All Chapters of The Last Vote: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The private room fell silent for a few seconds.Jeannie Collins' hand was still hanging beside my face.Marvin Snyder was the first to laugh, like he had just heard some harmless joke. "Yale, come on. It's your birthday."Jeannie pulled her hand back, her brows drawing together. "Yale Smith, everyone is here. Don't be such a sore loser."Normally, whenever she called me by my full name, I would lower my head in an instant. I would be afraid of upsetting her and our friends making a scene. Then, everyone would say I was making a big deal out of nothing.However, this time, I simply reached over and pulled the candles out of the cake one by one."I'm not the one making a fool of myself."Marvin immediately caught Jeannie's sleeve. "Jeannie, maybe just let it go? I won't go for the movie."That was what he said, but his fingers were still gripping the movie tickets tightly.Our mutual friends immediately started chiming in."The vote's already in. We can't make an exception.""

Chapter 2

Jeannie came back at 1:00 am.I was packing up the things she had left at my place.After three years together, traces of her were practically everywhere—her high heels by the front door, her skincare products in the bathroom, and her hair ties buried between the couch cushions.Even the throw pillows I had bought had been replaced with the beige ones she liked.The lock clicked just as I put the last book into a cardboard box. Jeannie stood in the entryway, carrying the chill of the night with her and a faint woody scent. It was the same cologne Marvin always wore.The moment she saw the box, her expression darkened. "You're doing this again?"I pulled the tape loose. "I'll have someone come pick this up tomorrow."She walked over and pressed down on the box lid. "Yale, I already gave you an out over what happened on your birthday. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"I looked up at her. "I'm not making a scene. I'm cleaning out my stuff."Jeannie let out a bitter

Chapter 3

The next day at noon, my friend Ronald Lloyd called me. There was hesitation in his voice. "Yale, Jeannie just called me. She said you left some of your stuff at the club last night. She said you aren't answering her calls, so she asked me to let you know."I was silent for a few seconds.Ronald quickly added, "I'll go with you. We'll grab your stuff and leave."However, when I got there, I found the private room packed with people. Ronald's expression changed too. He lowered his voice and muttered a curse. "She told me there were just some gifts in here. She didn't say there'd be this many people."Jeannie was sitting at the head of the table. Marvin was beside her, his eyes red like he had spent the whole night awake.A small cake sat on the table, the candles already lit.The moment he saw me, Marvin stood up."Yale, I'm sorry." He picked up his glass and walked toward me. "I was wrong last night. I shouldn't have joked about the movie tickets. Please don't break up with Jean

Chapter 4

The sky stayed gray all day when we moved.I stood in the empty living room, watching the packed boxes pile up along the wall, one after another. Faint marks remained on the walls where the picture frames had been taken down, like old scars left behind after a relationship had been ripped apart.My landlord called. He sounded uncomfortable. "Mr. Smith, Ms. Collins just contacted me. She said you're only throwing a tantrum and asked me not to process your move-out yet."I slipped the last spare key into an envelope. "Follow the lease."The landlord hesitated. "She said you'll regret this."I smiled. "That's what she says."I hung up.The doorbell rang. On the security screen, Jeannie stood outside. She was still wearing the black dress from last night, her expression tense and her brows drawn low.She did not ring again. Instead, she simply lowered her head and texted me.[Open the door.][Don't try to scare me with this moving stunt.][Yale, I'm running out of patience.]I

Chapter 5

Jeannie stood beneath the building for a long time.At first, she was simply angry. She was angry that I had embarrassed her in front of the movers, angry that I had returned the keys and the watch, and even angrier about the words I had thrown at her—"I choose to leave you behind."For the past three years, whenever we fought, she never had to chase me very far. I would always be the one to text first.[Jeannie, can we please not do this?][I'm not trying to force you to choose me.]Whenever she saw those messages, a quiet sense of security would settle inside her. As long as I was still texting, it meant I had not really left. However, this time, our chat was completely empty. There was no careful olive branch waiting for her.Jeannie called my phone.The first time, no one answered.The second time, it was turned off.The third time, an automated message told her the person she was calling was on another line.That was when she realized I had blocked her.Marvin called ju

Chapter 6

A month later, Jeannie saw me at a friend's engagement party. I was standing near the window, my hair cut shorter and neater than before. A woman was sitting beside me, and I was draping her coat over the back of her chair.It was such a natural gesture—nothing inappropriate, nothing intimate. Somehow, it hurt more than any display of affection could have.When our friend introduced us, their voice was careful. "Elaine Jones. She went to school with Yale and just got back. During Yale's birthday, Ronald added her to the group chat at the last minute because he wanted her to help order a bouquet."Jeannie's gaze stopped on her.Elaine held out her hand. "Ms. Collins."Jeannie did not take it. Her eyes stayed on my face. "You changed your number?"I looked up. "Yeah.""Why didn't you tell me?""After a breakup, you don't have to notify your ex when you change your number."The word 'ex' fell between us. The table went silent for a moment.Marvin was there too. He sat beside Jea

Chapter 7

Jeannie started digging through the old polls, not because she had suddenly seen the light but because she could not accept what they revealed.She wanted to prove that the screenshots were nothing more than harmless jokes between friends. She wanted to prove that she was not as awful as I had made her sound.However, the farther she scrolled, the worse her expression became.Most of the polls had been started by Marvin. He always seemed to know exactly when to drop a question into the group chat.The moment I asked Jeannie if we could make our relationship public, he posted: [Can dating affect a friendship?]The moment I said I did not want her driving Marvin home, he posted: [Childhood friend is drunk, so, should someone drive him home?]The moment I went quiet about the front passenger seat, he posted: [Should a boyfriend have to compete with friends for a seat?]The moment I asked if our anniversary could be just for the two of us, he posted: [Is it rude to change plans with

Chapter 8

Jeannie came to find me one rainy evening. I had just stepped out of a coffee shop.Around that time, I was learning how to make coffee nearby. I would not call it a career. I just wanted to find something that truly belonged to me.Elaine helped me carry the equipment to the door. When she saw Jeannie, she stopped."Do you want me to stay?"I looked at Jeannie. She stood beneath a streetlamp, one shoulder damp from the rain, holding a paper bag in her hand.I shook my head. "No."Elaine did not ask any questions and simply handed me her umbrella. "I'll wait by the car."After she walked away, Jeannie finally spoke. "She treats you well."I did not respond.She held out the paper bag. Inside was a stack of printed voting records, with certain parts circled in red. The corners of the pages were wet from the rain, crumpled into little wrinkles."I read through all of them." Her voice was quiet. "Yale, I always thought they were just jokes until I went through them one by one an

Chapter 9

Jeannie disappeared for half a month. I thought she had finally learned to leave with some dignity.Then, on Marvin's birthday, a friend posted a picture from the party. Jeannie was not in it. Marvin was sitting in front of the cake, forcing a smile. Someone commented beneath the photo: [Jeannie isn't watching the premiere with you this year?]Marvin did not reply.That night, he sent me a voice message, "Yale, I never meant to hurt you. I was just used to having Jeannie by my side. When your appearance made her change, it scared me."His voice was gentle, controlled, almost wounded. He never admitted to doing anything wrong. However, every word reminded me that he had once had the kind of priority I had begged for and never received.After listening to the message, I replied with a text: [Just because you were scared didn't mean I was supposed to step aside. Marvin, don't contact me again.]Then I blocked him.Ten minutes later, an unfamiliar number called. I answered. It was J

Chapter 10

Six months later, Elaine and I got together. There was no grand confession, no friends gathered around to witness it.That day, we were hiding from the rain in an old bookstore. Elaine picked out a poetry collection she knew I liked and wrote a single line on the title page.[For Yale, may you never have to be compared to anyone again.]I stared at the words for a long time, then I reached for her hand. "Elaine. I think I can say yes now."She froze for a few seconds before her eyes slowly lit up. "Can I hug you?"I nodded.She gently leaned into my arms, almost as if she were afraid of hurting me.…Later, I opened a small coffee studio. I named it 'No Votes'.The first time Ronald saw the sign, he laughed for ages. "You're being stubborn with that name."I placed a jar of coffee grounds on the display shelf."I'm not being stubborn. It's my answer."A lot of our friends came on opening day. Elaine stood by the door, greeting customers and introducing the place to everyone

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