Chapter 2

By the time I finished packing up everything alone, an hour had already slipped by.

I took out my phone and dialed Mason's number.

After a few rings, the call was abruptly declined. Staring at the black screen, I refused to give up and dialed again.

This time, an automated voice told me the phone was switched off.

I sent him several messages, but they vanished like stones dropped into the bottom of the ocean, receiving no reply.

When I returned to the dorm, my roommates weren't there. I washed my face and collapsed onto my bed, utterly drained.

A little while later, one of my roommates walked back in.

Seeing me lying there, she asked with a puzzled look,

"Mandy, did you and Mason have a massive fight or something?"

I looked up. "What do you mean? Why do you ask?"

She pulled her phone out of her bag, scrolling through it as she explained,

"Well, I went to the aquarium with my boyfriend today, and I saw Mason with a girl. They looked super close. I even snapped a picture... hold on, let me find it..."

She handed me her phone. The moment my eyes landed on the intimate pair on the screen, a sharp pain stabbed through my heart.

In the photo, Mason was tilting his head, his eyes brimming with tenderness as he gazed at the girl beside him.

The girl was wearing a long blue dress, one hand looped securely around Mason's arm while the other pointed at the jellyfish drifting ahead.

They looked utterly perfect together.

I had seen that girl before. She was an underclassman in Mason's department named Natalie.

Mason had mentioned her to me once. He said she was exceptionally bright and that he really admired her.

Back then, I hadn't paid any attention to the subtle look in his eyes when he talked about her. As it turned out, the clues had been there all along.

I handed the phone back to my roommate. Taking it, she asked with deep concern, "Mandy, are you okay?"

I parted my lips, my voice trembling as I replied,

"I'm fine, Chloe. Around what time did you see them?"

Chloe thought for a moment.

"The aquarium opens at eight-thirty. I'm pretty sure I saw them around nine-thirty. Why?"

Nine-thirty. I remembered clearly that Mason had taken that phone call at nine. That meant the person on the other end was Natalie, and Mason's so-called "emergency" was nothing more than keeping her company at the aquarium.

Tears spilled uncontrollably from my eyes. Looking heartbroken for me, Chloe gently wiped them away.

Once I managed to steady my breathing, I whispered to her,

"Chloe, can I borrow your phone for a second? I need to make a call."

Without hesitation, Chloe pressed her phone back into my hand.

I dialed the number I knew by heart. This time, it picked up almost immediately.

"Hello? Who is this?"