All Chapters of Our Decade of Love Ended in Snow: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When my girlfriend, Kate Hopkins, was first transferred to Althoria research station, I had made the long trip to visit her.Opening the door, I found her wrapping a blanket around a stark-naked man. The glow from the heater lit up her panicked face.In our seven years together, it was the first time I'd ever seen her lose her cool.She scrambled to explain that he was the station's new field journalist, that he wasn't used to Althoria's climate, and that she was just trying to save him.The man added weakly that he was just there for a quick interview and didn't expect the blizzard, and he was grateful for her care.He struggled to sit up, telling me not to get the wrong idea and promising he'd leave as soon as the weather cleared.Over the next three years, we spent more time apart than together, but our love never faded.Kate called me every single day without fail, and I took care of her mother, Rosalie Lewis, who suffered from Alzheimer's.Then came her birthday, and I qui

The room was as cold as an icebox.The heater hadn't been turned on yet, and the station worker had already rushed off in a hurry.I fumbled around for a while but couldn't find the switch. I gave up, figuring it was better not to break anything.Kate's room was right next door. The walls were thin, and Nathan's voice came through with crystal clarity."It's your birthday today. What do you want your reward to be?" His voice was deep and pleasant.Whatever Kate said on the other end made him let out a low chuckle. "How about a uniform? With ears that twitch? Or do you prefer something else? An instructor? A butler?"As I stared blankly at the wall, my fingernails slowly dug into my palms."Hey, do you only like the gifts he sends?" His tone suddenly shifted, sharp with jealousy. "Right, he even wrote you a letter last year, didn't he?"My fingers clenched tighter, completely numb to the pain."Just two lines, and they didn't even flow." He snickered."Makes you wonder about h

I stared at Kate's back, waiting for her to turn around.One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.Kate finally turned, her brows furrowed in irritation."Can you stop being so unreasonable?" Her tone sharpened. "I actually have an emergency. We can celebrate my next birthday properly, okay?"My mouth opened, but before I could utter a word, she opened the door and walked out without another look.Silence reclaimed the room. I sat frozen, unable to move for a long time. The flame on the birthday candle flickered once and went out."But Kate, I won't be there for any of your birthdays anymore. Not tonight, and not ever again," I thought.Kate didn't come back all night.I clutched my phone, watching the screen light up and dim over and over.At 3:00 am, Nathan posted an update. "My back is killing me. She's an absolute wildcat."The attached picture showed a tangled heap of blankets with a faint, blurry stain.My stomach suddenly turned violently. I hurled the phone away, stumb

After a brief period of recovery, I immediately set off on a new journey.As the plane broke through the clouds, everything about that city shrank into the distance.Thanks to the success of my recent research project and the buzz surrounding my newly published paper, I had been awarded a fellowship at Nivora Medical Center.It was an opportunity I had dreamed of for years, but one I had repeatedly hesitated to take. After all, it meant studying abroad for three whole years. I had been too worried about Kate's upcoming return and too obsessed with safeguarding our stable future.How incredibly naive I had been.Over the years, I had nearly lost myself entirely trying to accommodate her. This time, I was going to live strictly for myself.The day I landed in Nivora, the weather was beautiful.Winters here were usually bleak and overcast, but I happened to catch a rare, sunlit day.Sunlight spilled over the colorful houses, the masts of fishing boats in the harbor, and the cobble

Kate stood in the snow for a long time before finally sinking onto a bench. Slowly, she buried her face in her hands.How had everything fallen apart like this?She still remembered the summer right after graduation.The AC in our tiny rented apartment had broken down, and the electric fan creaked and groaned all through the night. I had held her close, both of us drenched in sweat.With my eyes closed, I had suddenly spoken up. "Kate.""Yeah?""We're going to be together forever, right?"She had kissed my forehead. "Yes. I'll love you forever."Back then, she truly believed that spending a lifetime together was the simplest thing in the world. But later, she went to Althoria.On the day she left, I had come to see her off. My eyes had been red-rimmed, but I had stubbornly forced myself not to cry.I had told her, "Just focus on your work. I'll handle everything back home."And I kept his word.As Rosalie's condition deteriorated, I went over every single week to feed her,