Chapter 6

My expression stayed composed, but my tone carried a chill.

"That's between the two of you. It has nothing to do with me."

And it was true—after the breakup, his affairs no longer concerned me.

At my words, the faint expectation in Thor's eyes dimmed, replaced by a mocking edge.

"You're the ex. Of course it has nothing to do with you."

With that, our connection was severed completely.

Then, without warning, Thor stood up, pulled Lina to her feet, and locked his eyes on hers. Under everyone's stunned gaze, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her hard.

A chorus of gasps and squeals erupted throughout the bus.

The kiss dragged on. Soon, silence fell—heavy, suffocating. Even the sound of breathing disappeared.

I sat frozen, staring.

My heart clenched so tight it felt like a thousand ants were gnawing through it. The pain spread down to my bones. My brain screamed for me to stop them, but reason held me still.

So I bit down hard on my lip, my nails digging into my palms, forcing myself to stay composed.

Their kiss went on and on.

I couldn't bear to watch anymore. I turned toward the window, staring out at the blur of trees rushing past.

When they finally pulled apart, someone shouted with a teasing laugh, "Thor! That's your kiss with a second girl. How does it compare to your first?"

Thor cleared his throat and replied, his voice carrying an unmistakable trace of fondness.

"Of course the second one feels better."

The words struck like a blade. Despite all my restraint, my vision blurred, and my eyes burned hot.

Because no matter how hard you try, love is the one emotion you can't control. And his cruelty was unbearable.

I pressed my hands over my ears, closed my eyes, and shut out the world. If I didn't see or hear, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.

When the bus finally arrived, I was the first to get up, practically fleeing down the steps.

When I reached the restroom, I doubled over the sink and vomited. My head spun; my body felt weak.

The image of him kissing Lina kept flashing before my eyes. Tears spilled before I could stop them.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Love—how devastatingly real it could be.

After a long while, when the dizziness faded, I washed my face and left the restroom.

Passing by the men's room, I caught familiar voices drifting through the open doorway.

"Thor, wasn't it too much—kissing another girl right in front of her?"

"It's not too much. She keeps threatening to break up. This time, I'll teach her a lesson. Let's see if she dares to act out again."

"But she looked really shaken. Shouldn't you go talk to her?"

"I've been comforting her for years. I'm tired of it."

"Yeah, you spoiled her too much. That's why she keeps pulling the breakup card."

"Exactly. Once she realizes how serious I am, she'll come crawling back to apologize. Then she'll think twice before ever defying me again. It's the best way to keep her in line."

Their words chilled me to the bone.

So that was what he thought of me—that I was throwing tantrums, and he could train me into obedience. That even his kiss with another woman was just a punishment.

How laughably arrogant.

I let out a quiet, hollow laugh and walked away.

On the way home, memories of us kept replaying in my mind.

How he'd panic when I choked on food and rush me to the hospital.

When I had stomach cramps, he'd wake specialists in the middle of the night just to ease my pain.

Whenever I was sad, he'd do anything to make me laugh, even plan surprise trips to cheer me up.

He'd memorized everything—what I liked to eat, what made me happy, how I lived my days.

His care had once been flawless, all-consuming. And over time, I grew used to it. I believed that love, that devotion, was mine alone.

But in the end, even the strongest affection couldn't survive temptation.