Chapter 2

Katie's POV

Lily moved toward Terry faster than I did. I hefted the tennis bag and quickened my pace to catch up with her. Lily glanced at Terry's tennis bag. "That must be heavy. Do you need help?"

I waved my hands repeatedly. Ever since high school, I'd been following Terry to competitions everywhere. Besides collecting information on his opponents, organizing match data, and reviewing game footage, I was the one who maintained Terry's rackets and organized his personal belongings.

For instance, the suit Terry wore today was prepared by me.

All right, I admit I sometimes paid too much attention to Terry. It was a bit irrational, and also exhausting. Mom had suggested to me that I shouldn't act like Terry's personal assistant—a free one at that. What a terrible assessment that was.

But ever since I stopped watching matches purely as a spectator, I'd become obsessed with analyzing tennis data, reviewing games, and pushing Terry to climb higher and higher. I was even happier than he was about his success. Tennis was no longer just my hobby. Whenever I watched anyone serve at over two hundred kilometers per hour, my heart raced along with it. I wanted to enter this industry.

Someday in the future, when Terry stood at the peak, I would likewise become a leader in this field.

That would be a wonderful and anticipated day.

Seeing Lily already at Terry's side, I panicked. What was George doing, constantly blocking my way? Just as I was about to argue with him, Terry picked up the microphone, his voice filling the entire banquet hall.

"Today, here, I have an important announcement to make..."

I waved toward Terry. I hadn't gotten there yet—your leading lady wasn't in position yet. How awkward.

I almost called out Terry's name, but then Terry performed a gentlemanly bow toward Lily.

I stopped abruptly in my tracks, staring blankly at Terry and Lily, rubbing my eyes. Was I hallucinating? Wasn't Terry supposed to announce our relationship?

Lily placed her hand in Terry's palm. The lights must have been too glaring—my eyes felt sore and swollen.

I looked around in confusion. George was watching Terry and Lily expectantly, as was everyone else.

I had to admire everyone's acting skills. To announce his relationship with me, Terry had actually staged this entire performance with everyone on the tennis team. He must be deliberately teasing me, trying to make me anxious.

Terry spoke with deep affection. "I'm so grateful that this angel of a girl came into my life. Without her encouragement and help, I don't think I would have achieved what I have today. Though this is only a campus competition, next time at the SCIAC League Championship, I will still lead our school team to victory, and in the future, the D3 League Championship as well. My darling, your love will be my greatest motivation."

"Today, I want to introduce my beloved to everyone..."

All eyes were on us. At that moment, my heartbeat definitely exceeded any superfast serve in tennis history. I absolutely had to criticize Terry harshly—this kind of scenario was too frightening. Wasn't he afraid of having to call emergency services for me at the celebration banquet?

I walked to the front. At this moment, Terry was loudly calling out his beloved's name.

"Lily Wilson."

Thunderous applause erupted around me, with George's cheers the loudest.

So this wasn't Terry putting on an act to announce his relationship with me. Everything had been just my fantasy.

After a bout of ringing in my ears, I felt dizzy and faint, my body feeling impossibly heavy and unsteady. I wanted so badly to grab Terry by his clothes and demand: What about me then? What am I to you? Were all those vows and promises fake?

But who knew about our relationship anyway? For three whole years, I had been Terry's girlfriend who was never publicly acknowledged. Speaking up would only give people like George the pleasure of gloating and saying even more humiliating things to me. I glanced at George and threw Terry's tennis bag at him. His mouth had just opened—I knew he couldn't possibly say anything good. I glared fiercely at George. "Shut your filthy mouth. Even a noble sport like tennis can't save vulgar, stupid people like you."

I admit I didn't have the courage to confront Terry. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

George was furious. He lowered his voice, sounding like a beast growling, telling me to stop. Stopping was impossible. I walked even faster toward the exit. But then Lily picked up the microphone and called out to me.

"Katie."

All eyes fell on me. I felt as if Medusa had fixed her gaze on me—I stopped moving but didn't turn to look at them. I was afraid I'd lose my composure. I didn't want to cry in front of Terry, and even less did I want Lily to think she had won.

"Aren't you going to congratulate us?" Lily said again.

I bit my lower lip, almost tasting blood, my body trembling uncontrollably. How dare they—actually asking me to congratulate them?

I'd fantasized all night long. It was humiliating enough. Right now I just wanted to find somewhere with no one around where I could cry freely and mourn this love that had never seen the light of day, now ended.

Terry spoke to me for the first time that evening. "Katie, Lily and I hope to have your blessing too."

In that instant, all reason vanished. Lily didn't know the truth, so she could be this cruel—but what right did Terry have? I screamed inwardly.

I forced back tears to keep them from falling and turned to look at the blond boy standing in the center, even more spirited than three years ago.

That passionate boy who had rescued me from mockery and ridicule was gone. I stared into his eyes, trying to see if he had some unspeakable difficulty, if perhaps this was just an expedient measure on his part.

I blinked hard, hoping he would give me some hint. Then I would obediently cooperate with him.

But there was nothing. He unscrupulously displayed his intimacy with Lily. Lily held her head high like a proud peacock, with Terry as her trophy, showing off her victory to me, the loser.

I suddenly understood. Lily wasn't ignorant after all—she had known about my relationship with Terry all along. Her invitation had been ill-intentioned from the start. Terry had even cooperated with her throughout, erasing my existence. My love was like a joke.

Unwillingness rose within me. Tears finally spilled from my eyes as I sneered, "Why should I? Why should I bless a cheating scumbag and his mistress!"

That wasn't enough. I continued, saying much more—about my first meeting with Terry, about the match where Terry and I established our relationship, about the vows and promises Terry and I made, about all the past moments Terry and I shared.

How could those memories be forgotten and treated as if they never existed!

Never!