All Chapters of A Misguided Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I had been with Donovan for five years.During which, I asked him to marry me five years.Five times.Every single time, he turned me down with the same excuse: “The time isn’t right.”So this time, when Donovan suggested the game, everyone assumed the implication.This was him giving me a chance to propose.I too believed that.Confidence on my side, I raised five fingers and led with a lethal strike right out of the gate.“Donovan came with me to try on wedding dresses.”The moment the words left my mouth, the room burst into laughter.“As expected from a couple together for five years—straight for the kill!”“It’s over, it’s over. None of us stands a chance. Put your fingers down, don’t even bother.”“Donovan, you’ve a proposal coming your way.”Everyone teased and laughed, tacitly folding down one finger after another.Flustered, my face flushed red. Just as I opened my mouth ready to continue, Donovan’s childhood sweetheart, Lily, suddenly arched an eyebrow at me.“Wait a minute!”

“Yup, they just left.”“What about Celeste? They’ve been together five years. I heard he was gonna introduce her to his parents next week.”A tight pang gripped my heart.Donovan had indeed brought this up a few days ago.He had planned to bring me home soon to discuss our engagement.That was precisely why I had been so confident, believing tonight’s game was the opportunity he was handing me.Yet reality proved otherwise.It was all wishful thinking on my part.My mouth twitched into a self-deprecating smile.Lily updated her Twitter just then.“Huge thanks to a certain someone for accompanying me up the mountain in the middle of the night to watch the sunrise. Another item added to my ‘I Have, Have You’ checklist.”I knew she had posted it specifically for my viewing pleasure.Since Donovan and I officially got together, this scenario had played out far too many times.The only difference was that before tonight, it would bother me to no end.Tonight though, I just could not care le

“Break up?”Silence fell over the room.After a few seconds, someone forced an awkward laugh, attempting to salvage the occasion.“Come on Celeste, stop fooling around.”“Yeah, we know you’re mad, but don’t say that.”“Donovan, what are you waiting for man? It’s sweet talk time!”Lily rolled her eyes.“Aren’t you being a bit much?“It was just a game. Breaking up over a loss—don’t you think you’re being a drama queen?”I looked at her and suddenly let out a small laugh.In the past, hearing words like that would have made me feel aggrieved, furious, and desperate to prove to Donovan that I wasn’t that kind of girlfriend.Now, however, I couldn’t be bothered to explain myself.Donovan stood up, his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh, grating sound.He walked toward me, taking slow steps.His eyes were bloodshot.“Take back what you just said.”His voice was pressed low, as though he was holding something back.“I can pretend you never said it.”I lifted my head to look at him

Before boarding, I got the first call from Donovan since our breakup.I didn’t pick up.Neither did I pick up the second, third, or fourth call.I turned off my phone entirely.As the plane pierced through misty clouds, sunlight streamed in through the window.Looking at the city shrinking farther and farther beneath, I suddenly felt a wave of relief.It turned out that leaving someone wouldn’t kill you.You could still breathe.Dawn would still break.Meanwhile, Donovan was still at the club drinking himself into a stupor.Maya told me all of this later.After I left, he sat in his place, downing glass after glass of liquor.A friend tried to stop him:“Donovan, stop drinking.“Go find Celeste tomorrow and give her a proper apology.“She seems truly heartbroken this time.”Lily sneered from the side.“Truly heartbroken?“Isn’t she always like this?“Just watch—within three days, she’ll definitely come crawling back on her own.”Finally, someone couldn’t take it anymore.“Lily, can you

The homestay I rented was tucked away at the end of a quiet lane.The owner was named Bryan Radcliffe.He was twenty-eight, with a subtle snaggletooth that showed whenever he smiled.As he checked me in and noticed I only brought a single suitcase, he asked, “Traveling alone?”I nodded.He didn’t pry any further, simply handing me a hand-drawn map.“There aren’t many tourists around this area.“Late afternoon is the best time to go down to the beach.“If you’re craving something light, the local roast chicken spot three doors down to the left is quite good.”I paused, caught off guard. “How did you know I wanted something light?”He gave a soft laugh. “You creased your brow for a second when you glanced at the seafood brochure on the front desk.”I smiled too.It had been a long time since anyone had observed my preferences with such care.For the next two weeks, my days moved at a gentle, unhurried pace.I slept in until I woke up naturally every morning.At noon, I grabbed a light bi