When Love Turns to Dust

When my mom texted me, urging me to go home for a blind date, Charles had just finished with me.

His warm breath brushed against the back of my ear, sending a tingling sensation straight to my heart.

He wiped away the traces on my skin with gentle care, but when he spoke, his voice was chillingly indifferent.

"Since Mrs. Shaw is pushing you, you should head back soon."

I thought he was jealous, and a surge of sweetness filled my heart. I quickly grabbed his wrist, telling him my feelings.

"Charles, I want to stay with you. I'm not going anywhere!"

He froze for a moment, then let out a derisive laugh. One by one, he pried my fingers off.

"You didn't actually think I was jealous, did you?"

Tucking my damp, messy hair behind my ear, he remained as gentle as ever, but his words were almost cruel.

"Rose is pure and innocent. I couldn't bring myself to touch her before marriage, so I used you to satisfy my needs. However, now, our engagement is set. She'll soon be my rightful wife. You're no longer needed."

The room was warm and toasty, yet a chill ran down my spine.

Just moments ago, Charles had been all sweet whispers and soft caresses, but then his words cut through me, leaving me reeling.

I paused, a weak smile tugging at my lips.

"Charles, you're pulling my leg, right?"

He looked at me, long and hard, before letting out a derisive chuckle. "Jennifer, come on, we're grown-ups. It was just a bit of fun, a fling. You didn't think it was more than that, did you?"

I stayed silent, my eyes cast down to shield the storm of feelings within.

To him, our three-year whirlwind was just a game, but not to me. I had fallen for him, hard, and that feeling had lasted a whole decade.

We were the kids who grew up side by side in the same neighborhood, the kind of friends who shared every childhood adventure.

Charles was always the one everyone looked up to, not big on chit-chat, with an air of mystery about him.

However, it was that very Charles who, cheeks red with embarrassment, bought me my first pack of pads.

When kids taunted me about not having a dad, he was the first to jump to my defense, pulling me to safety behind him.

After high school, when it was time to pick colleges, he came back from university just to tell me, with those intense eyes of his.

"Jennifer, go for Capital Heights University. I'll be waiting for you there."

So I did. I filled out every single application with Capital Heights University without a second thought, heading straight for the city where Charles was.

I really thought he felt the same about me.

Three years back, someone spiked his drink. In his haze, he clung to my hand, his eyes drowning in emotion, and I was lost.

However, when the sun