Time Heals All Wounds By Oliver Thomas 38 Summary
The story begins on the evening before the college application deadline, when the narrator, Aurora Kennedy, discovers that her childhood sweetheart, Henry Desmond, has changed her college acceptance from Columbia University to USC in California without her consent. Shocked and hurt, Aurora confronts Henry, who dismisses the change as a prank orchestrated by Gianna Merouin, a transfer student who calls Henry her “brother.” Aurora feels betrayed, realizing that her carefully planned future might have been jeopardized by this thoughtless joke.
Despite her anger, Aurora decides not to argue further and quietly prepares to leave for California, feeling resigned. However, Henry’s attitude quickly shifts when he discovers she hasn’t fixed the application. He becomes frustrated and insists she should have corrected it, but Aurora remains firm, refusing to change it back. The situation reveals the growing tension between them, as Henry treats the prank lightly while Aurora sees it as a serious breach of trust and potential fraud.
As Aurora resubmits her application and demands answers, Henry continues to downplay the incident, calling it harmless fun and accusing Aurora of jealousy toward Gianna. He defends Gianna’s actions as a simple prank and challenges Aurora’s threat to report them, escalating the conflict. The chapter ends with a clear divide between Aurora’s sense of betrayal and Henry’s dismissive attitude, setting the stage for further emotional turmoil.
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Chapter 1
The evening before the college application deadline, I stumbled upon a shocking discovery: Henry Desmond, my childhood sweetheart, had changed my college acceptance from Columbia University to USC—nearly 2,000 miles away in Southern California.
My heart raced as I confronted him, my voice trembling with disbelief. “Why would you do that?”
He merely shrugged, a casual laugh escaping his lips. “Oh, Gianna filled it out for you. She was just messing around.”
I stared at him, stunned. “Then just change it back to Columbia yourself. It’s not a big deal.”
Gianna Merouin—the transfer student who insisted on calling Henry her “brother.” The thought of her meddling sent a cold wave through me.
For a long moment, I was silent, the weight of betrayal sinking in. Was my entire future to him nothing more than a joke to be played on by someone else?
I said no more. Instead, I packed my bags quietly and prepared to leave for California when the semester began.
That’s when Henry’s demeanor shifted completely.
“I told you to change it back to Columbia! You didn’t fix it?” he demanded, frustration flashing in his eyes.
“Nope,” I replied coolly.
Seeing that my first-choice application had been switched to USC, so far from home, made my blood run cold. I had explicitly asked Henry to help me apply to Columbia so we could attend school together—that was our dream, our promise.
But now, it was all wrong.
If I hadn’t caught this in time, I wouldn’t have had any chance to correct it.
I began resubmitting my application while calling Henry, desperate for answers. “What the hell happened?”
He laughed it off lightly. “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention—Gianna came by that day when I was doing your application. She wanted to prank you, so she changed it to USC.”
“The deadline’s tomorrow anyway. Just change it back to Columbia,” he said, as if it were nothing.
His casual tone twisted something inside me. I pressed my lips together, staring at USC on my screen, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.
I had to ask, my voice barely steady: “So you think this isn’t a big deal? Are you seriously okay with this?”
Henry shot back, “Come on, it’s not like you can’t fix it. It was just a joke!”
My hand clenched around the mouse before dropping it. My voice came out hoarse, trembling with anger, “If I hadn’t noticed this in time, this ‘joke’ would have ruined everything for me. What Gianna did is literally fraud. I could report her for this!”
His tone hardened immediately, almost scolding me. “Aurora Kennedy, you’re being completely ridiculous!”
“It was just a prank. And you want to report Gianna? When will you stop with this weird jealousy thing you have against her?”
His voice grew colder as he continued, “I’ve told you a million times—she’s a transfer student from California. She doesn’t know anyone here in New York. I sit next to her in class, so she sees me like an older brother.”
“What’s wrong with helping my little sister pull a harmless prank? You wanna report Gianna? Then report me too!”
Conclusion
The chapter closes on a tense and painful note, capturing the fragile unraveling of trust between Gianna and Henry. Gianna’s shock and betrayal reveal how deeply she valued their shared dreams and the future they had envisioned together. Henry’s casual dismissal of her feelings and the prank’s consequences only deepen the rift, highlighting the emotional distance growing between them. The weight of this moment lingers, as Gianna grapples with the realization that what once felt like a solid bond can be so easily shaken by careless actions and misunderstandings.
Yet beneath the hurt, there remains a quiet strength in Gianna’s resolve to take control of her own path, refusing to let others dictate her future. This chapter poignantly explores themes of trust, loyalty, and the painful growth that comes with facing betrayal. It leaves readers with a bittersweet sense of a relationship at a crossroads, where the choices made now will shape not only their futures, but the very nature of their connection.
What to Expect in Next Chapter?
Tensions between Gianna and Henry are only beginning to surface, but the true depth of their conflict is yet to be revealed. As Gianna wrestles with feelings of betrayal and anger, the fragile trust between her and Henry teeters on the edge. The next chapter promises to delve deeper into their complicated relationship, exploring whether their shared dreams can survive the cracks forming beneath them.
Meanwhile, Gianna’s determination to reclaim control over her future will be tested. With the college application deadline looming, the urgency of her situation adds a layer of emotional intensity that could push her to make bold decisions. As alliances shift and secrets come to light, readers can expect a stirring mix of heartbreak, defiance, and the struggle to find one’s own path amid chaos.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
