"Back then, Jill stretched every penny to help Jeffrey stay in school—all behind her family's back. If my grandson hadn't been her childhood friend, I never would have known that this pampered young lady sold off her treasured handbags and collectibles online just to scrape together money. She even gave up the competition spot her family had fought so hard to get for her—handed it right over to Jeffrey."
"Jill suffered quite a bit marrying Jeffrey."
The table fell silent. Someone let out an awkward laugh, trying to smooth things over. "You're right, Mrs. Lambert. We didn't know any of that. Spoke out of turn."
Laura picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks, still smiling, her tone innocent.
"But if Jeffrey hadn't saved Jill back then, she wouldn't be where she is today."
In the silence that followed, Jeffrey finally spoke up. "Alright, enough. It's Mrs. Lambert's birthday. Let's not keep talking about me."
He raised his glass, inviting everyone to toast together.
I took a quiet sip of wine, my mind drifting back to that summer when I first started school.
The car my driver dropped me off in must have been too flashy. Behind my back, people started spreading disgusting rumors about me.
That I was being kept by some older man.
Even the new student teacher started making veiled jabs at me during class.
One day after the bell rang, all my classmates scattered, and I sat alone at my desk, crying softly until the sky grew dark.
When I finally got up to leave, I discovered that someone had locked the door from the outside.
I didn't understand why everyone was treating me this way. Fear and hurt welled up inside me, and I broke down sobbing.
When the drunk security guard followed the sound of my cries and peered through, I thought I'd found my lifeline.
The door swung open. The middle-aged man's hand crawled disgustingly along my arm.
I screamed and bolted. The sound of footsteps chasing me nearly shattered my courage.
Until I stumbled into an embrace that smelled of fresh soap.
It was Jeffrey.
He couldn't afford a dorm, so he'd set up a makeshift bed in the school's storage room.
His classmates helped keep his secret. The teachers turned a blind eye.
The boy who had always seemed so cold and aloof—in that moment, he was the most solid, dependable person in the world.
He chased the man away for me and called the police.