The Substitute's Last Dance novel Chapter 4

Jackson and I were middle school classmates.

Jackson was incredibly handsome, always drawing a crowd of admiring girls every

time he came to school.

Though many admired him, few dared to actually pursue him.

The reason was simple—Jackson’s mother was infamous in our small, isolated town

for being the mistress, and she wasn’t entirely stable.

Back then, I was short, dark-skinned, and every time my hair grew long, my mom

would cut it off and sell it.

With my choppy, uneven haircut, I didn’t even have the courage to look at him.

Jackson had a first love back then—Rachel.

Rachel and Jackson were the stars of our middle school, one was wealthy, the other

handsome.

When Rachel kissed Jackson in front of her family’s luxury car, everyone sighed at

how perfect they were together.

I thought I was just a passing figure in Jackson’s brilliant life, someone so insignificant

I might as well be a blurred face in the background of a photo.

But then, Jackson’s mother jumped to her death, and Rachel went abroad to study

without leaving him a word.

The first time we met at the financial aid office, both of us struggling to pay our

tuition.

That first meeting led to many more. I helped Jackson collect plastic bottles, sell ice

pops, and wholesale clothes. We stumbled and grew up together.

Jackson would argue with my mother, who favored my brother over me, and he even

took me to change my name when he learned the sad story behind it.

My young heart, blossoming with first love, clung to this hope and held on tightly,

Jackson received a call from Rachel during a critical merger meeting. He left two

entire companies’ worth of executives behind without a second thought and rushed

to the airport.

I was left in the conference room, awkwardly apologizing to our business partners.

By the time I got to the airport, Jackson and Rachel were embracing in the falling

snow, tears streaming down their faces.

Jackson’s eyes were wet, and for once, his face showed a rare expression of

excitement.

He held her as if she were a long-lost treasure he had finally found.

And there I stood, behind them, once again reduced to a mere backdrop in the story

of their love.