Chapter 1

I have Delayed Pain Syndrome.

When people yelled at me, I just said, "Okay."

When they pushed me around, I said, "Okay," too.

When my parents abandoned me, I said okay.

Even when my high school classmates cornered me in the restroom, I still said okay.

Physical pain didn't exist in my world. That was my reality, until I met Chloe and Nathan.

One was my best friend who always shielded me, and the other was my boyfriend who looked at me as if I were his entire world.

Chloe loved to tap my forehead, sighing in frustration. "Sera, if someone stole Nathan from you one day, would you just stand there like an idiot and say 'okay'?"

I would just giggle blankly. "No way. Nathan would never leave me."

But when we returned to campus after winter break, I saw them.

They were locked in a passionate embrace outside our apartment building.

Chloe slapped him, tears streaming down her face. "Nathan, stop! How can we do this to Sera?"

"I'll get an abortion. We'll pretend this never happened."

Nathan's eyes were bloodshot as he pulled her tightly back into his arms.

"No, Chloe, don't! I'll talk to Sera. I will take responsibility for our baby!"

I stood in the freezing wind, watching the two most important people in my life.

For the first time, I realized that even with Delayed Pain Syndrome, my heart could still break.