Gradually, I found myself looking forward more and more to my conversations with Victor.

Meanwhile, James seemed to be slowly fading into a distant corner of my memory.

I knew I was sliding toward a dangerous edge, but I couldn't help it.

Every word Victor said was like a shot of adrenaline, pulling me deeper into this.

I started fantasizing about what life would be like if I were with Victor.

However, just as I was lost in these sweet thoughts, Victor suddenly sent me a message.

It was a picture of James holding another girl, comforting her.

I stared at my phone screen, my heart feeling like it was tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

In the photo, James was holding an unfamiliar girl's shoulders, gently comforting her.

My mind went blank in an instant, and all my trust collapsed in that moment.

[What's going on?] I trembled as I typed a message to Victor.

Victor replied quickly: [I'm not sure either. I just saw it while passing by James's house today.]

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, and decided to go directly to James to ask for clarification.

Pushing open James's door, I saw the girl sitting on the sofa, crying, while James was busy in the kitchen.

"Who is she?" I struggled to control my tone, trying not to let my anger and jealousy spill over.

James turned around, a flicker of panic crossing his face. "Ashley, what are you doing here? This is my friend from middle school, just back from abroad."

I scoffed. "A friend? Is that why you're holding her so closely to comfort her? Is that why you didn't go to the amusement park that day?!"

James's expression turned slightly annoyed. "What are you thinking?

"It's because her pet is sick and in the hospital. I was just comforting her," he defended.

"And the other day, when her pipe burst, I was just helping her," he added.

I suddenly remembered that over the years, I had always handled any plumbing issues at home myself.

"So you can fix pipes?" I said sarcastically. "I've never seen you lift a finger all these years."

James's face darkened instantly. "What exactly do you want to say? Is there something wrong with helping a friend?"

I felt dizzy, as all my doubts and insecurities erupted in that moment.

"This is a huge problem!" I nearly shouted. "You've kept so much from me, and you expect me to trust you?"

James's demeanor suddenly turned cold. "Believe it or not, I don't owe you any explanations."