Not The Third Shadow

The friendship between Asher, Genevieve, and me spanned what felt like seventy years.
They were celebrated chemists.
And I was the chemists wife, and the chemists best friend.
My life was spent quietly supporting their careers.
Then they died on the same day.
Their wills stipulated that they leave all their assets to each other and be buried side-by-side:
I want to properly make it up to Genevieve in the next life.
Next time, can you not compete with me for Asher, please?
In a blink, I was eighteen again.
Watching their faces flush as they looked into each others eyes, I smiled and erased the answers on my placement exam sheet.
This time, I wouldnt participate in their love story, or be their accessory.
I had a name.
I had my own life.
1
I walked out of the classroom and immediately saw Asher, my boyfriend, and Genevieve, my best friend, kissing in the hallway.
Youre insane, what if Scarlett sees us?
What am I supposed to do? I love you. After getting this second chance, Im not afraid of anything.
The corner of his white shirt lifted in the breeze.
Her long hair swayed gently in the same wind.
Two brilliant students, two intellectual prodigiesa match made in heaven.
I stood there for a long time.
Only after they separated and regained their composure did I walk over to grab my backpack.
Genevieve greeted me as if nothing had happened.
Scarlett, why did you submit your paper so late? Didnt I secretly signal the answers to you?
Asher deliberately averted his eyes, his voice flat and cold.
Hurry up and pack. Were waiting for you.
In the setting sun, our three shadows were separated by a wide space.
Cheating isnt good. I wanted to rely on myself. I re-calculated every problem, I said, looking up. I have plans with another friend. I wont be walking home with you two.
Asher and Genevieve froze simultaneously.
I shouldered my backpack and turned, jogging in the opposite direction.
If wed all been given a second chance, then lets each walk our own path and grant each other the freedom to do so.
2
In elementary school, the annual physical examination uncovered three cases of a vanishingly rare blood type in the entire district.
It was me, Asher, and Genevieve.
That bizarre coincidence was what brought us together and kept us linked for seventy years.
The first pair of sneakers that truly fit me were a gift from Genevieve.
The first love letter I received was from Asher.
They were smart and beautiful, from well-off families.
As they soared, they never completely left me behind, dragging me along to the same university and into the same research institute.
Even in death.
My tomb was squeezed tightly next to theirs.
It was a small plot carved out beside the mountains of flowers sent by countless junior scholars.
The name Scarlett on my headstone had long faded, almost invisible.
But the imposing block lettersWife of Chemist Asher [Surname], Closest Confidante of Chemist Genevieve [Surname]were stark and clear.
It made passersby realize, Oh, right. There was someone else.
In truth, I lived a life of comfort, accompanied by geniuses. I shouldnt have had any regrets.
But standing at the endpoint of that life, looking back, I realized that so many of my hurts were ones I swallowed in silence.
3
In school, my grades were mediocre, but I had a real talent for drawing.
Id even been recognized by the Dean of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
My family couldnt afford to send me to intensive training, so I secretly taught myself and signed up for the arts college entrance exam.
But on the day of the test, Asher and Genevieve got into a car accident.
To give them a blood transfusion, I missed the exam.
In the hospital room, Genevieve cried, apologizing to me.
Im so sorry, so sorry, its all our fault! But seriously, you, a regular person, were thinking of art school? Art is so expensive, can your family even afford it?
Genevieve wasnt wrong.
My family couldnt even cover the fees for me to re-take the college entrance exam, so art school wasnt a sensible choice.
There was disappointment and hurt in my heart.
But I had saved the lives of two dear friends, so it felt worth it.
To repay me, Asher and Genevieve spent my entire senior year intensely coaching me.
In the end, all three of us stayed in New York City. They were admitted to a top-tier university, while I went to a state school for a two-year associates degree in Business Management.
My school was close, very close, to theirs.
Life was stable and happy with my close friends nearby.
The year I graduated, the Dean of Pratt Institute hadnt forgotten me. He invited me to join his restoration project internship at the Smithsonian National Gallery.
I was thrilled and rushed to tell Asher and Genevieve.
Instead, I learned they had both been headhunted by a research institute and were moving to a remote state research hub in the Pacific Northwest.
Genevieve held my hand, reluctant to let go.
Scarlett, Im truly happy for you, youre finally achieving your dream! But your long-distance relationship with Asher is going to be tough, right? Also, is that Dean really legit? Its strange for someone so prestigious to specifically invite you, a
Asher sat in the corner, silent.
A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed his cool eyes.
We mutually agreed to a break to plan our lives.
The news that arrived before the breakup, however, was my pregnancy.
4
They say the fetus releases hormones to interfere with the mothers thinking to ensure its survival.
Perhaps thinking of my own mother who raised me as a single parent, or perhaps simply seeing a life, I couldnt bring myself to have the procedure.
I turned down the internship, married Asher, and moved with him to the Pacific Northwest research hub.
Asher and Genevieves careers were flourishing, and they even secured a clerical "relative position" for me at the institute. The pay was low, the work was minimaleasy and stable.
The institute-assigned townhomes were adjacent, and the three of us continued to spend every day together. Summer BBQs, winter fondue partieslife was warm and comfortable.
A few years later, a position opened up for the Director of Communications at the institute.
My performance over the years had been stellar. Id won several national awards for the institute, and the scientific infographics and illustrations I created were chosen as the national publicity template.
I was on the path to promotion.
However, Asher and Genevieve were also being promoted simultaneously and were set to leave for a critical, high-level project in the high-desert facility in Arizona.
Genevieve bought champagne to celebrate.
Cheers to us all shining in our respective fields! But, Scarlett, the Director role is going to be so demanding. Weekly meetings across the stateyou wont have time to manage the house, will you?
Asher held our daughter, who was secretly wiping away tears, and reminded me in a low voice:
Scarlett, one of us has to take care of Tess.
Our daughter was about to start elementary school. Genevieves son, Leothe result of her unplanned single-motherhood, as shed claimedwas just off formula.
Someone had to manage the household affairs, and someone needed to look after the elderly parents.
After weighing the options.
It was me, yet again, who conceded, giving up the promotion opportunity.
I put down the paintbrush for good and picked up the spatula, devoting myself to the family for decades in a whirlwind of domestic chores.
The children grew up successful, and the family was harmonious. I lived a life many envied.
But what did I think about during those restless nights?
I thought about the day my mother died. I frantically called my immediate supervisor, Genevieve, begging for special permission to leave the state.
I called from morning until night, pleading with so many people. Only after my mother took her last breath did I receive a text from Asher explaining:
Genevieve was chairing a high-stakes review for a multi-million dollar projecther phone was off and silent. Your minor issue can wait until another day.
I thought about the day my daughter got married, and I picked up my brush to prepare a gift for her.
The piece looked worse than something a first-year art student would whip up. I never displayed it or gave it to her.
The time I wasted discarding the artwork delayed me.
When I returned to the reception hall, Genevieve had already taken my place, holding my daughters hand and walking her out for the send-off.
I thought about the day Asher received his Lifetime Achievement Award. The children, students, and colleagues gathered around me backstage, helping me adjust the corsage.
The cameras would focus on me, his wife, when he offered his thanks. I was going to be on national television.
But.
Asher spoke for a long time, mentioning every detail of his journey, yet he never once spoke my name.
It was all Genevieve.
He thanked his lifelong partner, his closest confidante, his soulmate, Genevieve.
From the day they met in their youth until they grew old together, Genevieve had accompanied him through every landscape of his life.
They had watched the stars together in the vast emptiness of the desert.
They had stood side-by-side at the pinnacle of the chemical world.
My decades of cooking, cleaning, and managing the minutiae of lifea housekeeper could have done the same.
What was there to thank me for?
5
I arranged the funerals for Asher and Genevieve.
They died on the same day.
The last wills they left behind contained the exact same phrase.
To leave the estate to the other, and to be buried together.
Scarlett, I gave you all my love in this life, but in the next, I want to properly compensate her.
Scarlett, I gave you all my love in this life, but in the next, can you please stop competing with me for him?
What was I then?
Was I just a spectator in their magnificent lives?
I suddenly remembered the night, decades ago, when Asher confessed his love to me.
I carried milkshakes and went to meet them for New Years Eve.
I opened the door to find flowers and a cake in the living room.
The candlelight reflected in Ashers deep eyes, focused intensely on Genevieve.
The words slipped out.
Are you two confessing?
Genevieve instantly blushed and pushed me toward Asher.
How could we be! I would never like this jerk! Were competitors! We just want to out-score and obliterate each other to be top of the class!
The clock struck midnight, and colorful fireworks exploded outside the window.
Asher gave Genevieve one last look, then pulled the love letter from his pocket and handed it to me.
Yeah, I dont like her either. Dont flatter yourself. I like Scarlett.
The prince and princess were just sparring partners, speaking lies against their hearts.
And the extra, the background character, foolishly believed every word.
I spent a lifetime marking up the wrong manuscript, mistaking a footnote for a chapter.
If only I could start over.
If only I could start over.
I would stay far away from both of them. I would reclaim my vibrant, brilliant life.
6
I woke up during the last half-year of high school. The school was splitting into an elite STEM track and a General Studies track.
Without Genevieves help on the placement exam, my score was only good enough for the General Studies track.
I felt it was a perfect chance to say goodbye. I exited the three-person group chat, deleted their contacts, and only left one message.
I need to focus on my studies. I wont be using my phone anymore.
I didnt expect Asher to track me down on the first day of the new semester.
He wore a clean, blue-and-white uniform, his posture was perfect, and his features were handsome, drawing the attention of every girl who passed by.
Even in our previous life, Asher, well into his later years, never lacked admirers.
Looking at that face now, I didnt feel a single flicker of attraction.
Scarlett, Im going to request an opportunity from the principal for you to retake the placement exam and rejoin the STEM track. Prepare yourself.
Just as I was about to speak, Genevieve suddenly ran up, linking her arms through both of ours.
What are you two whispering about without me? Youve got a boyfriend and you forget your best friend and best rival?!
Scarlett, honestly, I told you the answers, and you didnt even cheat. How do you expect to pass the exam on your own?
And Asher is such a good-looking guy, if you dont keep a tight leash on him, what if another girl snaps him up this semester?
I delicately tasted the subtext in every one of her sentences and then slowly lowered my gaze and smiled.
I turned and gently detached Genevieves arm.
Then Ill just break up with Asher now.
We wont be in the same classes, and were not living together anymore. Dating would just be a hassle. I need to focus on my studies for the next few months until graduation.
Asher froze for an instant, his hands slowly clenching into fists at his sides.
Just as I turned to leave, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.
Scarlett, youll regret this.

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