The Dare That Ended Us のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 9

The plea in my eyes was obvious, yet Clara remained unmoved.At some point, my vision blurred.I tried desperately to hold back the tears, but the emotion surged stronger, like waves crashing against the shore.Perhaps she sensed something was wrong with me, because she loosened her grip on Ethan’s hand.“Look, Nathan. Ethan and I have known each other for over twenty years. I can’t just ignore him.“It’s only a game. Don’t take it so seriously. Three minutes will pass quickly.“Why don’t you wait for me outside? It’ll be over soon.”She appeared considerate, offering a solution for my sake, but the suggestion was absurd.I could have turned away and pretended not to see, but the thought of my girlfriend of five years being held in someone else’s arms, locked in a French kiss, felt as though my heart were splitting apart.“If you let him kiss you, that’s the end for us, Clara.”One of Ethan’s friends joked, “Don’t overthink it, man. It’s just a game.”Others muttered under t

Ethan opened the door with his right hand. In his left hand, he held a cute ceramic mug and took a sip of water.On his feet were matching slippers—the same pair Clara had.I recognized the mug immediately. It was Clara’s favorite.Clara had severe mysophobia.Once, trying to accommodate her love of spicy food, I had added extra chili to a dish, only to choke on it myself.In a moment of panic, I grabbed her cup by mistake and took a drink.The next second, she threw the cup into the trash with visible disgust.She had warned me coldly, “Haven’t I told you I hate it when people touch my things? You’re such an idiot. Don’t let it happen again.”So, with Ethan, had all her principles simply vanished?Ethan looked at me and smiled with smug satisfaction.“Clara’s in the shower. Do you need something from her?”My face drained of color. The hand holding the food container trembled as though it had lost all strength.Had they just showered together?Had Ethan stayed the night

Clara froze for a moment before she realized what I had said.She looked at me in disbelief.“You’re breaking up with me? How far are you planning to go with this?” she asked.A trace of anxiety crept into her tone.“You weren’t always this unreasonable. Why now?”She genuinely seemed unable to understand why I wanted to end things.I spoke calmly, just as she had once been.“I won’t interfere while you and Ethan hook up with each other. Isn’t that better?”Perhaps my composed tone struck a nerve.Her voice suddenly rose. “Can you stop thinking so filthily?“That dare game that day…I only helped him out of friendship spanning so many years. Even if it stirred jealousy, there should be a limit.”I let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh.“Really? Just friends?“You’ve always had severe mysophobia, hated anyone touching your things. “Why can Ethan use your favorite cup? Why can he wear matching slippers with you? Why can he stay over?”Initially, I didn’t want to press her so

Clara cared deeply about appearances.The last time she had come to my office on her own had already surprised me.By my understanding of her, that had been the greatest concession she could make.The last time, I had ended things without mercy; she should have no reason to linger anymore.Without a relationship, without life revolving around Clara, my time suddenly felt far more abundant.I threw myself into several new cases—two to three times my usual workload—and stayed late at the law firm every night.When one case concluded with a resounding victory, my superior called me in.“Recently, the company’s foreign cooperation projects have increased. I’m planning to station someone in Everton for three years. Are you interested, Nathan?“Of course, in three years, when you return, you’ll get a raise, at least a hundred dollars. I think your university major was exactly in this field, right?”In the past, I would have refused, unwilling to be so far from Clara.But now, I acc