Chapter 4 Chapter 4 I closed my eyes and turned away . Marcus called right after his performance . I blocked him and put on my backup dress . When the spotlight hit me on stage , I stared at the piano , took a deep breath , and straightened my shoulders . I played through " Shallow " flawlessly , finally letting out all my anger . " Clap clap- " The audience erupted in applause - I turned to see people actually crying . I'd played beyond my usual ability , unexpectedly moving everyone . I smiled and bowed gracefully . Marcus ran up and hugged me . " Joy ! That was incredible ! " I pushed him away coldly . " Keep your distance , please . " He ruffled my hair and handed me a bag , looking exasperated . " Mad again ? You have no idea how much I've done for you . " He kept explaining . " Last time you faked that allergic reaction and tattled , Chelsea got fired . " " Her plan to buy a dress with her part - time job fell through . Poor girl cried for days . " " Your dress arrived just in time - I let her borrow it for her performance , then she changed so you could perform too . " " I helped her out AND didn't ruin your show . Pretty smart , right ? " I wasn't listening . I pulled out the dress to inspect it - the hem was torn , sequins scattered everywhere . I held the ruined dress with trembling hands . Marcus saw it too , panic creeping into his voice . " Joy … I didn't know this would happen . Chelsea didn't mean to . I'll buy you a new one … " Tears stung my eyes as I slapped him hard and screamed : " What do you mean ' she wears it then I wear it ' ?! That's DISGUSTING ! " " " And get this straight - this is the ONLY dress my mother ever made me ! It's all I have left of her ! " " What gives you the right to give it to Chelsea ? What could you possibly replace it with ? " " Taking without asking is STEALING ! Don't you get that ?! " " Marcus Blackthorne , you're a complete disappointment ! " Chelsea appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the dress from my hands . Her eyes were red , tears hanging on her lashes . " Joy , don't blame Marcus ! It's all my fault ! I'll fix the dress , I promise ! " My face went ice cold . " Give it back ! " 2.8 % Chapter 4 Marcus saw his chance and suddenly hugged me . " Joy , baby , trust me this once . I'll get your dress fixed perfectly ! " Chelsea caught Marcus's signal and ran off with my dress . I was seeing red , but Marcus leaned down and kissed my temple . " I promise I'll return it exactly as it was . Don't be mad . " The old me might have melted . But now I just felt sick . Later , I got the business school notification . I could report to the honors program after the holiday break . I breathed a sigh of relief and started packing . Three days later , Marcus texted : [ Joy , got your dress fixed . ] Me : [ Good , I'll come get it . Where and when ? ] [ There's Lover's Peak outside town . Climb to the summit with me tomorrow and I'll give it to you ~ ] [ You BETTER come ! I'll give you the dress back when you do ! ] I didn't want to deal with it , but that dress was made by Mom before she died for my piano competition . It carried her blessing and love - it meant everything to me . The next day I got to the base of Lover's Peak but only saw Chelsea . I called Marcus over and over - no answer . She smugly pulled up a photo on her phone . It was taken at the summit - green grass with heart - shaped balloon arrangements . Marcus was tying pink ribbons on the surrounding trees . " Stop calling . Marcus is busy setting up my confession ceremony . He doesn't have time for your calls . " I realized I'd been played and turned to leave , furious . But Chelsea called out lazily , " Leaving already ? That's fine - I really like that dress of yours anyway . I'll wear it when I say yes to Marcus's confession ! " I was LIVID and slapped her hard . " What a fucking bitch ! " She laughed shamelessly . " So what ? Marcus still likes me best . " " If Marcus sees this mark on my face , think he'll destroy your precious dress completely ? " " I heard it's pretty important to you . " My hands shook with rage , but I couldn't risk it . I started running up the mountain . Chelsea's eyes glinted as she followed . But when I reached the halfway point , pain shot through my foot and sweat broke out on my forehead . 3.1 % Chapter 4 I looked down trembling - a rusty bear trap had clamped down on my ankle , blood instantly staining the ground . Chelsea strolled over looking pleased . " Oops , what an accident ~ Looks like you won't make it to the top . Guess I'll have to wear the dress instead ~ " I knew damn well this was her doing . I was grinding my teeth so hard they might shatter . The pain made my head spin . Fighting back hatred , I pulled out my phone to call for help . But she snatched it away and threw it down the mountain . " Wanna call for help ? In your dreams ! " I lunged at her but she just smirked and ran off . Watching her disappear , my blood ran cold . Lover's Peak might have a romantic name , but it was in the suburbs - hardly anyone came here . I tried prying the trap open but it was useless . I sat pathetically on the ground , crawling down step by step . Hurt , pain , and fear poured out with my tears . The blazing sun quickly gave me heat stroke . I crouched weakly by the path , thinking I might die here with no one finding me . My sobbing echoed through the silent mountain . Suddenly a shadow fell across me , and a deep voice said : " How come every time I find you , you're in such a sorry state , little crybaby ? "