I suddenly remembered a moment from middle school.
A boy had secretly taken photos under my skirt, and Noah Carter lost his mind. He charged at him to demand justice–it
was the first time he’d ever been in a fight. No technique, just brute force. In the end, he sent the boy to the hospital.
The boy’s parents stormed into the school, demanding Noah be given a severe disciplinary record. Even the teachers
urged him to back down and apologize. But Noah had always been stubborn. Standing outside the office, he declared
through gritted teeth, “I won’t apologize. If anyone dares to bully Mint, I’ll beat them to a pulp.”
That night, Mr. Carter whipped him so badly he could barely move.
I sneaked into his house to see him. The moment I spotted him lying facedown on the bed, covered in bruises, tears
streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. He forced himself to sit up, wiping my tears away with that same gentle tone:
“Why are you crying?”
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
A lie. His hands were trembling from pain, yet he refused to shed a single tear.
Back then, Noah was the fearless hero in my heart.
But now…
He tilted his head up slightly, and on our first reunion after all these years, tears rolled down his face. They traced the
corners of his eyes, and he looked like a child who’d been wronged beyond measure–his nose, eyelids, even the tips of
his ears flushed red.
“Mint,” he said hoarsely, “you’re ruthless.”
Ruthless. Ruthless enough to vanish completely for seven years without replying to a single message or answering a single call. Who would’ve thought the girl who grew anxious after half a day apart from Noah in high school could actually
endure seven years without him?
When I boarded that plane to Italy without looking back, everyone said I was just being spiteful. No one believed I could
sever a bond that had lasted since childhood.
Noah didn’t believe it either.
Back then, he’d found me and insisted on helping me fill out college applications.
“I picked out art schools for you–all in New York.”
“Don’t be mad, Mint. We can still be together.”
But by then, he’d already given that one recommendation slot to Elise.
The people who’d congratulated me on my grades fell silent overnight, their gazes laced with pity.
Chapter 11
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That evening, Noah held me and whispered a promise:
“After you graduate, let’s get married. Okay?”
He knew what I cared about. I couldn’t bear to leave him because I loved him so much. I’d been certain: in this lifetime, I’d
only ever love Noah Carter. At eighteen, I believed it. At thirty–six, I still would.
But…turns out, the kind of reckless love you have when you’re young can’t last a lifetime.
I stared at him calmly, devoid of emotion.
Years ago, if he’d said those words with tears in his eyes and a tremor in his voice, my heart would’ve shattered. I’d have
thrown myself into his arms without hesitation.
Now, my heart was still as stone.
I didn’t even want to dredge up the past or argue under the dim glow of streetlights.
Raising a hand, I signaled the hotel security by the entrance.
“This man followed me from the restaurant,” I said flatly, pointing at Noah. “Please handle it.”
The guard blinked, then stepped firmly in front of his car window.
Without another glance at Noah, I turned and walked into the hotel lobby.
Chapter 11
