It seems that Bradley's facade couldn't hold up any longer. Perhaps he was tired of the charade, or maybe Alyssa's clingy and spoiled nature had worn down his patience. Regardless of the reason, I knew I had to prepare myself for the next confrontation.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before my parents, who hadn’t contacted me in months, called me. As soon as I answered, it was the same desperate wailing:

“Lyn, you must come back! Your sister is in a terrible state!”

Hearing this, I almost couldn’t suppress a smile but continued to feign confusion and asked:

“What? Didn’t Alyssa just say she was head over heels for Bradley?...