One time, while sitting in a coffee shop, I was dragged out by a group of people. They accused me of “pretending to be high-minded” and said I didn’t realize how “dirty” I was deep down. The leader of the group grabbed my collar and pulled me outside, saying, “You lost our love letters? That little bitch made me lose a bet with someone else.”
Probably, their discarded love letters were among the trash from yesterday. Their lives must be so empty if they intersect with someone like me, who’s on the fringes. At that moment, I didn’t say anything. I took a punch without flinching, and just as the second punch was about to land, a pair of big hands stopped it.
A few people who had been so aggressive suddenly lost their confidence and said, “Zachary, let’s get out of here.” They quickly ran off, looking defeated.
“It’s okay,” Zachary said, turning around with a gentle smile. His words felt like a warm breeze that melted away the sadness I’d been shielding.
So, standing by the roadside with a swollen face, I started crying loudly. Zachary, looking a bit flustered, quickly came over to comfort me, saying, “Don’t cry. I’ll go beat up those guys later.”
He took me to the hospital for a check-up, and I had a slight concussion, but my face still hurt badly. After the treatment, I saw three people with swollen, bruised faces, trying to avoid Zachary’s gaze.
“Madeline, your name sounds beautiful. I’m Zachary,” he said with warm, sincere eyes and a bright smile. That day, Zachary and I started to become close.
From then on, Zachary started being a bigger part of my life. Even though I didn’t have many friends, someone was finally willing to talk to me. Somehow, he found out about my birthday and invited me to watch the sunrise together.
The morning light was golden, spreading warmth beneath my eyelids.
“Madeline, let me protect you from now on,” Zachary said with a smile, pulling out a small, delicate box from his backpack. Inside was a necklace engraved with our initials. The sunlight made everything feel magical, and Zachary’s ears turned a little red. He hugged me, his eyes filled with affection, and gently brushed his lips against mine.
That day, Zachary and I officially became a couple.
“Madeline!”
I snapped back to reality and saw a young, cheerful face waving at me. It was someone I didn’t know.