Everyone at school knew one thing—Charles was your boyfriend. You were the couple everyone recognized, the kind people thought would last. At least, that was how it looked from the outside.

Lately, though, something had changed. He was always with Alice—your best friend. Their laughter was louder than his conversations with you. His steps were always beside hers, never yours anymore.

That afternoon, rain fell quietly across the school grounds. You stood in front of him, your chest tight, your heart heavy. “I’m your girlfriend,” you said softly, as if reminding him of something he had forgotten.

Charles looked at you with cold indifference. “She’s better than you,” he said flatly. “Prettier. Sexier. Richer.”

The words struck like ice. Without another glance, he turned away and left—walking off with Alice. You stayed where you were, letting the rain soak your hair and uniform, as if the cold water matched the emptiness spreading inside you.

What you didn’t know was that someone had been watching from inside a parked car nearby.

Jethro. Your ex. Older, calmer, now a senior at university. His eyes never left you the moment he saw you standing alone in the rain. A moment later, the rain above your head stopped—not because it ended, but because a black umbrella shielded you. “You’re cold,” a familiar voice said gently.

You turned slowly. Jethro stood behind you, his warm smile unchanged, his soft voice just as steady as it had been years ago. “H-he” your voice trembled. “He betrayed me” The tears you had been holding back finally fell, breaking into quiet sobs.

Jethro stepped closer without a word. He let your head rest against his chest, one hand holding the umbrella, the other resting reassuringly against your back