Chapter 1I Am Redemption

At birth, I made local news for being too handsome. By my first birthday, wealthy families were already proposing marriage pacts.

After two girls ended up hospitalized over a fight about me, my parents moved and used cosmetics to conceal my face—finally granting me normalcy.

That’s when I first experienced life without the shield of good looks.

One day, after being called an “ugly freak” and locked in an abandoned classroom, a girl climbed through the window: Faye. She took my hand and said seriously, “Kian, looks aren’t everything. You are who you are.”

My heart skipped. I studied hard and followed her to university.

The day I got my acceptance letter, I was ready to confess—but she asked me first: “Kian, will you be my boyfriend?”

Joy washed over me. For three years, she cared for me entirely, making me the envy of everyone.

Until a party, when Faye had to do the ice bucket challenge with the person next to her: either me or Nolan, the campus heartthrob.

She chose me.

As ice water soaked my head, my heart froze just the same.

* * *

A bone-chilling cold shot through me, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. I shivered violently.

The atmosphere in the private room hit a fever pitch, all thanks to that bucket of ice.

Everyone was hooting and hollering.

"Faye, you're a real hero! Nolan is our campus heartthrob, the face of our university! Better to sacrifice your own boyfriend than the handsome guy!"

"Yeah, who would want to see Nolan get drenched? If he caught a cold and ended up in the hospital, we wouldn't see him for days!"

"No other guy at this school even comes close."

Nolan just smirked, basking in the adoration like he was born to it.

Someone playfully shoved a microphone in Faye’s face, interviewing her like a news reporter.

"Miss Dawson, could you tell us what psychological factors led to your decision?"

Their eyes were gleaming, hungry for gossip.

Faye rolled her eyes and pushed the mic away.

"You guys need to chill. I only picked Kian because Nolan has a cold."

With that, she walked over to me, dabbing at my face with a dry towel. I always used the best waterproof makeup, so nothing had smudged. The tan skin, the constellation of freckles across my cheeks, the slightly puffy eyes—it all remained perfectly intact.

With my hair plastered to my scalp, I knew I was far from handsome.

I could already hear snickers from across the room.

A few guys who had never liked me spoke up.

"Seriously, Faye, why are you with Kian? There's not a single thing about you two that matches."

Everyone thought I wasn't good enough for Faye.

I'd heard it a thousand times since we started dating.

Usually, Faye's face would darken, and she would tell them to take it back. Then she’d reassure me not to overthink it, that she didn't care what they said.

But this time, she didn't say a word.

Nolan’s gaze was fixed on her, and I saw Faye’s eyes flicker towards him from the corner of my vision.

A bitter, indescribable sourness rose in my chest.

I reached for Faye's hand, but she instinctively slapped it away.

I stared at her, stunned.

Realizing what she’d done, Faye quickly grabbed my hand again, but her eyes darted away, unable to meet mine.

Just then, someone piped up, "Uh oh, I think Nolan's had too much to drink. Faye, you're the only one here with a car. Can you give him a ride?"

"Sure," she agreed without a moment's hesitation.

She turned to me.

"Kian, Nolan lives in the opposite direction from you. I'll call you a cab, you can get home on your own, okay?"

Before I could answer, others chimed in.

"What's the problem? He's perfectly safe looking like that."

"Come on, Kian, don't tell me you can't find your way home without your girlfriend."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My chest felt tight, like it was being crushed.

I gripped her hand tighter.

"Faye, I..."

I was about to say I’d go with her to drop Nolan off, but then Nolan let out a pained groan.

Faye immediately tore her hand from mine and rushed to his side.

I was left standing there, frozen, as the noise of the room swirled around me.

"I think Nolan has a fever."

"My bad, my bad. He was already sick, I shouldn't have pushed him to drink."

"I'll take him to the hospital!" Faye said, her voice laced with panic.

She helped Nolan up and hurried past me, her shoulder slamming into mine so hard I stumbled and fell to the floor.

I watched her go, not once looking back, until she was out of sight.