All Chapters of Officially Over: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

“Daniel Collins!”By the time the nurse helped me inside, over two hours had passed since Stella Sloan and Eric Barker had left the emergency room. The pain in my back was so intense I couldn’t straighten up, leaving my posture stiff and bent over.The nurse, however, didn’t leave right away.“Dr. Grey, the wound on this patient’s arm is infected. He has a history of diabetes and a penicillin allergy. Just earlier, he fainted from the pain, tumbled down the stairs, and injured his foot as well.”As she spoke, she casually handed me a warm cup of hot chocolate.A bitterness hit me. Even she remembered that I couldn’t go on an empty stomach due to my diabetes, yet Stella didn’t.When I was waiting for my turn earlier, Stella had clearly seen me, but she had still given the only breakfast item in her hand to Eric.“Also, he’s Dr. Sloan’s–”“Could you please stop my bleeding first? And give me something for the pain?” I interrupted the nurse.Stella hated it most when I used her s

The piece sitting right in front of me, on the other hand, was nothing more than a cheap promotional gift awarded to those who spent three thousand dollars or more.There was no display box, no leather care kit, and not even the genuine product’s exclusive tag or certificate of authenticity. Anyone could tell at a single glance that it was a worthless freebie.“Forget it,” I said, pushing it back toward Stella. “This is far too extravagant. You should save it for someone who truly deserves it.”Stella froze for a second, clearly caught off guard by my response.Throughout our five years together, no matter how many arguments we had, I had never acted so cold toward her. In the past, whenever we fought, as long as her tone softened a little, I would automatically yield and make peace with her.Back then, I always believed that love could weather any storm. Looking back now, I realized I had overestimated this relationship all along.“What’s that supposed to mean, Daniel?”Just as

I didn’t bother blocking Stella right away. After all, her belongings were still back at the house.I was afraid that if she lost or misplaced anything later on, she’d use the missing items as an excuse to pester and hassle me. So, I simply turned off my phone and boarded the plane.At that exact moment, Stella was helping Eric clean his kitchen. Her parents had divorced when she was young, so she had lived on her own from an early age. She was well-versed in all kinds of household chores and daily trivialities.When we first got together, she was just as attentive. She would clean the kitchen, tidy the house, and inspect every corner of the place week after week.Especially whenever she had to go on a business trip, she would always clean the house inside out. She was terrified that if she weren’t around, cleaning up alone would be too tiring for me.“The kitchen hood has too much grease on it, but it’s no big deal,” she said. “I’ll just clean it out in a bit.”Stella was bent d

My clothes, my toiletries, the small trinkets I had placed on the desk, and everything that had once been filled with my presence had vanished. Stella’s entire body went stiff, and her heart felt as if it were being torn apart alive.When she saw our shared memories discarded in the bin, she finally realized that this time, I wasn’t throwing a tantrum or giving her the silent treatment. I was truly and completely done with her. On my second day back in my home city, my mother used her connections to help me return to my job as a journalist. Back on the front lines of interviewing—chasing news, writing articles, and rushing topics—a busy, fulfilling life filled all my free time.The daily hustle and bustle also dulled all the pain. Everything regarding Stella had long been pushed to the back of my mind.It wasn’t until half a month later that my mother set me up on a blind date. She said the other party was a fellow journalist, gentle in character, and with matching values, making

“Come back with me. I swear I’ll never neglect you again. I’ll put you first in everything, and we’ll never be apart again, alright?”Even then, she still didn’t get it. I wasn’t leaving just because of Eric. It was also because of her attitude toward me and our relationship.“Stella.”She stared straight at me, her eyes red and teary.“I feel like not having me in your life doesn’t change anything for you. You’re just used to having me around. You don’t actually need me–”“No! That’s not true!” Before I could finish speaking, Stella cut me off. “I can’t live without you. I can’t just lose five years of our lives together. You’re the one I want, Daniel… Please believe me.”She grabbed my hand, pleading relentlessly. Just like last time, she begged me not to leave and not to give up on our five years together. However, was I supposed to compromise myself and stay trapped in an endless spiral of mental exhaustion just for the sake of those five years?“This isn’t what I want eithe