3#03

3

Amanda's words pierced my heart like a sharp blade. She had completely misinterpreted my motives.

"Stalking you? Amanda, is that how little you regard me?" My voice quivered, a mixture of rage and weariness.

The chilly atmosphere and my growing anger triggered a severe coughing fit, causing my vision to blur and my eyes to redden.

Amanda's expression softened slightly, a hint of doubt crossing her face. "Are you actually ill? Why didn't you make that clear?"

Jayden interjected from nearby, "Amanda, perhaps there's been a misunderstanding. He looks genuinely unwell."

I chuckled bitterly. "What does it matter now? To you, even if I were dying, it wouldn't be as important as his mild headache."

For a moment, she seemed at a loss. Guilt flickered in her eyes before she quickly concealed it.

"How are you feeling now? Your cough seems awful—is it infectious?" she inquired impassively. "Jayden's health isn't great. Keep your distance from him."

She added, her tone detached, "Just get some rest. Don't seek me out again until you're completely well. I'll handle your medical expenses."

With that, she turned to depart.

I watched her walk away, a whirlwind of emotions in my chest. The vows we once made echoed faintly in my mind, now seeming like cruel jests.

"Amanda," I called out loudly, "if you leave now, it's over between us for good."

Her steps faltered briefly, but she didn't look back. She left with Jayden, disappearing from view.

I slumped against the wall, tears clouding my vision once more. This time, I vowed not to look back.

I remained hospitalized for another fortnight. Amanda never called.

Instead, I saw her latest social media update: photos from her ski trip with Jayden. Eight out of nine pictures featured them together.

I couldn't help but recall how she once told me she disliked being photographed. Even when I tried to capture her beauty, she would dismiss me. Photos of us together were scarce.

I laughed at myself and, despite my determination to move on, felt the familiar ache in my heart.

I tapped the "like" button on her post, which was captioned: [Forever together.]

Within five minutes, my phone rang. It was Amanda.

"Yvo, what's your issue?" she barked. "So what if I went skiing with Jayden? Are you envious because you couldn't join?"

"Besides, it was just skiing. Nothing else occurred."

Her indignant tone made me laugh out loud.

"Amanda, do you realize what you're saying? While I've been confined to a hospital bed, you've been frolicking around with your first love, reliving old memories?"

"Forget it," I said, interrupting her. "Don't say another word."

I ended the call, resolving to stop caring about her.

I tried to force myself to forget—forget her, forget Jayden, forget everything I had witnessed. But the more I tried, the more vivid the memories became.

I had known Jayden was her first love, but I hadn't realized how deeply he was ingrained in her heart. Our eight years together couldn't even compete with him.

My phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Amanda.

[If it weren't for the fact that you treated me well before, do you think I would've given you a chance?]

[In terms of appearance and social status, how do you measure up to Jayden? Agreeing to marry you was already a favor. Now you're being jealous? That's completely absurd.]

I stared at the words that should have shattered me. Surprisingly, I didn't feel as hurt as I expected.

Calmly, I typed a response. [Amanda, if you had to choose again, who would it be?]