Chapter 2

I stood by the window, where opening the frames gave me a full view of Moon City’s streetscape. The fireplace had been lit in advance, filling the entire room with a cozy warmth.

I set my luggage against the corner and sank into the soft bed, feeling completely relieved and relaxed.

As soon as I turned my phone back on, a barrage of text notification chimes rang out from Alex.

[Vanessa, why aren’t you replying yet? Are you still mad?]

[Lily feels really guilty and wanted to go to Moon City, but she has a fever and her body definitely can't take it. Come back first so we can talk this through.]

[Vanessa, can you not make things so embarrassing? If you're upset, you can just say it, but don't ignore my messages.]

...

Then, Lily texted.

[I'm sorry, Vanessa. I shouldn't have canceled the plans so last minute. Don't blame Alex. It's all my fault. If you don't mind, we can head out today...]

[Vanessa, please reply, okay? I'm really worried about you. Alex keeps losing his temper, and I'm so scared.]

[Vanessa, aren't we friends? Why won't you talk to me?]

...

I didn't bother responding to any of their messages and simply tossed my phone aside. Right now, all I wanted was to take a nice hot shower and get a good night's sleep to prepare for my trip tomorrow.

In the middle of the night, I was suddenly woken up by a phone notification chime.

Squinting my eyes, I unlocked my phone and saw a new update on Lily’s social media.

The photo showed a small brown teddy bear with a pink ribbon tied around its ear, sitting on a dining table covered with a white tablecloth.

Though the background was slightly blurred, I could still make out a man leaning down in the kitchen, cooking.

That silhouette was far too familiar. Who else could it be but Alex?

The caption read: [He said the medicine was too bitter, so he made dessert and even brought me a present. This feels so nice.]

I stared at the photo, every last trace of sleepiness instantly vanishing.

Once upon a time, Alex used to treat me just as well as he was treating Lily now.

I was a picky eater and hated having breakfast. So Alex used to show up at my front door on the dot every morning, setting freshly toasted bread, sliced sausages, and milk on my dining table.

"Vanessa, I'm willing to make breakfast for you forever, as long as it makes you happy."

The way he looked at me back then was so tender, as if I were the only person in his world.

Then Lily arrived.

At first, Alex would still explain, "Vanessa, I made this meal for Lily. She's so fragile; we should look after her."

Later on, he'd say, "Vanessa, go ahead and eat on your own today. I'm going to take Lily for a walk by the lake."

Eventually, he stopped offering any explanations altogether.

There was one time I had a high fever and texted him, saying I felt awful and asking if he could stay with me.

He simply replied, [Lily has a bit of a headache, so I'm taking her to see the healer first. You should go find one to get checked out, too.]

He didn't even bother asking if I was okay.

It was in that exact moment I realized, crystal clear, that I had been completely erased from his list of people who need care.

I thought I didn't care about these things anymore, yet looking at this photo, I still felt a sharp sting in my heart.

I set my phone back down and wrapped the blanket tightly around myself.

"It's fine, Vanessa," I whispered to myself in the dark. "From now on, you never have to put up with this again."