When Love Fades Like a Dream Chapter 3

That was because he had something more important going on.

Freya closed the half-watched movie on her laptop and clicked on the ever-persistent WhatsApp pop-up in the corner.

It was Kenneth, chatting with Charlotte.

Kenneth wasn't aware that his WhatsApp was synced to her laptop, allowing her to see all his messages.

Freya watched as the two reminisced, discussed the present, and even talked about their future together.

In the countless lines of messages, Kenneth didn't mention Freya even once.

Of course, why would he? To him, she was nothing more than a placeholder, a fleeting but of comfort. There was no reason to bring her up.

Freya stared at the endless stream of messages still updating in real time. Then, without hesitation, she pressed the power button to shut the laptop off.

It was a sleepless night for her.

The next morning, Freya was awakened by the sound of the doorbell.

Rubbing her eyes, she walked into the living room, only to see Kenneth, already awake, turning around with a bouquet in one hand and a birthday cake in the other.

"Frey, did you order a cake? Why the sudden craving for one?"

The room fell silent for a few seconds before Freya spoke calmly.

"It's my birthday. My friends probably had it delivered."

Kenneth froze in place at her words. He instinctively glanced at the calendar on the wall and finally realized it was July 12th.

He had forgotten Freya's birthday.

A flicker of guilt flashed in Kenneth's eyes. He quickly set down the flowers and cake, guiding Freya back into the bedroom.

"It's your birthday today. Let's go out to celebrate. What do you feel like eating?" he urged.

"There's no need. Let's just stay home," Freya declined.

But Kenneth insisted on going out. He even picked out a dress from her wardrobe and handed it to her.

Unable to refuse, Freya freshened up and followed him out.

The two of them started the day with their favorite breakfast spot, followed by the latest movie in the cinema, and wandered through the mall for a while.

During their stroll, Freya excused herself to the restroom. Upon her return, she spotted Kenneth on the phone, urgently asking a family member to help him purchase an expensive necklace.

It was the same necklace Freya had admired in a magazine just two weeks ago.

Watching his determination, Freya felt a whirlwind of emotions.

She couldn't quite grasp what was going through his mind.

He remembered a fleeting glance she gave to a necklace, yet forgot something as significant as her birthday.

Did he truly not know what mattered most?

Upon reflection, she realized the answer was obvious.

Before Charlotte's return, Kenneth clung to Freya as a source of comfort, which was why he noticed every small detail. Now that Charlotte was back, all his attention had shifted. Everything related to Freya had been relegated to the background.

The thought drained Freya's energy, leaving her disinterested for the rest of the morning.

Kenneth noticed her lack of enthusiasm and tousled her hair gently. "What's wrong, birthday girl? Not happy with today's plans?"

Now that she thought about it, he always liked to ruffle her hair. Subconsciously, he probably always saw her as a little sister, not as a lover.

Freya shook her head and was about to say she was tired and wanted to go home. However, Kenneth hailed a taxi and gave an address to a mountain resort.

Seeing her surprised expression, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't you always say you wanted to meet some of my friends? Everyone's free today. I'll take you to meet them. Will that make you happy?"

This unexpected plan left Freya stunned.

In the past, since Kenneth was unwilling to meet her family and friends, she thought about meeting his instead. But each time, he would come up with various reasons to refuse.

Over time, she stopped bringing it up.

Now that she was about to leave Javerton, he was doing this because of a sense of guilt deep inside him.

It was funny how things always happened by chance.

She silently watched the scenery flash by outside the window, and in the end, said nothing.

The taxi stopped at the mountainside.

Kenneth took her hand and led her into the resort, pushing open the heavy door.

With a few bangs, a shower of fireworks and ribbons rained down from the sky, and a group of people crowded out the door, laughing and cheering, "Happy Birthday!"

Seeing this spectacle, Kenneth quickly pulled Freya into his arms, removing the ribbon from her head while shooing away a few of his friends who were getting too close.

"Be careful. Don't scare my girl. She's afraid of—"

His words abruptly stopped.

When he looked at the familiar face in the crowd, his expression suddenly changed.

Charlotte, on the other hand, remained calm as she smilingly approached us.

"Ken, I haven't participated in any group activities in a long time since going abroad. I heard you were celebrating your girlfriend's birthday this morning, so I thought I'd come join in the fun. I hope that's okay?"

Kenneth gave her a cold glance and scanned the crowd. Everyone lost the courage to meet his gaze and avoided him, pretending it wasn't their business.

As the air grew colder, Freya politely extended her hand and initiated a greeting.

"Welcome. Nice to meet you. I'm Freya Jefferson."

Charlotte stared at her for a moment, as if understanding something, before giving a half-smile and shaking her hand.

"Hello, I'm Charlotte Larner. I'm Ken's… friend.

"By the way, Frey, has anyone ever told you that we look alike?"