Fifteen years ago, my high school friends and I buried a time capsule together. That night should’ve been special—but instead, it broke me. Brian, my boyfriend, suddenly turned cold, blaming me for something I didn’t understand. Jess, my best friend, just watched as he walked away, leaving me heartbroken and confused. Now, years later, an email from Malcolm invited us to dig up the capsule.

I went, unsure if I was ready to face the past. When we opened it, I found my old locket—and a letter addressed to me from Jess. In the letter, she confessed: she had started a rumor about me and Malcolm, forged texts, and manipulated Brian into believing I cheated. Why? Because she envied me. She didn’t even want Brian—she just wanted to be me.

Confronting her face-to-face brought no closure, but at least the truth was out. Then Brian approached me. He’d read the letter and apologized, admitting he never stopped thinking about me. I told him I lived in New York now.

“So do I,” he said with a smile. “Can I take you on a date?” I paused, then said, “Only if you win me a new locket. This one’s turned black.” He laughed. “It’s a deal.”