Chapter 3

After the initial shock subsided, anger and grief churned wildly inside my chest.

I refused to let him go out on a date, so he brought her straight to our house just to push my boundaries?

Six years together, Julian, and you wouldn’t even grant me a decent goodbye.

I held back my tears and walked out as fast as I could.

I didn't want to stay in this house for another second. It didn't belong to me anymore.

Julian came straight out of the kitchen and grabbed my wrist.

"What's wrong? You're leaving without eating lunch? Did something happen to your mom?"

"No. The air in here is choking me. I'm leaving."

Julian frowned, his warm palm lightly resting against my forehead.

"You don't have a fever, do you? Let me drive you to the clinic for a quick check."

The more he spoke, the tighter my chest felt. Waves of hurt washed right over me.

He had already brought another girl home to flirt with, so why pretend to care about me?

I couldn't help asking, "Who is she? Why is she in our home?"

"She's my project assistant. Working from home makes communication tricky, so she came over to help me finish some files."

I didn't buy it. No field team had an assistant that dressed that elegantly.

The floating text popped up again, revealing she had brought him flowers.

I glanced sideways, and a vibrant bouquet of red roses stung my eyes.

“She nailed it with those roses! He was holding them and staring at them forever.”

“Doesn't matter who his ex was, his heart only beats for the new girl now. There's even a promise ring hidden in the bouquet, and he kept it!”

“So romantic! The ex must be regretting everything now. She cheated on him multiple times and forced him to beg. Disgusting.”

I let out a bitter smile. "Stop lying to me, Julian. I know everything."

His body stiffened. He reached out frantically to pull me into an embrace, but I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me. It's sickening. I don't want to look at you anymore."

I turned on my heel and bolted out the front door.

Tears mixed with sweat ran down my face. I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs.

Julian didn't chase after me. I couldn't tell if I felt disappointed or relieved.

I stopped by the riverbank.

The water reflected my face to be disheveled, messy, and pathetic.

Meanwhile, the floating text claimed they were already about to kiss.

“Wow, the new girl really knows what she's doing! She intentionally fell right into his arms, and his ears turned completely red!”

“He's wearing tailor-made gray trousers today... you guys know what I mean! Can't wait for the babies!”

“Wait, he pushed her away? What's going on? Don't tell me he still has feelings for his ex?”

“No way! Look at his phone, he's already looking at digital wedding invitations! He just wants to save himself for the wedding night!”

The floating texts kept throwing a full-on celebration, cheering for the impending wedding.

“Wait! The invitation is set for the day after tomorrow? Why is he in such a hurry?!”

“You don't get it, a man wants his bride in his arms as soon as possible. The ex running away was the best thing that could happen.”

I stared blankly as these floating comments narrated the love story of my partner and a complete stranger.

And they were using me as the tragic point of comparison.

I felt like a thief, peeking into someone else's happily ever after.

Yet all of this was supposed to be mine.

If only I hadn’t cheated again and again, and if only I hadn’t tortured him with my deep insecurities.

That happiness would have belonged to me.

I sat by the water alone until late into the night before slowly walking to the hospital.

On the way, my stomach churned with sharp pain. That's when I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day.

I hadn't felt this kind of stomach pain in years.

Ever since I got together with Julian, he had taken such good care of me that my chronic pain completely vanished.

It turned out I hadn't cured it. I was just loved so deeply that I never felt the pain.

It was too late, and all the convenience stores nearby were closed. I could only sit in the hospital breakroom, drinking hot water to numb the ache.

Suddenly, my phone screen lit up. The only emergency alert tone I had set belonged to Julian.

It was a text with a QR code for a digital wedding invitation.

“I was wrong, baby. I really hope you can come to this wedding.

“Let's meet up. Just give me one chance to explain.”

Explain what?

Explain how he fell in love with her at first sight, abandoned me, and decided to marry someone else?

Explain how amazing she was, proving why I wasn't good enough for him?

I didn't want to hear it, and I certainly didn't want to watch the person I loved most hold someone else's hand and say, "I do."

Did he send this knowing how much it would hurt?

Was this the very first step of his revenge?

I didn't open the QR code. I blocked his number instantly.

Then, I booked two one-way flight tickets for my mother and myself.

The wedding was the day after tomorrow, right?

That happened to be the exact day my mother finished her final treatment session.

I stayed on the hospital rooftop, letting the cold night wind blow against my face until dawn broke.

After that, I walked into my mother's room.

"Mom, let's leave the day after tomorrow. I don't want to stay here anymore."

My mother didn't ask questions.

She knew how obsessed I had been with Julian, and she knew how much pain I was in.

"Okay," she softly agreed. "Just the two of us, together for the rest of our lives."

My heart felt heavy and sour. "We'll get a dog too. That way, nobody will dare pick on us."

Time dragged on painfully and slowly. The sun set slowly, and the leaves fell without a rush.

During that time, Julian tried calling me dozens of times, but I didn't answer a single call.

The floating text said he was currently busy pampering his new girl, helping her pick out a wedding dress.

“The new girl is literally a goddess. She looks breathtaking in that gown.”

“He rented out the entire high-end resort in the city and spent a fortune rushing the photo shoots. The billionaire vibe is insane!”

If he was so busy, why did he keep calling me?

He probably just wanted to humiliate me by rubbing it in my face that I failed to appreciate what I had.

Eventually, exhaustion pulled me into a light sleep, where I dreamt of the day we first met.

When I woke up, my pillow was completely soaked with tears.

My mother gently patted my shoulder. "Let's go, sweetheart."

The journey into the big city had been terrifying, but the road back to our quiet hometown felt so peaceful.

Miraculously, the flight wasn't delayed.

My mother and I hurried through the terminal and barely made it in time.

Just as the gate agent scanned our boarding passes, a firm, familiar hand grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

I turned around, frowning, only to see Julian standing there.

Tears were welling up in his wide, expressive eyes.

"Why are you leaving?" he choked out. "Didn't you promise you were finally ready to rely on me?”