Chapter 1

I was supposed to finish work and head home to rest after delivering that last order. But when I stood outside the private room holding the takeout, my feet felt like they were glued to the floor. The familiar voice inside belonged to the person I had once loved with all my heart—the same person I had deeply hurt. I squeezed the artisanal cake in my hand and, just before the delivery time expired, pushed open the door. Inside the private room were people I knew well, but I could only lower the brim of my hat, pretending not to recognize them. "Ophelia, I didn't expect you to attend the alumni reunion this year." Rumor had it that ever since I left, Ophelia, who used to avoid alumni reunions, never missed a single one. Meanwhile, I, who used to attend every year, never showed up again. "Where has Thaddeus been these past few years?" Someone explained, "You didn't know? Back then, Thaddeus ran off when Ophelia was at her lowest. How could he dare show up now? Does he have no shame?" The crowd clucked their tongues and sighed in disdain. Meanwhile, Ophelia said nothing. She sat among the group, the dim lights partially obscuring her face in shadows. The other half that was clearly visible showed her calm yet emotionless eyes. I never expected our reunion to happen like this. I stepped into the middle of the room and quietly asked, "Excuse me, who here is Mr. Walker? This is the cake you ordered." Wesley Walker raised his hand dismissively. "Just leave it there." "Alright, I'll open the box for you to check." I knelt on one knee, opened the box, and carefully followed the steps to confirm the delivery. I was suppressing my nervousness with great effort. I tried not to be recognized, but my voice and hands still trembled slightly. Beside me, they were happily drinking and chatting, paying no attention to me. Yet, under the dim lights, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone's gaze was lingering on me. Then, someone asked Ophelia, "Ophelia, is it true you've changed boyfriends again? Didn't bring him along today?" Ophelia simply smiled. "Don't worry, he'll be here later." Everyone seemed eager to meet her new boyfriend while I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "It's already this late. I guess Thaddeus won't show up this year either." Our class representative, Andrew Waylon, added, "I messaged him on WhatsApp. He blueticked me." In truth, everyone knew Ophelia didn't attend these alumni reunions for nostalgia or camaraderie. She came to see if I would appear, though I had to pretend to be clueless. "I'll send him a video message, then. I mean, he responded to me just a few days ago," Andrew said. Hearing this, I hurriedly packed up the box, preparing to slip away. But as I turned, I accidentally bumped into someone behind me, spilling wine all over her and onto Ophelia. "What's wrong with you? Can't you watch where you're going? You spilled wine all over me!" Nancy Leeson snapped, clearly irritated. Her white dress was now stained with red wine, standing out starkly. Ophelia's outfit wasn't spared either, though the stains weren't as noticeable. However, her dress looked expensive. I bowed my head and apologized quickly, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, it was an accident. How much is your dress? I'll pay for it," I offered. Nancy scoffed sharply. "My dress isn't worth much, but do you think you can afford Ophelia's? You're just a lousy delivery guy. Do you have any idea that that's haute couture! How many orders would you need to deliver to pay for it?" I didn't dare look at Ophelia. The price of that dress was indeed far beyond what I could afford now. I turned to her and stammered, "I-I'm so sorry, miss. I'll find a way to pay you back. Please give me some time…" She raised her eyes to look at me. With my cap and mask on, only my eyes were visible, making it impossible for her to recognize me. Yet she stared at me for what felt like an eternity. I felt as if her gaze was piercing through me until I quickly lowered my head. "There's no way you can afford to pay for this. Don't tell me you'll just write an IOU or something and then disappear." The crowd erupted in laughter. While clenching my fists nervously, I replied, "Don't worry, I'll pay every cent." Someone jeered, "Everything on you right now probably isn't enough to buy one of Ophelia's earrings. Forget the dress! Just call the police and let him sort it out at the station." I couldn't let them call the police. If they did, my identity would be exposed, and my mother was still waiting for me at home. As I stood there, tense and at a loss for how to defuse the situation, my phone suddenly rang with an incoming video call. Andrew exclaimed in surprise, "Why is your ringtone the same as Thaddeus'?" Andrew glanced at his own phone to double-check. He confirmed that the sound was coming from me. All eyes immediately turned in my direction. As I stood amidst the crowd, I was fully exposed and recognized. "It's really you! Thaddeus, why are you delivering takeout?" Their shocked gazes pierced through me, and after the initial surprise, the murmurs of disapproval began to spread. I clenched my fists tightly as I stood rooted to the spot, feeling as if I had been stripped bare in front of everyone. Once she realized it was me, Ophelia rose and walked straight up to me, personally removing my hat. After confirming my identity, she let out a cold laugh. "So, it really is you." I couldn't meet her eyes and had to look away. "Apologies, Ms. Smith. I'll compensate you fully for your dress." Someone quipped, "Thaddeus, in your current financial state, it'll probably take you forever to pay her back. If you hadn't abandoned Ophelia back then, half of the Smith family's company would be yours now. And you definitely wouldn't be here delivering takeout!" Ophelia sneered outright at this comment. "Is he even worthy of that?" Her words dripped with resentment and sarcasm, ruthlessly calling back to the time I left her behind. Back then, Ophelia's family suffered a devastating blow. Her family's company faced bankruptcy, and her father was gravely ill. Just when she needed me the most, I broke up with her. At the time, she had to shoulder all the pressure—dealing with the company's shareholders, fending off creditors, and returning home to care for her bedridden father. It was a time when she most needed my support and comfort, yet I had cruelly abandoned her. I couldn't imagine how utterly hopeless she must have felt back then. So, I understood perfectly how deeply she must hate me now. I pulled all the money I had out of my pocket. "Apologies, Ms. Smith. This is all I have at the moment. If you need more, I can write you an IOU and pay it back in full." She glanced at the crumpled bills in my hand, smirked disdainfully, and then pointed to the bottles of beer on the table. "Finish all of this, and we'll call it even." I looked at the table full of beer and remembered the doctor's words from just a few days ago. "We suspect you have late-stage stomach cancer. Avoid smoking and drinking. The biopsy results will be ready in five working days. Don't forget to pick them up." But if I refused to drink right now, there was no guarantee she would let me go.