Part 1I Lost, but I Also Won

Being naturally competitive, I must take first place in any game. So, when someone on the yacht suggests playing the no-looking-back game, everyone laughs and says I'm sure to win.

The rule is that I stay where I am and can't turn around. If I do, I lose.

My girlfriend, Selena Hodge, and good friend, Ivan Motley, stand behind me. Meanwhile, my older brother, Mack Carson, is in charge of finding a way to trick me into looking back.

Not long after the game starts, Mack suddenly shouts, "Chuck, Selena is holding Ivan's hand!"

When Mack sees that I don't even bat an eye, he says with a smile, "You're really not going to look back? Those two are already hugging."

I remain unmoving.

That is, until Mack says drily, "Chuck, they're kissing."

Even though I know it's a trick to make me turn around, I still do it anyway.

Ivan's head is bowed, while Selena's face is tilted upward. The two of them are indeed kissing.

My mind goes blank, and I walk over to pull the two apart.

Ivan's face instantly goes pale, and Selena too falls silent for a long time.

In the end, it's Mack who finally speaks up.

"Chuck, the two of them must have just acted on impulse. Besides, we all thought you'd never look back for the sake of winning. Who'd have guessed you actually did?"

Only then does Ivan speak.

"Chuck, I'm not going to lie to you—Selena spent four years chasing me. We just don't want to look back on our four years in college with regret."

I have always known that Selena spent four years chasing a guy in college.

During those four years, I watch her get drunk over that guy and comfort her as she curses him for having no taste.

However, I never know that guy is Ivan.

Yet, everyone knows. Only I am always the one kept in the dark.

* * *

The deck was so quiet that only the sound of the waves remained.

Under my gaze, Selena Hodge still said nothing. In fact, it was Ivan Motley who spoke first.

"Chuck, I'm sorry. I did like Selena before."

I smiled and asked, "Then, why didn't you get together with her?"

"We weren't a good match. You know as well as I do what kind of family the Hodges are and what kind of family mine is."

Mack Carson spoke up to defend him, "At the time, Ivan felt he wasn't good enough for Selena. So, even though she pursued him for four years, he never agreed."

As my older brother, he had always known about Ivan's existence.

When Selena was at her craziest pursuing Ivan, Mack had helped her book out a racetrack and even pulled strings to invite Ivan's favorite car racer. Only I hadn't taken part in this massive pursuit.

I swept my eyes over Mack, Selena, and Ivan.

"Is watching me guess like a fool for four years fun?"

Under the oppressive pressure, Mack opened his mouth but didn't dare to speak either.

I turned to look at Selena and asked, "Tell me, is it fun?"

Selena finally replied, "Chuck, after we got together, nothing happened between Ivan and me. Besides, with such a huge gap in our family backgrounds, it's impossible for us to be together.

"We only kissed out of a momentary impulse. Do you really have to make a scene until everyone is left embarrassed?"

Mack also nodded, then unconsciously stood in a row with Selena and Ivan.

I used to think the four of us had a very good relationship. But now the three of them stood together, and I was the only one on the opposite side.

Footsteps came from behind. My parents and Selena's parents had all come down from the second floor.

The yacht belonged to the Hodge family. On this trip out to sea, apart from the staff, there were only our two families.

My mom, Leanne Griffith, saw that my expression was off and quickly walked over.

"Chuck, what's wrong?"

"Selena just kissed Ivan."

Mom's expression froze, and I waited for her to blow up.

However, she only turned her head to look at my dad, Karl Carson.

"Mom, don't tell me you all knew too?" I asked, abruptly taking a step back.

"Chuck, don't get worked up just yet. Actually, when Selena was in college, she came to us and asked me a few times what guys like."

When Mom saw that I looked upset, she patted me on the shoulder.

"Later, when we saw how well you and Ivan got along, bringing it up would only make things awkward for all of you. Anyway, didn't Selena end up with you after graduation? So, why don't you just let it go?"

"Our two families have known each other for so many years, and we've always had business dealings together," Dad said bluntly. "You and Selena grew up together too, so don't nitpick over such a small thing."

Seeing that I didn't speak, Selena's mother, Edna Hartman, also came over.

"Chuck, marriage isn't just two people in love, but two families coming together."

Selena's father, Victor Hodge, also frowned and said earnestly, "It's not strange for Selena to have someone she couldn't forget when she was younger. Once you two are married, she'll naturally settle down. Besides, families like yours can't survive on love alone anyway."

I said nothing more and turned to walk into the cabin.

After entering, I locked the door. And no matter how they knocked outside, I didn't respond.

But after a while, the knocking stopped.

Half an hour later, Mack's voice came from outside the door, "Selena, are you really not going to check on Chuck?"

Then came Selena's voice, "No. He's been like this since he was little—he has to win at everything. He lost the game and suddenly found out about the past in a span of a day. He's just processing it."