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Chapter 3

Author: Shea
The tenth day after moving into the new apartment marked three years since Wyatt and I had been together.

I confirmed the time with him two days in advance.

He replied quickly, "Of course I remember. It's this Saturday afternoon."

Saturday morning, I rummaged through my cardboard boxes to find the only cardigan that hadn't pilled. Then, I scrubbed the stains off my white shoes with wet wipes and spent half an hour in front of the tiny round mirror in the storage room putting on light makeup.

I arrived at the restaurant we'd agreed on. After taking a seat by the window, I ordered a long black and Wyatt's favorite iced latte.

The ice melted, so I had them top it up. But those melted too.

For two and a half hours, I couldn't get through to his phone, and he didn't reply to any of my messages either.

At 6:00 pm, he finally texted me on WhatsApp.

"I'm really sorry. Savannah suddenly wanted to go to the riverbank Mr. Keller used to frequent. She was really down, and I was worried something might happen if she went alone, so I went with her. Can I make it up to you another day?"

A photo followed that message.

In it, Savannah stood by the railing at the riverbank, her head hung low. Wyatt stood behind her, one hand resting on her shoulder. The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground, overlapping.

Anyone who saw this picture, without knowing the backstory, would think they were a couple.

I stared at the photo for three full minutes, then downed the cold long black in one go. The bitterness coated my tongue, dry and astringent.

I paid the bill for two and headed home alone.

The next morning, Wyatt showed up. In his hands was a bouquet of red roses, the wrapping extremely exquisite. I could even catch the scent of the florist's perfume still on it.

My heart skipped a beat.

However, he walked straight down the hallway and pushed open the door to Savannah's room.

"Savannah, you had it rough yesterday, didn't you? These flowers are for you. I wish you happiness every single day."

Savannah's voice, hoarse from crying, drifted out of the room. "Thank you, Wyatt."

I braced myself against the wall, my nails slowly digging into my palms.

"Wyatt."

He turned around. When he saw me standing in the hallway, he froze for a second. Then, his face flickered with the guilt of someone caught red-handed.

"It was our third anniversary yesterday," I said.

He smacked his forehead and put on an exaggerated look of regret. "Right, right. I knew I was forgetting something. I'll make it up to you another day, I promise."

"But you remembered to buy Savannah's flowers."

"I just happened to pass by a florist, and it's not like they cost much."

"In three years of dating, you've never once bought me flowers."

The air went still.

The apologetic look on Wyatt's face slowly gave way to that impatient look I knew all too well.

"Can you stop being so petty? Savannah spent the whole afternoon at the riverbank crying over Mr. Keller yesterday. What's the big deal about me buying her flowers to cheer her up? You're her sister—can't you be a little more gracious?"

Benjamin came out at the sound of the commotion and instinctively took Wyatt's side.

"Riley, that's enough. Mr. Keller gave his life saving me, so isn't it only natural that the whole family gives Savannah a little extra love? What are you even competing with her for?"

I wasn't competing with Savannah. I just wanted to ask Wyatt what I even meant to him. However, no one seemed to think that question was worth answering.

I shut my mouth. Then, I turned around and walked into the storage room, locking the door behind me.

I sat down on the floor and pulled up the name I'd saved in my phone for three years. Next to Wyatt's name was a little sun emoji, which I proceeded to delete.

After a moment's thought, I cleared the contact name too. He wasn't my sun anymore. In fact, he couldn't even be bothered to pay me any attention.

At dinner, Savannah secretly slipped a piece of grilled rib onto my plate.

"Riley, don't be mad. Wyatt didn't mean it."

I looked into her sincere eyes and suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.

She had unknowingly taken everything that was supposed to be mine, then handed back a few crumbs—and everyone thought that made her generous beyond reproach.

And the worst part was, she had no idea what she was doing.

Late that night, I got up from the yoga mat and opened my banking app.

I had 5,000 dollars in my current balance.

Since my first year of college, I'd been tutoring, handing out flyers, working night shifts at a coffee shop—saving up bit by bit for over three years.

It was enough for a flight ticket to the Northwest. Once I got to the base, I'd take it from there and save up slowly.

I tucked the bank card close to my body and lay back down.

The bare filament bulb buzzed faintly overhead.

There was nothing in this storage room, but at least it was quiet.

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  • Traded for Gratitude, I Chose Exile   Chapter 10

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  • Traded for Gratitude, I Chose Exile   Chapter 9

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  • Traded for Gratitude, I Chose Exile   Chapter 8

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  • Traded for Gratitude, I Chose Exile   Chapter 7

    The day I arrived at the Northwest Base, the wind and sand blowing were so fierce that I could barely keep my eyes open.A senior colleague from the research team, Eric Stark, came to pick me up. He wore a pair of black-framed glasses that had been knocked askew by the wind."You must be Riley Sullivan. Mr. Atwood talks about you all the time. He says your data modeling skills are the strongest he's ever seen in a student.""He's exaggerating." I hopped out of the vehicle with my backpack, the grit stinging my face."The conditions here aren't great. You should prepare yourself," Eric said."I'll be fine."I glanced at the cluster of short, gray buildings in the distance and the skyline where the wind never seemed to stop blowing.It was a lot bigger than the storage room. Not to mention, there were windows and the sky.That made it more than enough.I had to turn my phone in at the registration desk. Before I powered it off, I took one last look at the screen. There were no m

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  • Traded for Gratitude, I Chose Exile   Chapter 5

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