My boy friend Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, is losing her hair from chemotherapy. So, he orders me to cut mine off and make her a wig.

"Julia's allergic to synthetic wigs. You've been growing your hair for ten years—it's perfect."

I refuse, but his friends tie me down. Someone shaves my head to the scalp, buzzing through my thick, glossy hair until nothing's left but a butchered mess.

Julia sits in her wheelchair and laughs, saying I look like a toad.

Caleb smiles and nods in agreement. He adds with a chuckle, "It's just some hair. Was that really necessary?"

But back when I was bullied for having uneven, choppy short hair for six straight years, it was he who stood in front of me. He had his arms spread wide as he shielded me from harm.

Now he's the one wielding the blade.

One by one, their little circle chimes in. They tell me not to hold a grudge against someone who's sick.

Caleb snaps impatiently, "Stop trying to talk sense into her. She can get lost! Did you see that fit she threw over a few strands of hair? It's not like they won't grow back."

I turn around and walk away. I never look back.

Later, I hear that Caleb begs for my forgiveness by kneeling his way up 9000 steps until his knees are ruined.

They finally untied me after shaving my head bald.

"Caleb, look at her! She looks like a toad!"

Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, pointed at my head and laughed her lungs out while sitting in a wheelchair. His friends stood nearby, cracking up and joining in the mockery.

Caleb glanced at me and said lazily, "Julia is allergic to wigs on the market. Your long hair is just perfect for making one."

I didn't respond. Clutching the few strands left on my scalp, I felt like my heart had been sliced open.

Two hours ago, Caleb had asked me to join Julia's birthday party.

I never got along with Julia, but for Caleb's sake—and because she had cancer—I still showed up with a gift.

What I didn't expect was that this so-called party was actually an ambush. They tied me up and shaved my head.

As I stared at Caleb's indifferent expression, a memory came rushing back. Two days ago, he'd been oddly sweet to me. He even gave me a fancy set of shampoo and conditioner.

"It's dry out there. Take care of your hair, okay?"

I didn't understand why he had suddenly become so concerned, but I was touched. That night, I used them right away.

Only now did I realize that he only told me to take care of my hair so that Julia's wig would be softer and more comfortable for her.

Caleb suddenly walked over.

For a second, I thought that he was going to apologize. But then he pinched the last lock of hair left on my shoulder with visible disgust and snipped it off without hesitation.

He turned to his friends and asked, "Can you not be so sloppy next time? What's the point of leaving even a strand of hair? I'm buying you dinner, and you can't even do this right?"

The group burst out laughing again.

"Yeah, yeah, our bad! Look at Maeve! Is she about to cry? Julia is on meds every day, yet she never plays the pity card."

Their cruel jokes just kept coming. Caleb didn't even blink.

His friends hated me because I didn't fit in with their crowd. They would have their little get-togethers and never invite me.

Even when I asked Caleb if I could join them, he brushed me off, saying that we were from different circles and I shouldn't try to force it.

When I didn't respond, Caleb finally looked at me. He raised a brow and smirked. "Maeve Griffith, are you seriously mad? Come on, lighten up. Just think of it as doing a good deed."

I looked at him, heartbroken. "Just tell me one thing. Was it your idea to take my hair, or was it Julia's?"

Julia suddenly wheeled herself between us and started sobbing. "It was my idea. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. Don't take it out on Caleb."

Caleb shot me an annoyed look. "Julia is sick. Can you not stress her out? We've grown up together. She's like a sister to me, which means you're basically going to be her sister-in-law. What's so wrong with donating some hair to her?"

When I noticed how little Caleb cared, my eyes stung with unshed tears. How could someone change that drastically?

Back then, my parents forced me to cut my hair so they could buy my brother new toys.

I got bullied for having choppy, short hair at school. But Caleb stepped in, grinning as he shielded me.

"From now on, your hair's under my protection!"

Now, I felt all my strength drain out of me. I said, "Caleb, from today on, we're done. Make sure you pay me for the hair. I'm not obligated to donate it to her."

Caleb froze. He pressed his hand against my forehead as he sneered. "Maeve, are you saying that you want to break up with me? You're not even running a fever, so why are you talking nonsense?

"You've been with me for eight years. Do you think you'll ever find someone else after we break up? Who the hell would want you? Can you stop being so dramatic?"

The tears that I had swallowed came rushing back at his words. So he knew that we had been together for eight years.

People always said that lovers would start to feel more like family after being together for a long time.

But Caleb hadn't become my family. He was growing further and further away from being my lover as well.

I bit my lip and met his gaze head-on. "There are plenty of guys in the world. I don't necessarily need you."

Caleb's face twisted with anger as he looked at me.

His friends began to speak up.

"Alright, alright. Caleb's backing down already. Don't push it, Maeve. It's just a wig. Let Caleb buy you a bunch. You can switch them out every day. Seven wigs—one for each day."

As Caleb's friends laughed at me, Julia chimed in, her expression full of hurt, "Honestly, this is all my fault. I'll pay for your wig money, Maeve. Please don't make things difficult for Caleb."

Her eyes were red as she said that. Her pitiful expression softened Caleb's face with sympathy. He glared at me, like I was his sworn enemy.

"Maeve, just take it out on me. Julia's really sick. Why do you have to pick on a sick person? You've changed. You weren't like this before!"

I opened my mouth, ready to respond. But before I could speak, Julia clutched her stomach in pain. "Caleb, it hurts so much. Help me…"

Caleb shoved me aside.

Caught off guard, I stumbled and tripped over the chair. I gasped in pain.

When Caleb saw this, he didn't even show an ounce of concern. Instead, he yelled at me, "Stop making a scene! You're whining over a little bit of hair! You know Julia's sick, and you're still upsetting her! If anything happens to her, I won't forgive you!"

With that, he swept Julia into his arms and stormed off with his friends trailing behind him.

The last person to leave was holding my hair in his hand. He casually tossed my long, thick locks into the trash.

I stood there frozen for a moment, then hurried over to pick up the pieces of my hair. Tears streamed down my face.

At that moment, I made a decision—I was going to leave Caleb.

…

I went to a barber shop and had my head shaved clean. While I was at it, I took advantage of a hotel's discount package.

When I returned to pack my things, Caleb walked in, looking completely exhausted.

The moment he saw the suitcase in my hand, his expression darkened. He stormed over and kicked the suitcase out of the way.

"How long are you going to keep this up? The doctor said Julia's condition worsened! It's all because of you! I haven't even gotten mad at you, and you're throwing a tantrum?"

I let out a humorless laugh. "Her cancer is my fault? Caleb, do you know how ridiculous you sound?"

I guess he'd never heard me speak like that before, because he froze for a moment.

Ignoring him, I bent down to pick up the suitcase he'd kicked aside and continued to pack my belongings.

I didn't have much. I had lived here for eight years, but everything I owned fit into two 26-inch suitcases.

I glanced over at Caleb, who was standing silently, and casually said, "I'll pay the rent as soon as you transfer the money for my hair to me."

"Do you really think I need your money?" Caleb asked sharply. He yanked my arm roughly, his expression dark.

"How long are you going to keep this up, Maeve? Do you think you can support yourself? I honestly don't know what goes through your head!

"I buy you skincare, and you won't use it. I buy you jewelry, and you won't wear it. I tell you to dress better, and you come up with every excuse under the sun!"

Every time Caleb and I argued, he would always bring up old grievances. He said I didn't use the skincare he bought me, but that was because it made me break out.

He said I didn't wear the jewelry, but when I did, people mocked me for wearing cheap knockoffs.

He complained that I didn't dress fashionably, but I worked in a government job. Did I really need to wear flashy clothes?

When I didn't respond, Caleb became even more relentless. "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you want to go back to your hometown and get married?"

Upon hearing that, I stared at him in disbelief.

After the college entrance exam, my family locked me up to force me into marriage.

It was Caleb who had saved me from that nightmare. He'd promised that as long as he was around, I would never have to face danger again.

But now, he seemed to have forgotten those words. He was behaving just like the people I'd once hated. I was from a broken family, so I was naturally frugal. Was that my fault?

Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart ached as if someone had crushed it in their grip. However, I said nothing.

I had finally realized that Caleb was beyond saving. He would never think he was the cause of the problem.

I grabbed my suitcases, determined to leave.

Enraged, Caleb slammed my suitcases to the ground—the two suitcases shattered on impact. My carefully packed belongings spilled everywhere.

"We're already broken up, Caleb! Who gave you the right to touch my things?"

Caleb grabbed my arm and dragged me back.

He was so strong. My head slammed into the edge of the table. Pain instantly exploded, and a hot stream of blood poured down into my eyes.

I blinked furiously, but everything was a blur.

Caleb turned around in a panic. "Don't be scared, Maeve. I'm taking you to the hospital."

But before he could do anything, his phone rang. Julia's weak voice came through the speaker. "Caleb, I'm at the entrance of your neighborhood. I'm coughing up blood. What should I do? It hurts so much."

Caleb's expression paled instantly. He let go of my arm. "Maeve, wait for me. Julia's condition has flared up. I have to take her to the hospital first."

Blood streamed into my eyes. All I could see was a vague silhouette in front of me.

I clung to Caleb's leg, not letting him leave. "Caleb, I can't see. Please help me call—"

Without a second thought, he kicked me away. "Goddamn it! I told you to wait! Why can't you understand a simple request? You can't even wait for a while? Are you in a hurry to die or what?"

The force of his kick knocked me down, and I couldn't get back up.

But Caleb was already long gone. The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening thud.