved me deeply.

And I loved him with everything I had.

But now, I could only watch him from this ghostly state.

Grief washed over me.

Xavier didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he met my father's mocking gaze and shifted his tone.

"If she doesn't come back soon, I'm going to the police!"

My eyes welled with phantom tears.

Meeting Xavier was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

"What's all the noise about?"

My mother walked over, yawning and looking annoyed.

"An adult woman doesn't just vanish into thin air."

Xavier clenched his fists.

"Why wouldn't it be possible? Jade would never go a week without messaging me!"

My father laughed.

"What makes you so sure? You're probably not the only guy she's seeing. She's not exactly a saint, you know!"

Both Xavier and I stared at him in total shock.

I never imagined he hated me enough to slander my character and my loyalty.

My boyfriend was equally appalled.

"Sir... I can't believe you would talk about your own daughter that way."

Xavier was shaking with rage.

He pulled out his phone and called Uncle Arthur right there.

"Hello? Xavier? What's up?"

"Arthur, Jade is missing!"

My father lunged forward and snatched the phone away.

"He's talking nonsense! Jade booked a VIP dinner for me just today!"

Oh, Dad.

If you or Mom had cared even a little bit, you would have realized the restaurant staff told you I had arranged it all a long time ago.

"Don't worry about her or this kid. They're just trying to pull a stunt for attention!"

My father told Arthur to focus on his real cases and ignored me.

He hung up the phone.

Then, he turned a cold gaze on Xavier. "Stop wasting everyone's time. She's ignoring you because she wants to dump you. Get some dignity and get out!"

Xavier's face turned a deep purple from anger. The veins on his temples throbbed as if he were about to collapse.

He clutched his chest and left, trembling.

I wanted to chase after him.

But I was tethered to my father, forced to hear him whisper to my mother.

"Shameless girl. She doesn't deserve the happiness my son never got to have."

At that moment, I realized what it felt like to be truly frozen to the bone.