The Girl He Left Behind Chapter 12

The Girl He Left Behind Chapter 12

“Iris Hawthorne! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

She stormed in, tearing down the white drapes, the photos, everything.

“Evan isn’t dead! What is wrong with you?!”

A tear still hung at the corner of my eye. I looked shocked.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Evan is ALIVE! You absolute idiot!”

Oh, she had no idea it was all being livestreamed.

Every word and action of hers was being recorded.

She’d gotten here so fast because—I’d asked Caspian to tip her off.

“Celeste, I know you and Evan are close, but you don’t have to lie to make me feel better. It’s been over a month. I’ve accepted it.”

With that, I cried harder.

The livestream viewers exploded.

“Who the hell is this woman? Barging in and attacking the grieving girlfriend!”

“I know her! Celeste Drake—heiress of the Drake Group.”

“I’m in the same city. Tell me which complex this is! I’m going to support the victim!”

—

Celeste was oblivious to all of it.

“I said Evan IS NOT DEAD! Stop with this morbid nonsense!”

“Proof?” I asked.

“He was with me this morning! Alive and well!”

The room went silent. Everyone stared at her.

I forced a weak smile. “Celeste, that’s not a funny joke…”

“Don’t believe me? See for yourself.”

She flashed her phone—a selfie.

Evan, holding takeout breakfast. Celeste, in her pajamas, pressed close to him.

“Truth is, Iris, he faked his disappearance because of you.”

Celeste crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me.

“You were too annoying. Evan couldn’t shake you off, so he had to use this method to avoid you.”

My face went pale. I wobbled, and a classmate had to steady me.

“So you’re saying… instead of just breaking up with me, he chose to gaslight me with this cruelty?!”

“Don’t blame him—blame yourself. Your parents are ordinary working-class people, right? What made you think you were good enough for him? It was only a matter of time before he dumped you.”

I counted down in my head.

—

It was time for the climax.

I steadied my voice. “Celeste. What exactly are you to him?”

“Friend. Childhood friend.”

I looked doubtful.

“Really? Because as his girlfriend, I knew nothing about his situation.

But you knew everything…”

“Are you two sure you’re just friends?”