Chapter 3

Erica kept texting continuously for the next three hours, asking me who I was meeting in some of the texts while accusing me of being deluded in her other texts. She told me that she would not change her mind no matter what excuses I gave.

[Where would you go without me? Stop making things difficult for Ryan. I promise I'll promote you the next time an opportunity comes up.]

When she was texting me this, I was having dinner with the team leader of an overseas company who had traveled from afar to meet me. I had booked my flight ticket for the next week after dinner.

The company's group chat kept buzzing the entire night with everyone sharing pictures of Erica and Ryan's 'date'.

Erica, who had always found it necessary to be cautious when watching a movie with me, would buy separate tickets for us. One ticket would be in the last row, and the other would be in the first row. Yet, in the pictures, she was seated openly with Ryan in a couple's seat. Both were leaning close to each other.

[Horror movies scare me, and I need someone to be by my side to make me feel safe.]

Erica had probably texted me to explain because she saw the excited texts in the group chat about her 'relationship' with Ryan. However, I did not reply.

…

The next day, I knocked on her door.

"Why are you here at this time?" She looked flustered when she opened the door, and I looked behind her. The first thing I saw was a pair of leather shoes placed tidily at the door.

"Ms. Livingston, that suit you got me looks great. It's so me!" The voice came from the bedroom, and it was clear that Ryan had spent the night in her house again.

Erica had prepared coffee on the table in his and hers cups, and they were still steaming hot. Even the disposable paper box had been changed into an exquisite ashtray.

Back in her bedroom, Ryan was caressing the coat Erica had picked for him and had already put on the customized tie. They looked like a perfect couple enjoying a beautiful morning. I was the uninvited guest who had ruined their quiet day.

"It was raining too heavily last night, and Ryan's house is too far away, so I decided to let him spend the night." Erica looked guilty as she tried to hold my hand. "He'll be leaving soon. How about going somewhere this weekend? We…"

"That's not necessary."

I walked into Erica's house and picked up a delivery box near the door. It was a birthday gift for Erica that I had prepared for her earlier. "We've broken up, Erica. I'm just here to take back what I gave you."

Erica's hand froze, and she jerked up to look at me. "What are you talking about?"

"H… Hunter?" Ryan suddenly appeared from behind Erica with the coffee in his hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know both of you were in a relationship."

Ryan glanced at Erica subtly before taking another step forward. "No wonder you refused to attend my birthday party. I guess you must really hate me." He pressed his lips. "There really is nothing going on between me and Ms. Livingston, Hunter. Please let me explain…"

Before his hand even touched me, he suddenly let go of his coffee cup, and the coffee splashed all over me.

"Ryan!"

Erica pushed me away and held Ryan's hand. "Don't move! I'll put some cream on it!"

We had been dating for three years, and I never knew that Erica kept medication at home. After all, when I was burned by her kettle once, all she did was give me a pair of thin disposable gloves. "An independent woman like me doesn't have such things at home. Just wash it off under the tap."

She would never leave any trace of her 'boyfriend' behind in her house, but when Ryan appeared in her life, all of her rules and principles got thrown out the window.

I stared at the stain on me and laughed self-deprecatingly before turning to leave.

"Hunter!" Erica came running after me for the first time. "Can you stop losing your temper at me over minor issues like this? Ryan is like a younger brother to me, and you're the one who's my boyfriend. I have to…"

The only thing that answered her was the doors of the elevator closing. I did not even glance at her.

Next week was when I would depart, and I had thought that we could part ways amicably, but in the end, Erica destroyed all chance of that.