Chapter 3

If she wasn’t going to bring it up, then I'd be the one to propose. We'd been together for so long. A piece of paper and a proposal shouldn't have mattered more than everything we'd already built together.

I'd reserved the ring, planning to propose on her birthday this year.

And now, it no longer mattered.

As I was going through the process of canceling the reservation, my friend suddenly asked.

"Are you seriously still not getting it? You've had it reserved for so long. How can you just let it go all of a sudden?"

Before I could answer, a familiar voice came from behind me.

"You broke up with me yesterday, and today you're already in the mood to go shopping. Terry, you really know how to enjoy yourself."

"When you're done with this tantrum, apologize. I'll pretend I never saw the breakup text you sent yesterday."

Sophia said it to me with an edge of impatience.

"Come on, Terry. Sophia is busy enough, don't act childish. Besides, if you're going to break up, you should do it cleanly. This brand's probably a little out of your budget, isn't it? Breaking up with her while still using her money? Isn't that a little... shameless?"

Arthur said softly, standing beside him.

I didn't answer him. I just turned the question back on Sophia. "Weren't you in a meeting? What are you doing here?"

Sophia frowned, irritated. "Business trip. Can you keep those ridiculous thoughts out of your head for once?"

I let out a mocking laugh. "A business trip that ends at a mall counter?"

At that, Arthur spoke again. "Terry, Sophia's just tagging along to shop with me. Don't misunderstand her."

"Go shopping with you? You just said this wasn't in my price range, but it's even less something someone who's only just started an internship could afford. Your mind isn't even on your work. All you think about is pleasing the boss. You certainly know how to use your position."

My tone stayed flat.

"Terry, how can you say that about me?" Arthur's voice was full of wounded innocence.

"Are you done yet? Does putting other people down make you feel better? What makes you think you're any better? You're nothing but someone living off me."

Sophia's voice turned cold with anger.

I froze. Everything I'd meant to say suddenly died in my throat. I had never imagined that, in his eyes, I had become someone so worthless.

The words had barely left her mouth when Sophia pointed at the most expensive watch in front of her, bought it without hesitation, and placed it in Arthur's hands.

Then she looked at me and said. "It doesn't matter who she is. What matters is that I'm willing to let him spend my money, and you don't deserve it."

My friend beside me finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted at her, "Sophia, have you got no shame saying things like that? When did he ever use that card you gave him? He bought that wedding ring with the money he saved himself!"

"You think being successful makes you so impressive? If she had been in it for money, why didn't he dump you back when you started your company with nothing? It's not like there weren't rich guys chasing Terry!"

Sophia scoffed. "That's because he knew I'd be even richer later. As for that rich girl, if Terry hadn't gone out of his way to flirt with her, why would she have looked at Terry at all? She was already weighing her options and keeping a backup plan. Clever, wasn't she?”

"That's enough. You don't need to say any more." I cut them off.

I took my friend by the arm and turned to leave. I pretended not to care, but my tears fell onto the polished floor beneath my feet.

Sophia was still shouting my name behind me, but I didn't look back, not even once.

Even after we got home, my friend wouldn't stop cursing Sophia.

Tell me, what did you ever see in a woman like that? Back when she was starting her company, you were worried she didn't have enough money, so every month, after covering your basic expenses, you sent her everything you had left. You were even scared of bruising her ego, so you told her it came from her father. And now look. You never spent a single cent of her money, and she still calls you a gold digger."

"And when you graduated, you had better opportunities in New York, but you said her father wasn't doing well and you were worried she'd be too busy with work to take care of her, so you chose a job back in your hometown. She's only come home a handful of times over the years. You're the one who's been taking care of everything for her!"

"Now that her career's taken off, she still hasn't talked about closing the distance between us. Instead, he goes and cheats!”

“Flirting with another man right in front of you, spending everything she earns on someone else!"

As my best friend continued cursing Sophia, my tears fell uncontrollably.

Every word was true. But I had convinced myself that as long as she truly loved me, none of that mattered.

And now, I stared at the notification on my phone.

Arthur had posted a new photo of himself wearing the ring Sophia bought for him, beaming like sunshine.

It wasn't long before Sophia showed up in the comments.