ログインThree days later, I opened the door and found Yarden leaning against the wall. A piece of gauze was taped to his temple.“Yara.”His voice was hoarse. His eyes lit up the moment he saw me. “You promised me.”I held onto the doorframe and did not let him step inside.“I went. You saw it.”He took out his phone, pulled up the bungee jumping video, and held it in front of me. “You said that if I did it, you would give me another chance.”His eyes stayed locked on mine.I looked at him carefully.I took in the bandages, the gauze, the cracked phone screen, the damp patches on his pants, and his dry, cracked lips.I sighed.“Yarden.”My voice softened. “That promise was made when I still loved you. By the time you made me eat mango cake, I had already stopped loving you. By the time you told me not to disappoint Yvonne before the engagement, I lost the last bit of hope I had left. You finally did it, but my heart is no longer with you.”Yarden’s lips moved.“A promise only matt
The next day, Yarden was waiting downstairs.When I came home from work, he walked over and opened the bags one by one.The first thing inside was a cashmere scarf. It was misty blue, the exact style I used to like.The second was a set of ceramic cups and saucers. They were handmade. I had once saved a link to the exact set.The third was a vinyl record. It was an old jazz album. I had shared that song on social media when I was in college.He really did remember.Every single thing was something I had once liked.“Yara, look.”He held the scarf out to me. “These are the things you said you wanted. I found them all.”I looked down at it for a while.The misty blue cashmere scarf was folded neatly. The tag was still attached.I took it from him, turned around, walked to the trash can, and let go.The scarf slipped into the trash and landed softly on the edge.Yarden’s expression changed. “What are you doing?”I walked back, picked up the ceramic cups and saucers, and thre
The rain came down even harder. Carter held the umbrella steadily over my head and stood between Yarden and me.His voice was cold. “Sir, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”“Move.”Yarden took another step forward. Rainwater dripped from his chin. “Yara, listen to me…”Carter raised his hand and blocked him with a palm against his chest. He did not use much force, but he had no intention of backing away.“She said she doesn’t want to see you.”Yarden’s breathing grew heavier.“Get out of my way.”He suddenly grabbed Carter by the collar and swung his other fist.Carter stumbled sideways. His knee slammed into the ground.“Carter!”I ran over and dropped to my knees beside him.He supported himself with one arm and tried to get up. His other hand covered his face.I reached out to help him. Then, I saw blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers.“You’re bleeding.” My voice trembled.Carter’s face had gone pale. Even then, he picked up the overturned umbrella and he
After living together for a month, Yarden had lost nearly seven pounds.On the day he moved into Yvonne’s apartment, everything still felt new to him.On the fourth day, Yvonne complained that he had not folded the towels neatly enough. She took them out in front of him and folded them again herself.On the fifth day, he came home at 10 p.m. after working overtime. The fridge was completely empty.Yvonne sat on the couch with a face mask. She did not even look up and said, “I already ate. Order takeout yourself.”On the seventh day, he clogged the shower drain.Yvonne stood at the bathroom door and said three times, “Could you use some common sense?”By week two, Yarden realized he had spent more nights sleeping on the couch than in the bed.It started because he forgot to turn off the bedroom light. Yvonne woke up in the middle of the night because of the light and made him sleep in the living room.He stood there in the dark with a pillow in his arms and heard the bedroom do
The next day was the engagement party.The ceremony was about to begin, but the red carpet was still empty.Yarden frowned slightly. He asked softly, “Where’s Yara? Call her and tell her to hurry.”The assistant looked uneasy. “Mr. Scott, Ms. Langley hasn’t been… answering her phone.”“Keep calling if she doesn’t pick up.”Yarden’s voice remained calm. “She’s probably throwing another tantrum. She’s still upset about last night.“Tell her the ceremony is about to start. She needs to come over now.”The assistant stepped out again.When he returned for the third time, there was sweat on his forehead.“Mr. Scott, Ms. Langley… she still hasn’t arrived.“I called more than thirty times. At some point, her phone was turned off.“The hotel said she never booked a room and didn’t leave anything there. The bridal shop said the wedding dress…”“What about the wedding dress?”“She never picked it up. The shop manager called yesterday to confirm the pickup time, but no one answered.”
The first time the three of us had dinner together, I watched him refill Yvonne’s drink three times, prepare a full plate of beef for her, and passionately talk with her about their research projects.The food on my own plate had already gone cold, but he did not notice.On the way home that night, I could not hold it in anymore and asked, “Didn’t you take care of her a little too much tonight?”He froze for a moment, then smiled.“Yara, I’m only being nice to her because of you.“She’s your best friend. If I don’t take care of her, who will? I can’t make you look bad, can I?”It was all for my sake.Those words became his all-purpose excuse.Later, every time I spoke up, every time I tried to tell him, “I’m uncomfortable,” “You’re too close to her,” or “You remember her but forget me,” he used the same reason to shut me down.“I’m only doing this because of you.“She’s your best friend. I’m treating her well for your sake.“Do you really want me to be cold toward your frien







