Chapter 3

Robin interrupted me abruptly. He bent down and ruffled my hair, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm afraid I can only spend a short time with you today, Callie. I promise to make it up to you tomorrow."

With that, he hurried out, not waiting for my reply. The door closed softly behind him, leaving me standing there, bewildered.

I shouldn't have peeked at his phone earlier, but I did. The message from Caitline was seared into my memory.

[Robin, the display by the water is stunning. It's too bad you're not here to enjoy it with me.]

I let out a humorless chuckle. What was I still clinging to?

In my heart, I'd probably suspected for some time. His behavior, the inconsistencies—I'd been willfully ignorant.

But today, the reality hit me full force, stark and merciless. My heart constricted, and waves of anguish made it difficult to breathe.

That evening, I somehow fell into a fitful slumber, plagued by images of Robin and myself.

I awoke to find my pillow drenched. Wordlessly, I removed the pillowcase and tossed it directly into the garbage.

We'd purchased those pillowcases together—matching sets, no less. But that seemed meaningless now.

Reflecting on our recent months together, I realized how much I'd given up. I'd scrimped and saved on everything to help him pay off his alleged debts.

And what did I receive in return? Deception.

My eyes fell on the jacket I'd discarded near the entrance last night after returning from my booth. It remained untouched since then.

The wretched thing barely provided warmth—cheap material that let the chill seep in from every direction.

I folded it up and disposed of it before calling a taxi to the city's largest shopping center.

However, as soon as I entered, I spotted Robin with Caitline. They were engaged in animated conversation, laughing together.

I attempted to walk past unnoticed, but Robin's keen eyes caught sight of me.

"Calliope, what brings you here?"

It took a moment to grasp his meaning, and Caitline, clinging to his arm, gave me a disdainful look.

"Can you even afford to shop here?" she scoffed.

I opened my mouth but remained silent. The atmosphere around us seemed to grow tense.

Their words were riddled with inconsistencies—how had I never noticed before?

It's remarkable how stepping back from a relationship reveals all the warning signs you overlooked.

I inhaled deeply, no longer wishing to argue with them. As I turned to leave, Robin stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"Since you're here, why don't you help me choose a Christmas present?"

"For whom? Caitline?" I retorted. "That's not my concern."

My expression hardened as I forced a smile, my nails digging so deeply into my palms that I lost sensation.

My former self would have never refused him, but this time, the astonishment on his face was almost gratifying. He clearly hadn't anticipated my refusal.

"Calliope, don't create a scene," he said with a sigh. "Caitline is just my younger sister."

I stared at him for a moment. The beauty mark under his eye, once barely visible, now seemed to disappear completely in the shadows.

"A younger sister?" I scoffed. "You mean a very special younger sister?"

Without waiting for his response, I pushed past him and headed straight for the exit.

Behind me, I sensed his puzzled gaze. I even overheard him trying to smooth things over.

"Caitline, don't take it personally, okay? She's just upset at the moment."

Back at university, I had only one political science lecture that day, so I decided to arrive 10 minutes early. The professor appeared surprised by my punctuality.

I used to work late at my booth, sometimes until 2 a.m., trying to earn money to help Robin with his debts. I'd barely made it to class on time, and occasionally I'd even arrive late.

My professor had always had a poor opinion of me because of that. But today, when he saw me, I noticed a hint of approval in his expression.

Just as he was about to speak, Caitline entered, her arms laden with textbooks.

She walked directly to the seat beside mine and sat down, making sure I noticed the gold bracelet on her wrist as she did so.