The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 444

Garrison looked down at the broken man on the floor.

The lighting in the living room was incredibly dim. The curtains were only drawn halfway, casting the majority of the room in deep shadows. Jackson lay collapsed right on the dividing line between light and dark, half of his face illuminated, every trembling wrinkle completely exposed.

Garrison's stomach flared with a violent, stabbing pain. He shoved his hand deep into his coat pocket, aggressively pressing his fist into his side to numb the agony.

"She's dead," he stated flatly.

He turned around and walked out without looking back.

*

On New Year's Eve, Riverdale University was completely decked out. The trees lining the sycamore avenue were wrapped in golden string lights, glowing in the night like a winding river of stars.

A red carpet rolled out from the steps of Founder's Hall. Massive posters for the campus singing competition flanked the entrance, spotlighting the names and faces of the contestants.

Students flowed inside in small groups. Some carried bouquets, others hoisted homemade LED signs. The crisp winter air hummed with the warm, chaotic excitement of the impending holiday.

Josh stood on the steps of the hall. He had swapped his casual clothes for a sharp navy turtleneck under his long coat, his hair meticulously styled for the night.

He kept one hand in his pocket while using the other to obsessively check the time on his phone, repeatedly scanning the end of the illuminated path. Hundreds of people walked by, but none of them registered in his eyes.

And then, he saw Sloane.

She walked down the golden path, arm-in-arm with Piper.

Piper was wearing a champagne-colored cocktail dress embroidered with shattered sequins. With every step, she looked like a walking galaxy.

She wore light makeup, her lips a soft peach, and her hair was curled into bouncy, voluminous waves. She looked exactly like a perfectly wrapped piece of expensive candy.

He stepped down to greet her, his hand reaching out—

"Sloane, hurry up, we're gonna be late!" Piper grabbed Sloane's wrist and dragged her right past Josh like a champagne-colored tornado.

Yanked forward, Sloane only had enough time to glance back and flash Josh an apologetic smile.

As Piper passed him, she deliberately slowed her pace, tilted her head, and offered him a sickeningly sweet, victorious grin.

"Professor Jace, why don't you hold my hand instead? I mean, the whole campus thinks I'm your girlfriend anyway. The forum thread is pushing two thousand replies. Want me to send you the link?"

Josh's face went completely dark. He stood rooted in place, his jaw locking tight.

He had mentally prepared himself to fight off that doctor for his girlfriend. He had never, in his wildest nightmares, anticipated that his actual romantic rival would be Piper Prescott.