Fifteen years after graduating, I returned to my hometown for our high school time capsule ceremony. I hadn’t expected old wounds to resurface, but seeing Brian—my former boyfriend—and Jess—my old best friend—brought back painful memories. Brian had ended things with me abruptly, and Jess had vanished from my life soon after. That night when we buried the capsule had left me confused and heartbroken.
Among the memories we dug up was a letter addressed to me in Jess’s handwriting. Inside, she admitted to starting a false rumor about me and forging messages to make Brian think I’d cheated. She confessed that it was all out of jealousy and regret—she had never truly loved Brian but couldn’t stand seeing me happy. Her words explained everything that had gone wrong all those years ago.
