Sunshine, Souvenirs, and One Less Cheating Boyfriend

I had been with Leon for three years, from his sophomore to senior year. Kelly was shocked and guessed that he must have given up his playboy ways for me.I smiled and said nothing. Deep down, I knew he hadn't.During the years we were together, the number of new girls added to Leon's phone never stopped growing. There were freshman girls who had just enrolled, senior girls from his band, campus belles from other institutions… His flirtatious nature never seemed to rein itself in.The first time I found out, I was angry. Leon knelt on the ground and hugged me. He swore he'd never do it again. He said he loved me and begged me not to leave him. But not long after, I discovered him going to the hotel with the band's female bassist.So, it was the same cycle again. He apologized, and I forgave him.Eventually, Leon seemed convinced that I would never leave him. So, he gradually became fearless.Even when I caught him, he would just smile nonchalantly. "Come on, Xandra. I'm still y

When I opened my eyes at 5:00 am, I couldn't help but laugh at myself.I guess I really was getting older. After 25 years old, a woman's overall condition would decline day by day. I could no longer fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow like when I was younger.Leon noticed I had left and called me several times.I replied with three words, "Let's break up."He probably knew I had found out about him and Zoe. He didn't try to argue or explain, and he didn't contact me again. Maybe he thought I was just throwing a tantrum and that, like before, I'd forgive him after a few days.The good thing about being an adult was that even after a breakup, there was no time to dwell on sadness or mope. The very next day, I still had to accompany my boss on a business trip to negotiate a project.At the airport, I spotted a tall figure in a black suit standing with his back straight in the distance.Amid the hurried, weary crowd, he seemed to exist in a separate space. He looked like h

Leon said, "Don't worry about that. I can't find it. Come back and help me look for it."I was getting a little annoyed. It was one thing for him to treat me like I was his caretaker when we were dating. But we had already broken up. Did he still expect me to baby him like I was his mom?I replied in a clipped tone, "I'm on a business trip. I don't have time for this. Don't call me again.""Hey, wait—"I hung up before he could finish.His line of thought was way too easy to deduce—it was painfully obvious. He wasn't used to not having me around to take care of him. So, he wanted me to go back to revolving around him again. But since he was the one at fault, he was too embarrassed to say it outright.He didn't want to apologize because it was far too embarrassing. Hence, he made up some excuse to give me a way out.However, I didn't need one.From next door came the faint sound of a door closing. Calvin must have just come back from working out. Thinking about his pecs that I h

Leon brushed his fingers across my collarbone tauntingly, sending a shiver through my body.He went on, "If you leave me, can you even accept anyone else in your life? Can anyone else satisfy you like I can?"I swatted his hand away and said calmly, "That's none of your concern."He was about to say more, but I reached out and smoothed his collar while saying evenly, "Leon, you probably don't know me well enough. I would never go back to an ex."…My interactions with Calvin stayed the same as before, but both of us were very much aware that something had fundamentally changed.After three years of working closely together, we knew each other the best. I knew the remaining balances on his membership cards at six different gyms in the city, and he knew I only drank coffee with one extra shot of milk and no sugar.In the past three years, everything had been fine. We only ever considered each other as colleagues. But ever since that night, a faint, amorous undercurrent seemed to d

Leon asked emotionally, "You've forgiven me so many times before. Why can't you give me one more chance this time?"I thought Calvin would leave. He hated having his time wasted. At this hour, he should've been sweating it out in the gym. But he stayed and watched from the side.Suddenly, he spoke up, saying, "Xandra, I used to think you had good taste. But now, I realize you have bad taste in men.""The hell are you butting in for? This has nothing to do with you!" Leon snapped.Calvin smiled indifferently. He gave him one glance, then withdrew his gaze without another word. It was a look of pure disdain, like an adult man looking at a child who was still green.Leon's expression darkened, and he stepped forward.But I quickly stopped him and warned, "Don't make a scene, Leon. It's not possible between us anymore. If you keep bothering me, you're just wasting your time. I don't want to see you again."Leon's eyes widened. He looked at me with a hurt expression, as if he hadn't