8
I had once asked Liam what looked like in his eyes.
He’d said I had a radiant smile and pearly teeth, beautiful as an angel.
I’d brushed it off as a joke, never taking him seriously. But now, I wanted to know what I really looked like in his eyes.
I handed him a piece of paper and a pencil. “Draw what Sarah looks like in your mind.”
Liam froze. “So you’re finally confessing to me.”
“Draw her,” I urged again.
Liam took the paper and pencil. He stood there for a long moment, unable to put pen to paper.
I frowned. “If you can’t draw, we can find someone who can.”
Liam’s hand, gripping the pencil, began to tremble. He suddenly gasped, shaking uncontrollably. He hadn’t drawn a single line. He shoved the paper and pencil to the
floor.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with fear and despair. “I don’t remember her,” he stammered, his voice raw. “I… I don’t remember her…!”
“That face, that face has turned into you…!” He suddenly surged forward, grabbing my collar. “Give her back to me! Give me back my Sarah!”
Ljam shoved me against the wall. I watched him quietly as he slowly unraveled, until finally, he was begging me.
“Please, give me back my Sarah. I miss her so much. I miss her so much…”
Liam sobbed, and my chest ached with a strange, familiar pain.
I spoke, my voice soft, almost a whisper. “Your Sarah is gone.”
Liam froze, then asked, “Where did she go?”
The old her loved you. Now, she doesn’t. So, your Sarah disappeared.”
As I spoke, Liam stared at my face, murmuring. “She
Right there, in front of Liam, I pulled out the ring.
is
you, isn’t she?”
Liam recognized it instantly. It was the ring I always wore.
His emotions flared. “Where did you get that ring?”
I placed the ring in my palm, revealing it to him. “I found this ring. In its box, there was an instruction manual.”
“It said, ‘Wear this ring, and you will become the ideal version of your secret crush.“”
“The me from college was an ugly duckling. So, my fantasy crush, the most popular guy on campus, was you, Liam.”
Liam snatched the ring from my hand like a madman, completely believing every word I said without a trace of doubt. “Sarah, please put it on. I’m begging you. Let
me see her one more time.”
I looked at him coldly, then took the ring from his hand and slipped it onto my finger.
But once it was on, nothing changed.
Liam’s face immediately fell into disappointment. “No change. You lied to me…!”
