When Love Ends

The intense discomfort made me dry heave uncontrollably.

I quickly called Olivia Jones back, but she didn't answer until the third call.

Even through the phone, I could hear an indescribable sound of heavy breathing coming from the other end.

"Do you have questions about the terms of the divorce agreement?"

I hurried to explain.

"I didn't cheat. Just now, I thought..."

A mocking laugh cut me off.

"You're saying that now because you want to clear your name and leave me with nothing in the divorce?

"I'm telling you, Drew, that's not going to happen.

"With the reputation I have in academia and the size of my company, if this turns into a lawsuit, you won't win."

"I left you five properties in the settlement agreement. Consider it a thank-you for staying by my side when I was building the company."

I had been with her since I was eighteen, supporting her as she started from nothing and watching her education company grow into an industry leader.

I had also watched her become a graduate advisor at one of the country's top universities.

And in the end, ten years of companionship and sacrifice could only be exchanged for five properties.

With just a few casual words, she crushed my heart into pieces.

My voice began to tremble.

"Olivia! I don't want to play this April Fools' prank with you. Please stop lying to me, okay?"

I still didn't believe it and desperately wanted to hear even the slightest possibility of another answer.

Then the voice on the other end changed. It was Brad Walker, one of Olivia's graduate students.

"Mr. Jensen, Ms. Jones isn't playing an April Fool's prank with you. What she and I have is real."

The phone was taken away again, and a faint voice drifted through.

"Why waste time talking to him? Let's continue."

My chest felt clogged with bitterness, and before I could say anything, the call was disconnected.

When I tried calling again, her phone was already turned off.

I lost any chance of sleep and sat there in a daze for a long time.

My tears soaked the custom silk pajamas Olivia had bought for me just yesterday.

"Drew, I had someone make these overseas especially for you. Hopefully, you'll sleep more comfortably wearing them."

I let out a bitter laugh and sniffed before casually reaching for the mechanical watch on my desk to check the time.

That watch had been a gift from her, too, given to me the day before yesterday.

"Drew, the dial sparkles so beautifully. The moment I saw it, I knew it would suit you.

"Even though you're almost thirty, you'll always be the same in my eyes."

My fingers trembled. The watch slipped from my hand, and the crystal shattered into pieces.

The hands stopped moving.

Just like our relationship, it was broken...

At eight the next morning, Olivia sent me a location pin.

[Bring the signed divorce agreement here at ten.]

Looking at myself in the mirror, I seemed to have aged three years overnight.

I grabbed a razor and men's skincare products and began frantically tidying myself up.

I even applied eye cream five times in a row, trying to hide the fine lines at the corners of my eyes.

However, it was useless.

No matter how carefully I groomed myself, I couldn't conceal the exhaustion from an entire sleepless night.

When I arrived at the coffee shop, I discovered that Brad had come with Olivia.

He was sitting beside her, leaving the seat across from them empty.

After I sat down, Olivia pushed a cup of iced Americano toward me.

"I ordered this for you."

"But I never drink iced Americanos. Don’t you know my stomach is sensitive? My ulcer flared up again a couple of days ago, so I can't drink anything cold."

She frowned slightly and pulled the iced Americano back.

"Sorry. I forgot."

Just as she was about to order something else for me, Brad spoke apologetically.

"Sorry, Mr. Jensen. That cup was actually mine. The warm milk I'm holding was what Ms. Jones ordered for you.

"My stomach started hurting earlier, so I thought it was best not to drink anything cold either. It would've been a waste to throw it away, so I switched our drinks."

I didn't really hear what he was saying. Instead, I kept staring at his twenty-two-year-old face with envy.

He looked so radiant, still filled with youthful energy. It’s no wonder Olivia liked him.

I used to be like that too.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on the tie around my neck, and he looked at Olivia in surprise.

"Didn't I tell you to return that? Why is Mr. Jensen wearing it?"