Chapter 8
Inside, the package contained a bunch of so–called gifts: his marathon medal, a handmade paper fan, a scarf. All of it felt cheap, like a sad reflection of the place I’d held in his heart.
On social media, Becky flaunted the gifts she got from him every year—pink diamond necklaces, designer scarves, limited editions. The difference was as clear as day, and it was no accident. With no remorse, I dragged the box to the trash can. Just as I was about to throw it in, a message from an unknown number popped up on my phone.
“Penny, did you get the gifts? We‘ ve shared so much together; how can you forget all that so easily? Becky can’t replace you. She’s just my friend. We’re practically a sibling. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Not long after, a message from Becky
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arrived too.
“Penny, are you done with him yet? If you really don’t want to be with Derick, then quit dragging it out. I’ve seen plenty of girls like you, hanging on like a desperate clingy ex.”
I skimmed her message, and any curiosity to read further quickly vanished. Her frantic outbursts only revealed her insecurities, adding fuel to the fire of my disgust. I screenshotted everything and
forwarded it all to Derick.
“Handle your so–called ‘just friend‘. Keep pushing and you’ll see. I’m done playing nice!”
What he decided to do with Becky was no longer my concern, though I hadn’t expected the backlash that would follow. Becky’s messages became incessant, filling up my inbox. Eventually, I’d had enough and exposed everything on my social media. Almost immediately, a stranger messaged me, revealing unsettling
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secrets about Becky.
It turned out she wasn‘ t just involved with Derick. She had a habit of interfering in other people’s relationships, getting a twisted sense of satisfaction from causing pain. To her, Derick was nothing more than a clown. If he thought she cared for him, he was sorely mistaken. Perhaps it was poetic justice, the best revenge against his so–called devotion.
As we packed for our trip, my parents—who had been teasing me like I was still their little girl–were just as excited as I was, too thrilled to sleep. That night, the three of us crammed into a single bed, and my dad was especially talkative.
He laughed as he reminisced, though his teeth were clenched from pain. “You‘ ve always been stubborn, you know, never turning back unless you hit a brick wall.”
He launched into stories from my childhood, like when he’d tried to scare me from going into the caves behind our
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house by saying there were monsters in there. Instead of being frightened, I’d gone to explore for myself. In school, I’d always fought to bring up any grade that dropped. When it came time for college, my teachers suggested me to pick a
“safe” school, but I applied to places I wanted, even ready to try again the next year if I didn’t get in.
That’s just how I was.
Derick had been the heartthrob of the university. From the first time I saw him, I felt an attraction. After he helped me out at a party, I started dreaming of ways to make myself his girlfriend. He loved skiing, chess and swimming, so I threw myself into learning those things. He was a top student, so I studied hard to keep up. Wherever he was, that’s where I wanted
to be.
Back then, he was like the sun in my world, and I was willing to revolve around him. I’d never been one to settle, so I worked
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hard to make sure he’d notice me, eventually becoming his girlfriend. I had always believed that hard work would bring rewards, but it turned out that love doesn’t work that way.
My dad’s voice cracked as he laughed, the clenched teeth betraying the pain his painkillers couldn’t hide. In the darkness, I blinked away a tear and tried describing the ocean to him, distracting him from the pain. The two of them had never traveled far except to send me to college, and when they saw Derick, they got on a train that went far away.
Our small county was their world, and to them, I was their whole universe. The next morning, as we headed to the airport, I held my parents‘ hands, watching them take in the sights of the bustling terminal with wide, curious eyes.
