17
I left home and went back to the city early.
What happened that night was just a little
thing. I didn’t care.
A month later, my mom told me Chad and
Tiffany broke up.
It started when Tiffany was caught cheating
at a tournament.
Chad finally realized she wasn’t special.
The worst part was, she was buying cheating
devices with Chad’s name.
Tiffany said Chad used them, too.
Chad spent a lot of energy clearing his name,
and he missed the next big tournament.
He couldn’t take it, so he started drinking.
He ended up in the hospital.
My mom
should go see him.
I asked what hospital and went on the
weekend.
Chad looked excited when he saw me.
“Ashley…”
I just put the flowers I got on the table.
“Mom told me to come by. Okay, bye.”
Chad grabbed my arm.
“Ashley!”
“I know this isn’t the right time, but I gotta
say it.
I left the national team and I will take over my
dad’s company in the city. I start from zero. I
will come back to you when you finish your
graduate study.”
“Can we go back?”
I bit my lip and looked down at him.
“Chad, no.”
“I’m thankful for how much you loved me.
That’s why I’m not too mad.”
“The eighteen–year–old Ashley loved the
eighteen–year–old Chad. The twenty–four-
year–old Ashley doesn’t love the twenty–four-
year–old Chad.”
I looked at Chad’s arm and pressed the nurse
call button.
I was too picky for people who couldn’t make
up their minds.
Besides, it was over.
There was no going back.
