When Love Ceases

My boyfriend, Leon Burton, who worked in the research institute in Aetheris, had discovered an asteroid. When it was time to give it a name, he said he wanted to name it "Phoebe".Phoebe Jones. That was the name of his first love.I broke down in tears over it in the corner of the room. I had left my family to follow him to Aetheris, taking care of his every need. And yet…Heartbroken, I called my mother. "Mom, I've decided to marry Nathan. I'm leaving Aetheris."Puzzled, my mother hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Weren't you with Leon? Why do you suddenly want to marry his uncle, Nathan? Did Leon treat you badly?""It's nothing," I replied, taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm. "I just want to spend more time with you and Dad.""Alright," she said. Her eyes quickly reddened with emotion, and she added excitedly, "I'll let Nathan know."After ending the call, I turned to leave, pretending I had never been there.Just as I reached the entrance of the resear

Too busy? Was he busy catching up with his first love?Seeing that I didn't respond, Leon gently brushed my cheeks with his fingers and said softly, "Once I finish everything in the next few days, I'll spend our fifth anniversary with you."My heart tightened. So, he did remember that we had been together for five years."Sadly, I won't be there to celebrate it with you," I whispered silently in my heart.Leon didn't notice anything unusual. Suddenly, he smiled, as if something had just come to mind."By the way, I got a message yesterday," he said. "Uncle Nathan is getting engaged. It seems to fall on the same day as our anniversary. How about we go back to Rivelle together?"Seeing the genuine smile in his eyes, I couldn't help but smile back. "Sure."Satisfied with my reply, Leon left happily.I continued packing in silence, wondering where to throw all this junk.…Since that day, Leon started coming home less frequently. He always used work as an excuse. I never got th

When Leon stayed silent, Phoebe grabbed an empty glass and began pouring herself more wine.But before she could pour the wine, he snatched the bottle away. She fought back for it and sneered. "Mr. Burton, we're nothing more than old classmates. Don't you think you're being a little too nosy?"I couldn't stand watching them argue anymore, so I got up and headed to the restroom. But just as I passed them, Phoebe suddenly lost her balance. She stumbled backward and dragged me down with her.A shelf behind us toppled over, and a bottle of liquor came crashing down on my abdomen. The sharp and overwhelming pain hit me instantly, and I curled up on the floor, clutching my stomach. However, what I heard next wasn't concern for me. It was Leon's panicked voice shouting, "Phoebe!"Phoebe had fallen hard onto the floor, the wine glass in her hand shattering into pieces. Jagged shards pierced her skin, and blood began to flow freely. She looked up at Leon in a daze, terrified and unsure

The entire room erupted in chaos. Camera shutters clicked furiously as reporters rushed to capture the drama.On the surface, Nathan remained calm, but the hand holding mine suddenly tightened. "Leon, what are you trying to say?" he asked.But Leon didn't answer him. Instead, he stepped toward me and tried to grab my hand. However, I quickly stepped back and avoided him. His eyes turned red instantly."Rachel, what's this supposed to mean?" he asked, voice trembling. "Didn't you say you loved me? How could you suddenly agree to marry my uncle?"The tension in the room was growing by the second. Harper quickly rushed forward, pulling Leon by the arm and forcing a smile. "Leon's had too much to drink," she said. "He's not making any sense…"Then, she turned to Nathan and tried to smooth things over. "Nathan, Leon is just confused. You won't hold it against him, right?"Nathan gave her a slight smile. "Of course not."Seeing that he wasn't upset, Harper breathed a sigh of relie

So that was how it really was. It all made sense now. If someone truly loved another person, there was no way they would go over five years without seeing them.What was pathetic was that Leon had actually believed it all. He had heard what the man said too, but before he could react, Phoebe clung to his leg again.She pleaded, "Leon, please take me with you. He's going to kill me, I swear—"Before she could finish, he kicked her hard and shouted, "Get off me!"The man looked like he was about to lash out again. However, with just one glance from Nathan, two bodyguards stepped in and pinned him to the ground.Leon turned to me, voice trembling. "Rachel, I made a mistake. I trusted the wrong person. Please, just give me one more chance. I swear I'll treat you right this time."I simply shook my head. "Leon, your chances are over."Then, I reached for Nathan's hand and spoke to him in a gentle voice. "Let's go. The family dinner's about to start."However, Leon still wouldn't giv