Chapter 2

When Yvonne heard the tremble in my voice, she quickly asked if I was feeling cold. "The weather has gotten really chilly. Let's find somewhere to sit and chat."

Before I knew it, they had pulled me into a barbecue restaurant and sat me down.

Under the warm lights, I finally could get a clear look at who was sitting across from me.

Yvonne was truly beautiful. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, and two small dimples appeared when she smiled.

She leaned in toward Chris and whispered, "I kind of want some fresh barbecue, but don't you have to rush back to the law firm to work overtime? We should be able to make it, right?"

Chris had recently told me that the firm had taken on a big case and that everyone was working late into the night.

But to my surprise, he gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and softly said, "It's okay. I want to spend a bit more time with you."

After speaking, he glanced at me—whether it was casually or deliberately, I couldn't tell.

However, it was only for a moment before he looked away again.

I had never seen this side of Chris before. In the six months we were together, he always prioritized work.

Once, he forgot about my birthday because he was working day and night on a report. Another time, he left in the middle of a date without a word just to answer a work call.

It wasn't that I never got mad, but he would always calmly say, "I work hard to build a better future for us. After all, a stable future is the foundation of a relationship."

I foolishly believed him and never argued again, so I held back all my negative emotions alone.

But at this moment, I finally understood. If a person truly loved someone, they would find a balance between career and love.

Being busy didn't mean you couldn't wish someone a happy birthday, and no matter how urgent the work call, you could always just explain the reason before leaving.

It was just like now—the longer Chris stayed here, the later he'd get back to work. And yet, he still didn't want to disappoint Yvonne and chose to eat with her.

A loving relationship versus one with a lack of love was really obvious.

When I saw him like this, I suddenly understood—he just didn't like me enough.

Tricia chirped nonstop, asking all about their love story.

Yvonne was very sweet and answered every question.

"We met in school. He was the president of the debate club. I guess we're alumni, huh?"

"Chris has liked me for years? I didn't know… He never showed it. I always just thought of him as a really good friend."

"Today's our first day together. He started asking me to spend Christmas with him a month ago, and… He just confessed earlier."

Yvonne's tone sounded shy and sweet, just like every girl in love.

I listened in a daze.

Love at first sight, silently protecting her, and a secret crush come true—if I weren't unwillingly caught up in it, I might have thought this was a pure and romantic love story.

Unfortunately, this man who now treated his girlfriend so tenderly had told me he loved me when he bid me goodnight yesterday.

This meal truly was painful to get through.

After the dinner finally came to an end, Chris said he would first take Yvonne home before returning to the law firm to work overtime.

The law firm was very close to my home, and Tricia gave me a push toward Chris.

"I'll head home first. Chris, since you're working late anyway, just give Yara a ride too," she said.

Chris frowned ever so slightly. He was just about to speak up in refusal when Yvonne smiled and took my arm.

"Let's go together," Yvonne said.

Chris said nothing after that.

I had intended to refuse, as the thought of the three of us being in the same confined space felt suffocating.

But on second thought, it shouldn't be me, the one who was deceived, feeling awkward.

I could be sad, and I could be angry, but I definitely shouldn't run away from the situation.