By the time Jeanette got home, she had finally calmed down.
When she woke up the next morning, there was one less day until her departure.
She went alone to a concert by her favorite singer, recording the sea of blue lights as thousands of fans sang along at the top of their lungs. She pinned the video to the top of her social media page, then deleted every post she had shared during her relationship with Hank.
Several close friends knew she was leaving to pursue her dream, and they flooded the comments with encouragement.
[Jeanette, I hope that one day I get to be your biggest fan!]
[Future superstar, can I reserve an autograph now? That's not asking too much, right?]
Even Hank, who had been missing without a word for days, liked the post.
Jeanette stared at the little red heart in surprise. As far as she knew, Hank never posted anything on social media, nor did he bother looking at other people's updates.
It was not until she saw the messages Yvette had sent her that she understood why.
[Jeanette, I managed to get that woman's contact information. I'm so mad!]
Below the message were several screenshots of Cecilia's posts. There were pictures of sunsets over the ocean, leisurely walks through flower fields, glittering city lights, and candlelit dinners.
Every single post had a comment from Hank.
[Why didn't you post the picture I took of you?]
[I heard the cherry blossoms are blooming at West Hill too. I'll take you there in a couple of days.]
[The shrimp are a little hard to peel, but since you like them, I don't mind the trouble.]
One comment after another read like snippets from a couple's love story.
So Hank had been checking Cecilia's posts all day, leaving comments on every one. He must have stumbled across Jeanette's update while doing so and casually left a like.
Jeanette smiled faintly and sent Yvette a few messages to calm her down. Then, without saying a word to anyone, she gathered every gift Hank had given her over the past three years, all the matching couple items they had bought together, every photograph they had taken, and every diary she had written about their relationship.
It took several trips to carry everything downstairs.
She was just about to throw it all away when Hank suddenly returned.
He seemed to be in an excellent mood, with a smile lingering at the corners of his eyes and mouth.
When he saw her, he paused, then changed direction and walked over.
"What is in those boxes? Are you throwing all of it away?"
"Just some things I don't need anymore."
Hank nodded and handed her the cake he was carrying before bending down to help her. The moment Jeanette saw the cake, she froze for a second.
"What made you think of buying a cake all of a sudden?"
Hank stopped what he was doing and looked at her, his expression darkening slightly.
"You forgot? It's my birthday today."
His birthday?
Only then did Jeanette remember that it was around this time of year.
A month ago, she had been agonizing over what gift to buy him. Then she had discovered she was nothing more than a substitute, decided to leave, and pushed the whole matter out of her mind.
After all, he would soon be her ex-boyfriend. Why should she bother remembering his birthday?
Hank caught the brief flash of realization on her face, and his breathing grew heavier.
Earlier that morning, countless people had sent him birthday wishes. Jeanette was the only one who had not said a word. He had assumed she was planning some kind of surprise.
So she had simply forgotten?
It was not a big deal, really. Yet for some reason, he could not seem to get used to it. A dull ache settled in his chest.
In previous years, whether it was his birthday or their anniversary, Jeanette had always spent ages preparing something special and turning it into a celebration.
How could she forget this year? She had loved him more than anyone.
He was about to say something when his phone chimed several times.
Cecilia had sent him a message inviting him to a birthday party she was throwing for him.
He glanced at the address and read the teasing messages from their friends in the group chat. His fingers tightened slightly around the phone, and the gloom on his face disappeared. A smile returned to his eyes.
He started replying to the messages as he prepared to leave, but Jeanette called after him.
"Your birthday..."
Hank paused.
"I've got something I need to take care of right now. Let's celebrate together when I get back later, okay?"
Jeanette hummed softly and watched him leave.
Once he had disappeared from sight, she threw away all the boxes.
Remembering how delighted he had looked when he read those messages, she knew he would not be coming home to celebrate his birthday with her.
For some reason, she felt relieved.
The trash bin was almost overflowing, so she tossed the cake in as well before turning and heading upstairs.
A few hours later, Jeanette received a message from Joshua.
[We leave tomorrow. I'll pick you up at nine in the morning.]
She had just replied with an okay when one of Hank's close friends suddenly sent her a voice message.
"Jeanette, come to the Harrington Hotel! Something happened to Hank. Hurry!"
The panic in his voice made her freeze.
The next second, Yvette called. Her voice was choked with tears.
"Jeanette, my brother... My brother, he..."
Only then did Jeanette realize how serious the situation was.
She hurried downstairs and flagged down a cab.
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