Chapter 3 After she was discharged from the hospital, the class held a graduation party. Sloane hadn't planned to go, but her friends talked her into it. The moment she walked into the private room, she saw Jace and Marissa sitting close together. Marissa was smiling as she fed him a piece of fruit, and he didn't stop her. The moment her classmates noticed Sloane, they grew visibly awkward. One after another, they walked over to her and whispered, "Sloane, what's going on? Did you and Jace... have another fight?" Sloane shook her head calmly. Her voice was soft but clear. "It wasn't a fight. We broke up." "What? Broke up?!" Everyone was stunned. "Why? He was so good to you!" "Yeah, remember in our senior year when you got sick? He almost got into a physical fight with the teacher just to get you that extended leave!" "And every holiday, the surprises he planned for you made us so jealous!" "You guys were the couple everyone thought would make it from school uniforms to wedding dresses. How could you break up right after graduation?" As they listed all the sweet things Jace had done. Sloane felt like her heart was soaking in acid-swollen and aching. Auto-added to the Library Yes, he had been so good to her. So good that she once believed he was it for her, the one she'd spend forever with. And that was exactly what made his coldness and favoritism now so painfully cruel. After a moment of silence, she said quietly, "We just weren't right for each other. No one is truly irreplaceable. Besides," her gaze swept over to where Jace was pouring a drink for Marissa, "he seems perfectly happy with her now, doesn't he?" Jace happened to hear that. He frowned, glancing over at her, a complicated look in his eyes. For the rest of the evening, he acted like he was trying to prove a point, going out of his way to dote on Marissa. He stayed close to her, treating her with a level of care that felt exaggerated. He thought Sloane would react-maybe get jealous, maybe get mad, maybe walk over like she used to and break them up. But she didn't. She just sat quietly in the corner, chatting occasionally with the people beside her. Her expression was calm, distant, like Jace was nothing more than a stranger. Chapter 3 13.64% That complete indifference sent a wave of unease rushing through him-an unfamiliar and deeply unsettling feeling. He found himself wanting to walk toward her, but before he could take a step, Marissa grabbed his arm. She stood on tiptoes and whispered something in his car. His feet froze. His brows furrowed. After a few seconds, he sat back down. Soon after, someone suggested they play Truth or Dare. A few rounds later, Marissa lost. Her dare? Kiss the tallest guy in the room for three minutes. All eyes instantly turned to Jace. Marissa's face flushed pink, but her eyes were full of challenge. She walked straight over to him." Everyone sucked in a breath. Some whispered nervously, "Is this really okay? Sloane's still here..." Marissa deliberately looked toward Sloane in the corner, asking in a sugary voice, "Sloane, since you and Jace are broken up, you wouldn't mind if I kiss him for a game, right?" Her friend immediately chimed in, "Yeah, you're his ex. You don't get a say in who he kisses anymore." Suddenly, all eyes turned to Sloane like spotlights. Jace was watching her too, his gaze intense, heavy, like he was waiting for her reaction. Sloane lowered her head. Her long lashes shielded every emotion in her eyes. Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet everyone heard it clearly. "...You're right. It has nothing to do with me." That one sentence cut all ties between them. Jace's expression darkened instantly. His eyes blazed with fury-like he'd been defied in the worst way. He let out a cold laugh, grabbed Marissa by the waist, and kissed her-hard. A chorus of gasps erupted in the room, followed by a suffocating silence. Sloane could only watch as the two kissed under the lights, unable to look away. Marissa's hands reached up and wrapped around Jace's neck. Her heart felt like it was being crushed in someone's fist, pain shooting through her chest. She clenched her palm so tightly her nails dug in, using every ounce of willpower not to fall apart. No one knew how long the kiss lasted. When it finally ended, Marissa's friend deliberately raised her voice. "So, how was it? Kissing our Marissa must be way better than kissing someone, right?" Jace glanced at Sloane's pale face. A cold smile played on his lips as he said, not loudly, but with cutting clarity, "There's no comparison. Marissa... wins by a mile." Chapter 3 13.64%