Gregory's POV

Winter came home from her so-called solo vacation three days later. At the dinner table, she handed me a tiny box and said it was a gift. I opened it and found a bookmark inside.

"Huh. Did you and Simon go to the same place?" Mrs. Andersen asked, leaning over to take a look. "He stopped by today, too. The gift he brought Gregory is the same as this one."

Winter's hand froze around her cutlery. For a brief moment, panic flashed across her eyes.

I, however, kept eating without looking up. "It's fine. I don't mind getting two of the same thing."

A cheap bookmark was still a cheap bookmark. Having one or two made no difference.

Winter stared at me, momentarily stunned.

Before she could say anything, Mrs. Andersen said, "You're right. I have to say, the three of you are tied together by fate. You'll be attending the same college, while you and Gregory will be in the same major—"

"Mom, Dad," Winter interrupted her. "I might switch majors after freshman year."

Those words felt like a stab in the heart. Future Winter had told me that whenever she mentioned switching majors, I would go silent and sulk for days.

"He'd pull a long face, and my parents would immediately start lecturing me and bringing up what happened back then." She had written. "So, for all four years of college, I was stuck with him, like some piece of gum I couldn't scrape off my shoe."

I suppressed the throbbing pain in my chest.

This time, though, I looked up with a smile and met Winter's eyes. "Sure. I think you should, too. After all, it's important to choose something you genuinely like."

The air went still. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen's words died in their throat. Winter didn't look nearly as pleased as I had imagined she would. Instead, her face darkened.

After dinner, she followed me into my room. "What did you mean by that at the table?"

I looked at her, perplexed. "I thought I was clear. If you don't like your major, you can switch anytime. I won't expect anything more than I should from you."

Winter frowned, her expression darkening further. "Gregory, you… What ticked you off this time?"

The old me would never have treated her with such propriety and distance, as if she were a stranger.

A trace of irritation flickered through her beautiful eyes. "If you've got something to say, just say it. Stop acting like a teenage girl and dancing around the issue. I'm not interested in your guessing game. Why can't you be more like Simon? He's straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush."

My fingernails dug into my palms so hard that I nearly broke the skin.

Simon's call came in right then, perfectly on cue. "Winter, I burned down the kitchen again! Can you come over and take a look? I swear there's something wrong with these ribs!"

His loud, obnoxious voice rang out from the phone. Without hesitation, Winter turned and walked out of my room. I stood there watching her back as she left, my mind drifting back to a week ago.

Last week, Mr. and Mrs. Andersen had been away on a business trip. I was cooking at home when a boning knife slipped and sliced my finger open. Blood spread across the cutting board.

At the time, I only wanted Winter to hand me a bandage. To that, she said, "Please. You're a grown-up now. Can't you act like an older brother for once? Do you really need me for something this small?"

In the end, I went to the nearby clinic alone with my hand still bleeding and got it bandaged. Winter never showed up. But with Simon, she only needed one call to drop everything for him.

I stood there quietly, lost in thought.

Ten minutes later, I saw Simon's post on his social media. "Sometimes, the most beautiful thing is right before your eyes."

The photo showed Winter standing in a kitchen, wearing an apron, her expression soft and gentle.

"Damn, Simon. Is that your girlfriend? Quick, spill the tea," one commented.

Simon quickly shut it down." The hell are you talking about? That's my bro's girl, dude. Don't talk shit."

I stared at his over-the-top denial and let out a bitter laugh. Then, I sent a message to Future Winter.

"If the person who clung to you had let go from the beginning and let you be with the person you loved, would you be happier now?"

This time, she didn't reply instantly. She stayed silent for so long that I thought she had gone offline.

Then, a message popped up.

"I don't know if I'd call it happiness, but at least I wouldn't feel so guilty. If things had been different, he probably would still be alive now."

Gregory's POV

My breath hitched. The blood in my veins ran cold.

I would've been alive? Did that mean I would be dead ten years from now?

I forced myself to stay calm and cautiously tested the waters with Winter, asking how I had died, but she didn't seem interested in hiding anything. Her replies came in rapid succession.

"Because he was stubborn.

"After I forced him to call off the engagement, his grandma died. But it was just an accident.

"The day my man went to see her, he accidentally let it slip about us. She got too worked up and didn't make it through the emergency."

A chill ran through my body. She was talking about Simon visiting Grandma, who was the only family I had left in the world.

"Of course, he didn't mean it. He only wanted to invite her to our engagement party."

I couldn't hold back anymore. "And you believed whatever he said?" I asked, my heart breaking,

She didn't seem to mind. "Of course. I know him. He's straightforward and doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve, unlike that person."

My hands went slack.

Fine. Simon was straightforward and generous, the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve. Meanwhile, I was nothing more than a rat in the gutter, always calculating and scheming.

"And what happened next?" I asked.

"He lost it after that. He tried to go after my man.

"I lost control and shoved him. He lost his balance and fell into the path of a car changing lanes.

"There was blood everywhere. He almost didn't make it."

Winter's replies were concise, but each one struck me like a blade driven straight into my heart.

"I felt a bit of regret afterward, so I tried to take care of him. But after he woke up, his mental state deteriorated.

"So, I had him sent to a psychiatric hospital. But then…

"Last week, he suddenly relapsed and killed himself in the hospital."

My screen dimmed after a few minutes of inactivity. By then, I was already in tears.

So that was my ending, huh?

I could barely breathe. Cold sweat broke out all over my body. My hands wouldn't stop trembling, and waves of nausea kept rising in my throat.

In the end, I bolted out the door and rushed to the nursing home.

…

Grandma was sitting peacefully by the window, basking in the sunlight. When she saw me, her eyes crinkled with a smile. She opened her mouth, like she was about to say something.

I cut her off in a hurry. "Grandma, I've thought it through. I want to study abroad instead. Would you come with me?"

No matter what, I couldn't leave her here alone.

Grandma froze for a moment, not understanding what was going on. Still, she nodded. "Well, of course, Gregory. I'll follow you wherever you go. But what about Winter? You two—"

"She has nothing to do with me anymore, Grandma," I said firmly. "You must remember this from now on. I don't like Winter, and I am never going to marry her."

She looked at me in confusion, but still agreed in the end. The weight in my chest finally lifted. I let out a breath of relief.

After chatting with Grandma for a while, I got up to leave. To my surprise, two figures blocked me at the door.

Winter's expression was gloomy as she stared at me. My heart tightened. I had no idea how much she had heard.

Beside her, Simon spoke first. "Gregory, did you and Winter have a fight or something? Is that why you said you don't like her? Come on, don't argue anymore. If you're upset, just take it out on me."

He even spread his arms wide. "Here. Punch me. Let it all out."

The moment he stepped forward, Winter immediately grabbed his wrist in panic. "What are you doing? Your injury hasn't healed yet."

A small bandage sat on Simon's finger. I lowered my gaze, looking at the thick bandages that had wrapped around my hand for a week. It was still bleeding through the gauze.

Winter followed my line of sight. She looked somewhat awkward before clearing her throat. "Let's talk at home. Your hand—"

"No," I cut her off, looking up at her with a faint smile. "You heard what I said. Let's stay out of each other's lives from now on, Winter."

Gregory's POV

Winter's expression shifted several times before she finally spat out, "Gregory, how long are you going to keep this nonsense up?"

I didn't answer. I wasn't keeping anything up. I had simply stopped pretending.

"Nothing to keep up," I said. "I just don't like you anymore, so I'd rather keep my distance. It'll avoid all unnecessary misunderstandings."

Winter's hand froze midair. She stared at me in disbelief, as if she had never imagined such words could come out of my mouth.

"You'd better think twice, Gregory," Simon said quickly. "You two are so close. Everyone says you're childhood sweethearts. They're all jealous of you. You two… are definitely going to end up together someday!"

"Says who?" Winter let out a cold laugh and cut Simon off, her eyes fixed on me. "I never had those kinds of feelings for him, anyway."

She turned toward him, her expression going soft and shy. "I'm into someone else."

A long breath slipped out of me. She finally said it. At last, she had shed the burden of that years-long debt and the obligation that bound her.

For some reason, her eyes never left me. She was clearly confessing her feelings to Simon, not me.

"Congrats," I muttered. "I wish you two a long, happy relationship."

The moment I turned around, I thought I caught a flash of anger in Winter's eyes, but I didn't look back. I just walked away.

Since then, Winter and I had barely seen each other. However, her relationship with Simon quickly became the hottest topic among our friends. Every day, there was something new being talked about.

One day, someone said they saw him taking her to an amusement park; the next, there were photos of them kissing under a tree.

Simon kept texting me nonstop, insisting Winter had only confessed to him to provoke me, and that he was just a pawn in our game.

I knew better. It wasn't like that at all. Even if it started as acting, she was bound to fall for him sooner or later.

A month passed quickly.

On the night before I left home, Winter announced at the dinner table that she was in a relationship. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen's eyes landed on me, utterly speechless.

Meanwhile, my gaze settled on Winter's neck. On her collar was a necklace Simon had woven for her.

I had made her countless similar ones over the years, yet she hadn't worn a single one. She always said she didn't like being flashy and would casually toss them into a drawer to gather dust.

"Yeah. They look pretty good together—and in love, too," I said to Mr. and Mrs. Andersen with a smile. "I'm happy for her, truly."

Winter clenched her fists under the table, biting her lip hard enough to leave a mark. She said nothing.

After dinner, she came into my room. I was sitting on the floor, packing my luggage, when she stood behind me and asked, "Where's your bracelet?"

I paused, then looked at my bare right wrist. "I gave it back to Mr. and Mrs. Andersen. If you want to give it to someone else, you'll have to ask them."

The only answer I got was a heavy slam of the door. I sighed.

Once I finished packing, I walked into Mr. and Mrs. Andersen's room.

Yesterday, I had told them everything. Winter thought I would be going to college with her tomorrow for orientation—she had no idea that I was leaving for the airport tonight.

"Once you're there, remember to give us a call. Okay?"

Mrs. Andersen sighed. "We know we can't force something that isn't there. As long as you're happy, I'm sure your parents will be at peace, too."

I hugged them tightly, smiling as I said goodbye. Then I picked up my suitcase and quietly walked out of the house.

Before boarding the plane, I sent one last message to Future Winter. "Now, you won't miss those four years with him anymore."

As for me, I wouldn't miss the great life that was supposed to belong to me either.

Little did I know, the moment I sent the message, the account vanished without a trace.

Seven hours later, Winter barged into my bedroom. She looked at the empty room and stumbled back a step. "No way… No way!"

Mr. and Mrs. Andersen tried to explain, but she simply didn't have the capacity to listen. She wanted to leave for the airport and chase after me.

Then, in that split second, a sharp pain exploded in her mind. Memories that didn't belong to her came flooding in…