In those seven days, he and I barely exchanged a few words. The trip ended with me being the only one feeling miserable. Afterward, Charlie laughed it off and gaslighted me.
"She’s just a young and innocent girl, why are you angry at her?" Charlie had said. However, he had forgotten that before Miranda appeared, those moments were ours alone, me and him.
After that trip, I gave him the cold shoulder for a day. Unlike before, he did not try to make amends. Instead, he left me alone in the apartment.
Now, here we were. I could not understand how someone could change so quickly.
As for Miranda, technically, I was her homeroom teacher before my vacation. Back then, Charlie would often come to my class to wait for me so we could eat or go home together. The girls in my class loved to tease me about our relationship and Miranda stood out among them.
She loved hounding me with questions. Her wide eyes would spark with curiosity when she asked, "Miss, Is Mr. Peterson a very patient man?" or, "Teacher, has Mr. Peterson told you when he’ll marry you?"
Now, it hit me. Had Miranda been targeting Charlie all along?
I blinked against the dryness in my eyes.