All Chapters of The Moon Never Bids Farewell: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Mia walked into the private dining room on Daniel’s arm, sending me a sweet smile."Maddy, could you help me cover my drinks tonight?"It was the company’s anniversary dinner with key clients. I was seated at the far end of the long table, squeezed next to the interns.My place card read, “Maddy, Executive Assistant to the CEO.”Mia sat right at Daniel's right hand, the place of honor."Daniel, your fiancé is absolute perfection," a client cheered, raising a toast.Daniel just smiled, casually slipping an arm around Mia’s shoulders. Nobody corrected the client.Three rounds in, Mia leaned back in her leather chair and glanced down the table at me. She tipped her chin up slightly."Maddy, go take care of Mr. Clark's table," she said. "Daniel’s stomach is sensitive. He shouldn't be drinking."She knew his stomach was sensitive.She also knew mine was far worse.Eight years ago, the first time I entertained clients for him, I threw up blood in the bathroom. Daniel had gon

He tracked me down on the fourth day.I learned later that he hadn't bothered to look for me during the first three.On the first night, he worked until eleven. When he got home and saw the yellowed honey-water recipe taped to the fridge, it annoyed him. He tore it down, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the trash.On the third night, a sharp attack of stomach pain dragged him out of bed. He limped into the kitchen, looking for a drink. Out of habit, he glanced at the side of the fridge.It was completely bare, except for a faint, dried patch of glue.He stood alone in the dark kitchen, staring at that blank spot for a long time.Then, he went into the spare room and started digging through my drawers.He found the black card first. He checked the transaction history and realized it.Zero balance used.He kept digging.Buried beneath an old notebook, he found a printed confirmation for a train ticket to the state capital.It didn't take him long to trace my

Eight years. It was the first time he’d ever brought up the club.Before, his rule was simple. “Don't speak a word of it. It was filthy.”"The first year," I said.His Adam’s apple bobbed. "You were coughing up blood in the first year?""Yeah.""Why didn't you tell me?""Tell you what? You were four million in debt back then. Loan sharks were standing at the end of the alley with knives. “Did you really think I should’ve told you, ‘Hey, I’m coughing up blood, I don’t want to go back there’?"He said nothing. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the seams of his pants.Just then, his phone rang. It wasn't Mia’s custom ringtone, it was just a standard call.He glanced at the screen and swiped it off.Thirty seconds later, it rang again. Four times in a row, until he finally turned the phone off completely."You're not going to answer?""It’s not important."I knew who it was. The only person who would call four times in a row was Mia.---Earlier that afternoon, h

He froze."Eight years," I said. "The first four, you shoved me into that nightlife. The last four, you treated me like trash because of it. “Now you're begging me to stay alive. Daniel, did it ever cross your mind that maybe I just don't want to live anymore?"I added softly, "It's not even because of you. I'm just exhausted."His lips lost all color. He couldn't squeeze out a single word.Right then, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. Mia’s name flashed across the screen.He swiped the decline button.Three seconds later, a notification popped up. I tried to look away, but the screen was right beside my pillow, glowing brightly with a text.“Daniel, your mom invited me over for dinner.“She said she already thinks of me as her daughter-in-law. When are you coming home?”Daniel flipped the phone facedown."I made things clear with her," he said."Clear how?""We broke up."A dry laugh escaped my throat. "You broke up with her not because you fell out of love, but