Chapter 4 He Chose Her Over Me

Caleb didn't look surprised at all as he walked over to greet Bethany.

Bethany was all smiles as she said, "Today, I'm teaching you how to make Jessica's favorite baked cheese prawns and garlic noodles crabmeat. She has finally made a name for herself. We have to celebrate."

Then, she lifted the gift box in her hand as she continued, "I even bought her a pair of gold bracelets this morning."

The two of them chatted happily.

They acted as if I didn't exist from start to finish.

I stood there silently for a moment before returning to the bedroom.

Initially, I had genuinely wanted to get along with Bethany. The first time we met, I carefully prepared many gifts for her. Alas, she remained distant. Even the welcome gift she gave me was a secondhand handbag with frayed corners.

Back then, I thought she'd simply been too rushed to get me a gift. Only now did I understand that she just didn't care about me at all.

That night, Jessica came over.

Through the door, I heard her ask with a smile, "Isn't Melanie joining us for dinner?"

A moment later, Caleb knocked on my door.

When I opened it, I saw a table full of seafood.

Every single dish on the table was Jessica's favorite, but it was also something I had told Caleb countless times I was severely allergic to.

I lowered my eyes and said, "I'm not hungry, so I'll pass."

After I closed the door, I quietly started packing my things.

I heard muffled laughter drift in from outside my room.

Bethany praised Jessica for being thoughtful while Caleb peeled the crab for her. Jessica sweetly thanked both of them.

The three of them looked like a real family.

The next day, Caleb was already gone.

My phone rang just as I finished packing the last of my luggage and was about to leave this place behind.

It was Caleb.

"Where are you? I'm filming an ad and forgot the spare battery for my wireless mic. Bring it over now."

I glanced at the suitcase by my feet.

I wanted to tell him no, but I had spent half a month securing this campaign. I was the one who handled the contract, the script, and the entire production schedule. So, I didn't want the client to suffer because of Caleb.

In the end, I found the battery and took a taxi to the studio.

When I arrived, I realized Jessica was also there.

She sat beside Caleb with his jacket draped over her, and the staff naturally called her Caleb's girlfriend.

As for me, everyone treated me like an assistant and ordered me around all day.

I didn't explain anything. Instead, I stood quietly in the corner and waited for filming to finish after handing Caleb his precious battery.

Near the end of the shoot, I soon realized I wasn't needed anymore and turned to leave.

Suddenly, the fire alarm blared. People screamed and rushed toward the exits.

Before I could react, I saw Caleb pull Jessica into his arms and run straight for the emergency exit with her without looking back once.

Five minutes later, the alarm was declared a false alarm as someone had triggered it by mistake.

When Caleb returned to the studio, he saw me pressed against the wall. My hair was a mess, and my clothes were wrinkled. There were also several dirty footprints covering my shoes.

A trace of guilt flashed across his face.

"Why didn't you run faster?" he asked.

I said nothing.

I had always known he cared more about Jessica, but seeing my own boyfriend choose another woman when it mattered most still hurt more than I could describe.

I turned to leave.

Caleb suddenly remembered something and casually called after me.

"Oh, right. Why haven't you posted the video we filmed a few days ago? Jessica has almost 500,000 followers. If you post it today, it'll give her the perfect boost."

My hand instinctively pressed against my chest.

There wasn't a wound there, yet it hurt so much I could barely breathe.

Still, I used the last bit of strength I had and answered calmly, "It'll go live at noon."

Only then did Caleb look satisfied and immediately turned back to ask Jessica what she wanted for lunch.

By the time he remembered to tell me to take a taxi home, I was already gone.

Caleb and Jessica were already refreshing the account's homepage at exactly noon.

They were waiting for the new video to go live, and waiting for Jessica's followers to break 500,000.

The upload notification appeared right on schedule, and Caleb clicked it immediately.

However, the screen didn't show him gently holding a cup of chamomile tea.

Instead, it showed me sitting quietly in front of the camera.

I was looking straight into the lens as I said, "Hello, everyone. I'm the other owner of this account, as well as Caleb's girlfriend of five years. My name is Melanie Houston."