Chapter 3

"When did it start?" I stared at her.

Gina looked away. "Two years ago, when you were on a business trip for two weeks in winter. I had too much to drink, and he took me home, but I didn't let him leave."

Those two weeks were a crucial time because the company was pivoting, and it was also the most difficult time at work. I was under pressure every day and would often go to sleep only late at night. I thought that she was working hard at the same time for our future.

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know." Her voice lowered. It was filled with guilt and helplessness. "Conrad, he rejected his family's arrangement to stay in this city alone for me. I'm his first love, and he has given me his whole heart. I owe him this wedding."

Gina's phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen before getting up to head to the balcony.

"Stop right there," I called out to her, feeling a chill in my heart.

Gina paused for a moment but did not stop walking. She headed to the balcony and closed the balcony door behind her, but I could still hear Mike's muffled voice. "Gina, the designer said the stage would look even better if we heighten the platform by three meters high. What do you think?"

She replied with a voice so gentle that it sounded like she was coaxing a child. "Anything you want, Mike. I'll follow your lead."

Gina spoke so softly to him that it suddenly reminded me of one winter when I suffered from chilblains because of the cold. My fingers were so swollen that I could hardly hold my pen. Gina held my hands in hers and blew on them to warm them up before slowly putting some cream on them.

She spoke to me with the same soft tone back then. "Just bear with this a little longer, Conrad. We'll buy a house with a heater one day soon."

I put out my cigarette and crouched slowly to the floor, leaning against the wall. I guess all promises had an expiry date.

The next morning, when I woke up, the bed beside me was empty. A note was left behind on the nightstand.

[Conrad, I have an emergency at the office. Wait for me to come home, and I'll explain everything to you. Don't let your imagination run wild. Wait for me.]

I turned on my phone stoically and clicked on the location app. We installed the app because I had once lost my way late at night, and Gina got so anxious that she went around the city looking for me.

When she found me, she grabbed my hand and insisted we install the app on both of our phones. She was almost crying when she held my hand tightly. "What if something happened to you, Conrad? I need to know where you are all the time so that I won't get worried about you."

Years had passed since then, and she had forgotten all about it.

The bright dot on the app represented her location, and she was not in her office at South City. She was in East City, where the high-end residency, Brocade Valley, was located.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Mike: [Hey, Conrad! I'm doing housewarming today at my new place. Do you want to stop by for some fun?]

I took a deep breath and replied: [Sure.]

His house was located in a quiet area in East City, in a new building. Gina was walking with a plate of cut fruit when the door opened, and her grip on the plate tightened when she saw me, making a clanging sound when she accidentally knocked it against the doorframe.

Gina was about to say something when Mike came running out of the living room. He pulled my hand and led me into the house. "Come on inside! My wife made a lot of food!"

It was a small living room, but it had everything. The drapes were milky white, and the sofa was pushed against the wall. The tables were decorated with tasseled table runners, and several of Mike's friends were already seated. All of them looked pretty young.

Gina returned to the kitchen, where the door was half-open. I could see her getting busy at the stove.

"You have a really capable girlfriend," said one of Mike's friends.

Mike smiled happily. "She is! She was the one who picked those drapes. She chose milky white because I like lighter colors. She put in the lights as well, and changed it specially to a warmer light because I'm afraid of the dark."

I picked up a glass to take a sip of water, but I was gripping it so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

When we were at the beginning of our relationship, she promised to give me a home that would be decorated according to my liking. I waited for three years, and I bought the drapes myself and picked the sofa on my own. I was also the one who put together every spice and herb in the kitchen.

I looked in the direction of the kitchen and saw Gina with her head lowered at the kitchen counter, chopping up the vegetables. Mike called out, "Are you done, Gina? I'm hungry!"

"It's almost done," she replied softly without stopping what she was doing.

After all the dishes were served, Gina took off her apron and sat next to Mike. She put some food on his plate and said in a soft voice, "The low-sugar dishes are on your left, and I made sure the seafood isn't anywhere near your plate."

Gina would glance at me occasionally, but would turn to look away quickly.

Mike bit into the food and suddenly turned to me. "Conrad, you've been busy preparing the wedding all by yourself. Why haven't I seen your fiancée when you're about to get married?"

I poked at my food distractedly. "She's too busy." I paused before continuing softly, "She says a young man has given her his heart, and she wants to take responsibility for him first."

Mike's eyes widened, and he got angry on my behalf. "Your fiancée has gone too far. That's horrible of her. You should break up!"

I laughed softly. "You're right. I should've broken up with her long ago."