13
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, I was about to graduate.
On the day of the graduation photo shoot, I heard whispers among my classmates: “There’s an Asian guy over there, he’s so handsome!”
I turned my head almost instinctively and saw that figure I hadn’t seen in many years.
Jack was wearing a coat, looking thin, walking towards me gracefully.
“Emily, long time no see.”
His gaze on me was a bit awkward, yet trying to appear calm.
“Long time no see.”
He looked down at my outstretched hand: “Emily, you don’t need to be… so formal with me.”
We walked along the long, green–shaded path on campus.
Indeed, time smooths out all edges, no matter how deeply one once loved.
Looking back now at that heart–wrenching regret, it seemed not so significant anymore.
We walked in silence, the dry leaves crunching under our feet.
I awkwardly tried to find a topic, “How are Uncle and Auntie?”
“They’re doing well.” Jack lowered his eyes, “Why don’t you ask how I’m doing?”
There was undisguised disappointment in his eyes, but when he looked at me, he forced a smile.
I smiled at him: “I heard your startup is successful, you have your own company now, and you’re going to have a wedding with Sophia. Isn’t that
great?”
Jack’s eyes seemed to sparkle: “All these years, have you been keeping an eye on me?”
I waved my phone, “It’s Sophia. Even if I block her, she always finds a way to send me news about your sweet moments.”
The brightness in his eyes dimmed: “I’m sorry. Even now, I’m still causing you trouble because of me.”
“Actually, the night before I confessed to Sophia, I really thought about being with you.
“We were young then, and I was driven by a competitive spirit, thinking it would be more impressive to win over the most beautiful girl in our department.
“Even when she falsely accused you, I didn’t believe Sophia’s words from the start. We grew up together, I knew you liked me and were willing to endure again and again for me. While enjoying this feeling, I gradually lost myself…”
<
Jack’s voice became more choked up as he spoke, earnestly begging me: “Emily, can I apologize to you? I regret it. Can we be together again…”
I took a few steps back, frowning.
My voice wasn’t loud, but each word was powerful: “Please have some self–respect. You’re about to become a father, aren’t you? This is irresponsible to your child.”
Mentioning this, his face turned pale: “That’s not my child! Sophia and I were separated for a while. When she came back, she told me she was pregnant and wanted me to take responsibility. Our relationship was known to everyone, and people said I had wasted so many years of her life. If I didn’t marry her, I would be seen as a villain. But only I know that I’m not the father of that child…”
I looked at him calmly, not knowing what expression to wear for a moment.
Pity? Regret? Sorrow?
None of these.
I felt that the person before me was reaping what he had sown.
“I don’t accept your apology, and I won’t be with you. Besides, I have a boyfriend now.”
His pupils constricted, almost on the verge of collapse.
“Emily, you’re joking, right?
“Didn’t you always want to marry me?
“Don’t you remember how loving we were when we were together…”
I tried hard to think, “Were we ever together? Not even a bouquet of flowers or a confession, how come I don’t remember any of this?”
“My current boyfriend is a senior from my school. You can check, that graduation thesis that went viral last year was authored by him. And we’re getting married soon.”
“Jack, live your life well. The best thing you can do for me is to never appear in front of me again.”
