They say we sometimes lie to protect ourselves—but not all lies shield; some destroy. I learned that the night we buried our high school time capsule.

At the time, I was dating Brian—my first love. We were young and full of dreams, and I thought we’d last forever.

My best friend, Jess, was by my side—or so I believed.

But that night, Brian grew distant.

Without explanation, he walked away from me, blaming me for ruining everything.

I was devastated and confused. Jess was there to comfort me… but deep down, something never felt quite right.

Fifteen years went by. Then an email from Malcolm, a former classmate, reminded me it was time to dig up the capsule. Despite everything, I went back.

Being on that schoolyard brought back a flood of memories. Jess and Brian showed up late—together. I assumed they were still a couple, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit.

When we opened the capsule, I saw the locket Brian had once given me.

But tucked beside it was a letter addressed to me—from Jess.

In it, she confessed to everything: faking messages, spreading a rumor about me and Malcolm, and turning Brian against me.

All because she envied my life—my family, my relationship with Brian.

She even admitted she never really liked him. They broke up just weeks later.

When I confronted her, she didn’t deny it.

“I wanted to be you,” she said.

Her jealousy had cost me the boy I loved.

Later, Brian approached me while I still held the letter.

“I was such a fool,” he said. “I believed a lie without ever asking you.” “We were just kids,” I said, though the hurt still lingered.

“But we’re not anymore,” he replied. Then, unexpectedly, he told me he also lived in New York. “One date,” he said with a hopeful smile.

I grinned. “Only if you win me a new locket—this one’s tarnished.”

He laughed, and for the first time in years, so did I.

Maybe, just maybe, what was lost could be found again—now that the truth had finally come out.