Chapter 4
The vet examined Buddy thoroughly, a worried expression on his face.
“The dog isn’t hurt, and he’s perfectly healthy. The blood on him isn’t dog blood either. In fact, it looks like… human blood.”
He carefully observed Julian’s reaction. “Did someone in your household get hurt? This amount of bleeding doesn’t look like a minor injury. You really need to get immediate medical attention.”
Julian froze, and his face instantly darkened.
“Crazy woman, trying to get me to give in by self-harming.”
At the word “self-harm,” Celeste’s eyes flickered. “Does Vera have a history of self-harm?”
As if recalling unpleasant memories, a flicker of disgust crossed Julian’s face. “History? She used to carve my name into her arm with a knife when she self-harmed!”
I instinctively looked at my arm.
I never thought the old wounds would leave a mark on my soul too.
If Julian had cared about me just a little more, he would have noticed that his name was carved facing his direction.
Meaning, his name wasn’t carved by me, for myself. It was carved by someone else, holding my arm down.
That person was Celeste.
Years ago, after my parents died unexpectedly, I transferred from a private school to a public high school to cut costs.
On my first day, from the front of the classroom, I saw Julian, whom my parents and I had helped at the orphanage when I was a child.
Julian didn’t recognize me.
I had no intention of revealing myself. After all, no one wants their new classmate to know embarrassing childhood memories.
But that one glance was enough. At lunchtime, when I returned to my dorm, I found myself locked inside.
Celeste entered the room, shoved me to the ground, and I saw stars. I tried to get up, but she kicked me in the shoulder.
“You slut, transferred here and eyeing my man already?”
I quickly shook my head. “No, I just thought he looked familiar. Like I’d seen him somewhere before.”
Clearly, Celeste was annoyed by more than just that.
She lifted her chin, and the other two roommates rushed forward, roughly tearing open my suitcase.
They started dividing my slightly more expensive clothes and jewelry like vultures dividing their spoils.
When I saw them pull out the little white pipe cleaner dog Julian had twisted for me years ago, I couldn’t sit still.
“Can you please not take that?” I pleaded, looking at Celeste. She just let out a malicious laugh.
“This, or the photo? Which do you choose?” Celeste pulled out my family photo from my wallet’s hidden compartment.
“Please, these aren’t valuable items. They’re useless to you.” I knelt, begging her.
Celeste immediately made a motion to tear it.
“The photo! The photo!” I shrieked.
“Why are you suddenly so loud?!” Celeste tossed the photo back to me. I quickly pounced on it, carefully putting it away.
“What’s the point of this stupid dog? Treating it like a treasure.” Celeste didn’t understand. She tucked the dog away and went to class.
That morning, Julian hadn’t recognized me, but that afternoon, he immediately recognized the little dog.
“Celeste, is this yours?” Julian tentatively stepped forward, asking, his gaze searching her face.
Celeste’s face instantly flushed, and she became flustered and coy. “Y-yes, it is. Why?”
Hearing Celeste’s answer, Julian’s gaze softened. “Do you remember how you got it?”
Celeste panicked, clearly not expecting that question.
“It’s okay, I was just asking.” Julian gently returned the little dog to Celeste, casually ruffling her hair.
I stood by, watching it all unfold, saying nothing.
That night, Celeste forced me to explain how I got the little dog.
I remained silent, unwilling to reveal Julian’s past at the orphanage.
“You’re still denying you’re trying to hook him!” Celeste raged, grabbing a utility knife and slashing at my arm.
The other two roommates came forward and held me down tightly.
“Since you like him so much, I’ll just carve his name onto you. Let him see how sick your obsession is!”
Celeste viciously carved Julian’s name into my arm.
Years later, Julian finally agreed to be with me. To remove the scars on my arm, the best way was to re-injure the wounds and give them a chance to heal anew.
I couldn’t bring myself to go to the hospital, so I had to treat them myself at home.
Just once, Julian walked in on me. I thought he’d be worried, concerned.
Instead, he just frowned, a look of disgust on his face. “Why are you self-harming?”