When the Snow Took Her Name

Janet's voice seemed like it could be ripped away by the blizzard. "My dad took a bullet for the Graham family, so they took me in to repay him."

Before she turned ten, Janet was bright and clever, always acing her tests. However, after she got beaten up trying to protect Chester from his enemies, she was no longer the same.

Chester made a promise before her dad's grave that he would love her forever. Even when he worked his way up to running the docks, he never thought of leaving Janet behind.

However, when he turned 22, the Graham family set up a marriage for him, and his fiancée wanted Janet gone. Everyone thought they were perfect for each other. They said he should ditch Janet, the ditz, and marry a rich businessman's daughter who was pretty and wealthy.

However, Chester would rather leave Riverton City than give up Janet.

"Do you think he's even more foolish than I am?" Janet's tears froze on her lashes. "He gave up his title as the so-called Ship King just to drift from place to place with me."

The Graham family wanted Chester to learn a lesson, so they left him with no place to turn. To take care of Janet and her health, he had no choice but to fight in secret boxing matches.

Janet's tears would not stop as she shook all over. "If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have had to work so hard. He wouldn't have gotten so badly hurt either."

I could not believe it, and my eyes went wide. "If he loves you that much, why would he want you gone?"

She looked confused, and I could tell that she felt guilty. "Because being with me must be really tough for him."

The guy who used to be super rich from his shipping business fought in those dangerous boxing matches and even carried heavy bags of cement for Janet. Then, one day, Chester's rich ex-girlfriend called while crying, asking him if he regretted any of it.

Chester's hands shook, and his voice did too.

"Seeing her like that, I can't have any regrets... What happened back then was my fault. I was the one who hurt you."

After the call, he got some sleeping pills ready for Janet. However, he just could not see it through and broke the cup of water instead.

I looked at Janet, feeling kind of sad. "Did you get it back then..."

Janet started to sweat. "I didn't get it at first, but Chester was really scary that day."

Chester had too much to drink, and Janet tried to make chicken noodle soup for him but ended up breaking a bowl. He lost it and knocked over the soup. "Janet! Didn't I tell you to stay out of the kitchen? You're always messing things up!"

The hot soup splashed on Janet. She burned her arm pretty badly but just twisted her shirt and said sorry. "Chester, I'm sorry. I'm such a klutz."

She looked up at Chester and held out her hand, trying to make things better. "Do you still have that cold medicine from before? I've got a cold again and want some more."

Chester's feelings suddenly overflowed like a broken dam. "That's not even the right medicine! Why are you still so clueless even after all these years?"

He grabbed Janet, borrowed their neighbor's car, and drove to a quiet place outside of town. There, he left her standing alone in an empty field.

Janet looked lost.

"Chester asked if I did it on purpose. The doctors say there's nothing wrong with my brain, so why am I still clueless?" she said.

I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her pain.

"He just left you there?" I asked.

Janet nodded weakly.

Chester stormed off, but minutes later, he came back. He sped straight to her. He was trying to hit Janet with the car. She fell to the ground. However, the car stopped just inches away from her.

Chester yelled like he was losing his mind, "Janet, why are you so clueless that you can't even dodge a car?!"

However, when he calmed down, he picked her up and put her back in the car. "Let's just forget it. I owe you one. It's my fault," he said.

Janet's tears dropped onto my hands. "I had never heard him sound so hopeless. I wish I could be smart," she whispered.

"I didn't mean to not dodge. But a voice in my head kept telling me that if I were gone, Chester would be happy."

Her voice was different then, no longer sweet and simple, just full of sadness and hopelessness.

"That's not true. You're not clueless," I told her.

I hugged her close. "You've been to so many places on your own. You're brave and amazing."

She tried to smile at me, but her thoughts were all mixed up again.

"Nathalie, you're so nice. Thank you, Nathalie. But at the time, I really wanted Chester to be happy, so I secretly called his fiancée."