Chapter 2

Vivienne's POV

I no longer wanted a seven-year relationship where I was never the one he chose.

When Joshua walked into the hotel room, I had just finished washing up. He was carrying some freshly baked buns, milk, and churros.

I reached for the food, but Joshua instinctively pulled them out of my reach.

He explained apologetically, "Vivi, Miki specifically asked me to buy these for her yesterday. If you're hungry, I'll take you to eat at the college cafeteria later. You know Miki has quite the temper. If she finds out I didn't do what she asked, she'll throw a fit."

I lowered my eyes and withdrew my hand.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Ever since high school, Mikaela had ordered Joshua around freely far more than I, his girlfriend, ever did.

When we went to the movies, she had to sit with Joshua. On her birthday, she demanded that Joshua buy her a cake and cut it with her. When we went to an amusement park, she always got Joshua to accompany her when she wanted to go into the haunted house.

I had argued with Joshua about it countless times. But every single time, he would insist that he only doted on her like she was his little sister.

Later, Joshua and I ended up separated by thousands of miles. And so, Mikaela disappeared from my life.

On the few chances we were able to reunite, I didn't want to argue with Joshua over Mikaela. At the same time, he never brought her up on our dates. I thought Mikaela had finally grown up and learned to respect boundaries.

But looking back now, I could see that one had been happy to give, and the other had been more than willing to take.

With an empty stomach, I walked toward Joshua's car. Just as I was about to open the front passenger door, he stopped me.

"Vivi, sit in the back," he said. "I'm picking up Miki on the way to the graduation ceremony."

I looked at him and smiled. "Is the front passenger seat reserved exclusively for Mikaela? I'm your girlfriend. Can't I sit there?"

Joshua's expression darkened slightly. "Vivi, don't make things difficult. I don't want to argue with you about Miki today. She can be quite childish. Just let her have her way."

I'd been giving in to her for seven years. In fact, I'd practically handed Joshua over to her. If I kept stepping aside, would there still be a place for me beside Joshua?

I didn't know the answer to that question, but it no longer mattered to me now.

I did as Joshua wished and got into the back seat.

As soon as I closed the door, I couldn't help but sneeze as the strong scent of rose perfume hit my nose.

It was Mikaela's favorite fragrance.

A photo of Joshua and Mikaela hung from the safety charm in the front. The seat cushions were the Hello Kitty ones Mikaela liked.

They were already showing faint signs of wear. Clearly, they had been there for quite some time.

I shifted to another spot and felt something underneath me. I picked it up and saw that it was a tube of lipstick.

Joshua glanced at it through the rearview mirror and reached back to take it. "It must be Miki's. She's been looking for it for ages. I didn't expect it to be in the back seat."

Traces of Mikaela were everywhere in the car.

This was Joshua's car. Yet I, his girlfriend, seemed more like an outsider than Mikaela did.

What Joshua had called "on the way" turned out to be a long drive with many twists and turns before we finally reached Mikaela's home.

"I'll go get Miki. Wait for me in the car," Joshua said.

I waited for an hour. My stomach growled with hunger, making me feel dizzy and lightheaded. Unable to bear it any longer, I took one of the buns Joshua had bought and ate it. It didn't make me feel a whole lot better, but it'd have to do for now.

Finally, Joshua came back downstairs, carefully holding Mikaela's hand. He wore a black suit, and he had even styled his hair for the occasion. Mikaela wore an ivory dress, her makeup flawless.

Standing together, they looked like the perfect couple. Meanwhile, I looked completely out of place with my bare face and wearing nothing but a plain T-shirt and jeans.

Joshua opened the front passenger door for Mikaela, and she slid into the seat with practiced ease.

Joshua got into the car as well and said, "Miki, Vivi came to watch our graduation ceremony."

Only then did Mikaela notice me in the back seat. She turned and looked me up and down before curling her lips into a smile and feigning surprise.

She said, "Oh, you're here too, Vivi? Have you gained weight? The dark circles under your eyes are so bad. If you don't dress yourself up a little, you'll embarrass Josh later."