Chapter 1

My girlfriend ignored all my objections and went ahead with an intimate bedroom photoshoot with her "first love."

Afterward, they picked a few of the milder photos and posted them on Ins.

In the pictures, their bodies were pressed tightly together, and my girlfriend wore a shy, smitten flush on her face.

Her caption read: "Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you."

Seeing those words, the last trace of love in my heart finally died.

I hit the like button and casually left a comment:

"Next time, just post your sex tape directly."

Not long after I posted the comment, Victoria called.

Her angry voice exploded through the speaker immediately. "Ethan? What the hell are you talking about in the comments?"

"I’ve told you a million times, Julian is sick! I was just granting his final wish!"

"Ethan, do you really have to be so petty?"

I gripped my phone a little tighter, my voice completely flat. "Yeah, got it. I’ll delete it in a second."

She seemed taken aback by my reaction. "You… good, as long as you know better. By the way, I’m coming to pick you up later. Let’s go out for dinner."

"Sure," I replied, and quickly hung up.

In the dim living room, the only light came from my phone screen.

The wallpaper was a photo of Victoria hugging me, smiling so brightly.

We had been together for eight years. We made it past the seven-year itch, and we were right on the verge of getting engaged.

But ever since Julian came back into her life, everything changed. Even the engagement felt out of reach now.

Staring at the photo, I felt like looking at a whole different lifetime.

While waiting for Victoria by the curb, a text from her popped up.

"Wait downstairs. Dress nicely. Don’t wear those old, ugly clothes of yours."

The corner of my mouth tugged into a bitter smile.

Over the past eight years, I had lived frugally because I was saving up for that waterfront villa by the river.

Victoria once told me she loved the view there.

I told myself that once I earned enough to buy that house on my own, I would propose to her.

Now, I could afford the house. But there was no need for a proposal anymore.

After waiting for an hour in the freezing wind, Victoria still hadn’t shown up. I was practically shivering to my bones.

Just as I was about to call her, her phone call came in first.

"Ethan, just grab dinner by yourself tonight. I can’t make it."

I didn’t say anything. The line fell silent for a beat.

Through the silence, I heard the sound of dishes being served in the background. "Victoria, why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

Cold gusts blew against me one after another, making my eyes sting.

I gritted my teeth and asked again, "Did you just forget?"

"Ethan, I’m busy every single day! How am I supposed to remember every little thing? Besides, what’s the big deal about waiting a bit?"

"I said something came up! Julian wasn’t feeling well, so obviously I had to stay and eat with him. Stop making drama out of nothing!"

That night, I ate nothing. I curled up on the couch and slept through the night.

The next morning, nursing a pounding headache, I made myself a pot of pasta.

Halfway through eating, I heard noises at the front door.

I frowned, stood up, walked into the kitchen, and started dumping the rest of the pasta straight into the trash.

"Ethan? Are you in the kitchen? Did you make pasta? Scoop a bowl for me, will you?"

Her entitled tone sounded completely grating to my ears now.

Victoria’s footsteps drew closer. Just as she finished her sentence, I scraped the last noodle into the bin.

I looked at Victoria standing in the doorway, my face blank. "You didn’t tell me you were coming back. I already threw it out."

Without waiting for her reply, I walked past her and sat back down at the dining table.