Chapter 2

Coming back to my senses and looking at the photo, I only found it ridiculous.

Before I could even reply to Mia, Ethan suddenly called me.

He finally remembered me.

“Where are you?” I asked as soon as I picked up, my tone calm.

“Lily, I don’t like it when people question me,” he said unhappily.

That line sounded so familiar.

Every time he lied, he liked to use that line to shut me up.

In the three years I had been with Ethan, he had secretly gone to see Mia many times.

Every time he disappeared, it was for a week.

For that whole week, he didn’t answer calls or reply to messages.

It was as if he wouldn’t let me interrupt his alone time with Mia.

When he came back, his neck was covered in red spots.

I angrily asked him where they came from.

At first, he would casually placate me and say they were mosquito bites, and not to overthink it.

But if I asked a second question.

He would start getting angry too and say, “Lily, I don’t like it when people question me!”

He knew that once he got angry, I would back down.

Seeing that I still hadn’t answered, his tone softened too.

“Lily, I really couldn’t get away from work. I didn’t stand you up on purpose.”

“When I have time, I’ll make it up to you with another engagement party, okay?”

“I already ordered the latest bag. It should be delivered any minute now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a coy female voice came through.

“Babe, why did you buy her the same bag as mine?”

As if to cover that voice, Ethan quickly said,

“First let me—”

“Ethan.” I cut him off and called his name.

Usually, unless something was really serious, I wouldn’t call him by his full name.

He clearly paused.

“One more star today. The jar is almost full.” I continued.

That was the promise between us.

There were two glass jars at home.

One had a blue ribbon tied around it, and the other had a red ribbon.

The glass jar with the blue ribbon held my happy moments.

Every time Ethan did something that made me happy, I would fold a little paper star and put it in.

When that jar was full, I would marry Ethan.

The glass jar with the red ribbon held my sad moments.

Every time Ethan did something that made me sad, I would fold a little paper star and put it in.

When that jar was full, I would leave Ethan.

Back then, Ethan had held me and said, “I won’t let you fill that jar.”

“In other words, I won’t let you leave me.”

I leaned against his chest and said with a smile, “I believe you.”

I just never expected the red-ribbon jar to fill up so fast.

While the blue-ribbon jar had barely changed at all.

Sometimes I even lied to myself.

It was clearly a tiny gesture.

So tiny that when he took out the trash on his way out, I would fold a star.

So tiny that when he got into bed, he would turn off the lights.

I would still fold a star and put it into the blue-ribbon jar.

Just so I could marry him a little sooner.

Yet even when it was a huge gesture.

So huge that during one fight, he left me alone on the highway.

So huge that when I had a fever at home, he was out with his friends at some party hanging out with girls, and when he came back, he even blamed me for not preparing dinner and waiting for him like I used to.

I still couldn’t bear to fold a star and put it into the red-ribbon jar.

Just because I didn’t want to leave him.

After he reacted, he sounded a little impatient.

“It’s just this little thing. Do you really love clinging to that broken jar that much?”

I didn’t answer. I lowered my head and laughed out loud, almost like I was mocking myself.

“Lily, don’t make trouble. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“I love you, be good,” Ethan coaxed.

He also knew that as long as he softened up, I couldn’t bear to put another star into that jar.

But this time, I wouldn’t.

My love wasn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card.