Chapter 5 The Love That Had Expired

"Mr. Joffre, I'm really sorry. My friends were just running their mouths. I apologize on their behalf."

As he spoke, Ewan suddenly bowed deeply to me.

I instinctively reached out to help him up, but a sinister smile curled at the corner of Ewan's lips. Before my hand could even touch him, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.

A sharp crack echoed through the mall.

Natalie's eyes widened. She rushed over and shoved me hard. "How could you hit him?"

I stumbled from the force of her push, completely bewildered as I blurted in protest, "I didn't!"

He covered his reddened cheek and sighed. "It was my fault. I failed to keep my friends in check and let them say those things about you, which upset you. You had every right to hit me. Here, go ahead and hit this side too."

Natalie raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. "Sylvan, apologize to him!"

I felt the burning sting spread across my cheek as I slowly lifted my head.

So, this was the woman I had loved for seven years, the girlfriend I had given seven years of my heart to. She had spent years telling me she loved me.

Yet, she was quick to believe the worst of me the moment something happened.

She couldn't even be bothered to find out what really happened.

Even worse, she had also hit me.

So, I turned around and walked away.

Natalie tried to chase after me, but Ewan raised a hand to stop her. "Natalie, my head really hurts, and my ears are ringing a little. Do you think Sylvan's slap might have given me a concussion?"

Natalie stopped chasing me and hurried to take Ewan to the hospital immediately after that.

She only sent me a text, saying, "He was injured because of you, and the doctor wants him to stay in the hospital for observation. He's a very important business partner for my company, so I have to stay here with him until he calms down.

"I shouldn't have hit you today, but everything I did was for your own good. I had my reasons. You have to believe me."

For my own good?

I couldn't feel a single hint of her care for me, especially not after that slap.

Then again, I didn't care what her reasons were. After all, I didn't want her anymore.

…

Natalie didn't come home for several days in a row. She didn't send me any more messages either.

Instead, an unfamiliar number kept sending me photos to my phone. Natalie was starring in every picture, playing the caring nurse for someone else.

It was obvious that the number belonged to Ewan. Therefore, it wasn't exactly a leap to deduce that Natalie had been taking care of Ewan day and night like a full-time nurse.

Still, I had already stopped loving Natalie. So, I couldn't be bothered to care just who she was dedicating all her time to.

Besides, it was time for me to leave.

I didn't take a single thing from the apartment.

Natalie had bought everything in that place at a discount anyway, and I didn't want any of it tainting my luggage.

The only things that mattered were our photographs and the letters we had written to each other back when we were dating.

I threw away the photographs before burning the letters one by one. This false love would end here in this cheap, dreary apartment.

I hurried to the airport, dragging the few belongings I had left with me.

I was just about to board my flight when I received a text from Natalie. "Babe, Ewan finally agreed to leave the hospital. That means I can come home now. Are you home? I bought you a fresh cinnamon roll this time, not one that was about to expire!"

I was finally going to be able to bite into a freshly baked cinnamon roll after seven years of dating a leech like her.

Alas, I no longer wanted it.

"Thanks, but no thanks. We're through."

I didn't want to eat food that was past its prime, and I certainly didn't want a love that had lived well past its shelf life.

Then, I blocked Natalie's number and boarded the plane without ever looking back.