Chapter 12

Grace Li picked up the glass of red wine and took a huge gulp, almost like she was drinking water. Without hesitation, she downed another big sip, finishing most of the glass in just two swigs.

Olivia, sitting next to her, immediately noticed something was off. She asked with concern, "Grace, you don't usually drink this much at dinners. What's going on tonight?"

Grace Li's tolerance was decent, and after two glasses, she was feeling a little better. She forced a smile and replied, "Oh, it's nothing. Just feeling really happy tonight, thought I'd have a drink."

Mike quickly chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, it's rare for us to be this happy. We should totally get another bottle, right Grace?"

Grace Li wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but she had her limits. She wasn't the type to get completely wasted. After all, that's just not how adults handle things.

"Enough," she said firmly.

Ryan poured the rest of the wine into Grace Li's glass. "There's still some left, Grace. You might as well finish it."

She drank most of the remaining wine, nibbled on some food, and pretended everything was fine, continuing to chat with the group.

After the dinner, Aiden Thompson walked Grace Li to the parking lot. He casually slipped one hand into his pocket, the other holding his suit jacket, walking a little behind her, keeping an eye on her every move.

Grace Li was still trying to keep her composure, but tonight was definitely different. She was struggling to stay calm, but inside, everything felt like it was falling apart.

She suddenly turned around, and Aiden Thompson quickly looked away.

"Thanks for today. It really helped, Aiden," Grace Li said.

"Anytime," he replied.

She handed him the car keys and climbed into the passenger seat.

The car was silent. Grace Li sat in the passenger seat, her head tilted, staring out the window. Her thoughts drifted back to the past three years, remembering all the things she'd done for Daniel Chou.

She had fantasized countless times about their perfect ending, even imagining their life together in the future. But after everything that happened today, those dreams were shattered. It was all just a fantasy, a dream she'd built up in her head.

She was just a joke.

With that thought, Grace Li couldn't help but laugh bitterly, a laugh full of self-mockery.

The laugh was soft, but in the quiet car, it was especially clear. Aiden Thompson heard it clearly.

"Something bothering you?" Aiden Thompson asked softly.

Grace Li snapped out of it, forced a smile, and asked, "Why do you ask?"

After Grace Li checked her phone during dinner, Aiden Thompson had noticed she was acting strange, her face pale and her eyes slightly red.

While everyone else was enjoying the dinner, he had quietly observed her change.

He casually said, "I rarely see you drink."

Grace Li explained, "Just in a good mood tonight. Aiden, you know, SunRay is the first IPO project I've been involved in. The sense of achievement really makes me happy, so I had a few drinks."

"Got it."

"Aha, that's it."

Aiden Thompson could tell she didn't want to talk about it further, so he didn't press. He wasn't the type to pry into someone's personal business, especially if they didn't want to open up.

The car fell silent again.

Suddenly, Grace Li asked, "Aiden, can I ask you something? I want you to analyze it from a guy's perspective, okay?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Grace Li leaned back in her seat, pretending to relax as she stared ahead. Slowly, she said, "I have a friend. Three years ago, she confessed her feelings to a guy. The guy said he was going abroad and couldn't give her an answer right away. He told her that if she still liked him after three years, they'd be together. What do you think? Was he gently rejecting her, or did he really mean that if she still liked him after three years, they'd be together?"

Aiden Thompson replied, "You want the truth?"

"Yeah."

Aiden Thompson said firmly, "The guy was keeping her as a backup option."

So, in the eyes of guys, this was just a way of keeping a backup. Grace Li had never thought of it that way. After all, Daniel Chou was an outstanding student in college, admired by many girls, always the center of attention.

In Grace Li's mind, given Daniel Chou's character, she never believed he could do something like that.

For all these years, she had been convinced of his sincerity.

Grace Li let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Is that girl stupid or something?"

"Nah, she's just too kind."

"Kindness is just another word for stupidity, isn't it?"

"Kindness is exactly what it means."

At this moment, Grace Li only felt stupid. Even if Daniel Chou had fallen in love with someone else, she might not have been as heartbroken. But the thought that Daniel Chou was already with someone else, while she was still texting him, hoping for a reply, made her feel a deep sense of resentment.

She almost became the other woman.

Leaning against the car window, the aftereffects of the alcohol started to kick in. Grace Li felt a little tipsy, but still conscious. "Aiden, do guys usually not like to post about having a girlfriend on social media?"

Aiden Thompson turned the wheel with one hand. "It depends. If a guy who usually posts on social media never mentions his girlfriend, it might mean he's not that into her or he's looking for someone better. But if a guy doesn't post much in general, then he just doesn't."

Grace Li was trying to figure out which category Daniel Chou fit into. He wasn't a frequent poster on Instagram, but he'd post a few times a month, sometimes pictures of scenery, sometimes sharing financial articles.

It seemed he didn't fit either of the categories Aiden Thompson mentioned.

But honestly, it didn't matter anymore. Daniel Chou was married, and she had just been fooling herself.

Suddenly, Grace Li asked, "Aiden, if you had a girlfriend, would you post about her on Instagram?"

After all, she had never seen him post anything like that.

Aiden Thompson didn't expect Grace Li to ask him this. "Maybe, maybe not."

It was like he wasn't answering at all.

The car pulled into the underground parking lot of the apartment building where Grace Li lived. Aiden Thompson had driven her home before, so he knew her parking spot well.

After parking, he got out and walked to the passenger side. Just as Grace Li opened the door and stepped out, she stumbled. Aiden Thompson instinctively reached out to steady her.

Grace Li's head bumped into Aiden Thompson's shoulder. The faint scent of his cologne filled the air. Maybe it was the alcohol, but for a moment, she had the urge to hold onto him tightly. But reason kicked in, and she quickly regained her balance. "Sorry."

"Let me walk you up," Aiden Thompson offered.

"No, it's okay. You should head home. Thanks again for today."

But Aiden Thompson was still worried. "You've been drinking. I should at least make sure you get to your door."

Grace Li tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry. I can handle my alcohol."

"Come on, might as well see it through."

Hearing this, Grace Li couldn't help but smile sincerely. "Okay, let's go."

Aiden Thompson accompanied Grace Li into the elevator. She lived on the ninth floor. The apartment she was renting was close to the city center, and the house she had just bought in the suburbs was closing next month.

When they got off the elevator, out of courtesy, Grace Li asked, "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

"Sure, I'm actually a bit thirsty."

Grace Li was surprised he agreed, as she had only asked out of politeness.

She unlocked the door and led him inside.

Aiden Thompson glanced around her apartment. It had a bohemian style—simple yet full of charm. It was clear she loved life.

Grace Li grabbed a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge. "Sparkling water okay, Aiden?"

"Sure, anything's fine."

Grace Li handed him the bottle of sparkling water and took a cold mineral water for herself.

Aiden Thompson took the sparkling water and said, "Thanks." Seeing that Grace Li was still sober, he decided it was time to leave. "Well, I should be going then."

"Alright, drive safe."

Aiden Thompson turned to leave, and Grace Li saw him to the door. As she closed the door, the apartment suddenly felt eerily quiet.

She sat on the couch and took a sip of the mineral water. The cold liquid slid down her throat, easing some of her restlessness.

Grace Li glanced at her phone. Ever since she saw Daniel Chou's Instagram post, her phone had become something she didn't want to touch, as if touching it would reopen the wound.

She sat for a while, then went to take a shower.

The warm water cascaded down from the shower head. Grace Li closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the water hit her face. It wasn't the end of the world. She had mentally prepared for this. She hadn't really lost anything by waiting for Daniel Chou for three years. If anything, it was just a loss of emotions.

Let it go, quietly.

After getting out of the shower, Grace Li sat in front of the vanity mirror. Her eyes fell on the phone on the dressing table. She hadn't touched it for over two hours. There might be some important messages.

She picked up the phone and unlocked the screen. Daniel Chou's "congratulations" message had been pushed down by several group chat messages. That was good. Out of sight, out of mind.

Grace Li checked the group chat messages. When she exited, she noticed a notification that Aiden Thompson had updated his Instagram.

He posted on Instagram? Could it be another announcement? Surely not about being with Evelyn Garcia?

With a strange feeling, Grace Li clicked on Instagram and saw the latest post. It was a photo of the moon, a cold white glow in the inky sky, with a simple caption: "Goodnight."

Grace Li looked at the post, and the corners of her lips curved up slightly.

"Figures, nine out of ten men are trash. Grace Li, I told you before, you can't trust men." Isabella Hsueh said angrily when she heard Grace Li talking about Daniel Chou getting married.

Isabella Hsueh had always told her that she'd seen all kinds of men. Some were sweet before marriage, but turned abusive after; others cheated, faked marriages, or played both sides. In most divorce cases she'd seen, the problem was always with the guy.

Every time Grace Li brought up these topics, she'd always say there are still good men out there, like Daniel Chou.

But now, looking back, it was just so ironic.

In the apartment, Grace Li and Isabella Hsueh were lounging on the couch, each holding a beer and munching on some fried food they'd picked up from a nearby Chinese restaurant.

Grace Li said, "We weren't even officially dating. He has the right to like someone else and marry them. But he knew I liked him and didn't even give me a hint."

Isabella Hsueh rolled her eyes, "He just wanted to keep you as a backup. Now he's married, which means he picked someone else, so he's finally making it public."

Grace Li gave a bitter smile. "It's just like Aiden Thompson said."

Isabella Hsueh immediately zeroed in on the name, "Who's Aiden Thompson?"

"A colleague of mine."

"A guy?"

"Yeah, a hot young guy, super handsome."

Isabella Hsueh raised an eyebrow and sized her up, "Whoa, wait a minute. You actually told him about Daniel Chou?"

"No, I just wanted to hear his take on it from a guy's perspective. He thinks I've been kept as a backup too."

Isabella Hsueh threw the bamboo skewer onto the coffee table and said loudly, "So, what are you gonna do about it? He's messed with you for three years, wasted your time, and you're just gonna let it slide?"

Grace Li felt conflicted inside, but she never thought about confronting Daniel Chou. "I can't just go up to him and make a scene, right? It's pointless now that he's married. And three years ago, he didn't ask me to wait for him or promise that we'd be together when he came back. It was all just me getting my hopes up."

Isabella Hsueh sighed, "Man, that guy Chou really knows how to play the game."

"Well, whatever. I didn't really lose anything. If I'd met the right person in those three years, maybe I wouldn't have waited for him. In the last year, we hardly talked, and I was kinda prepared for this. I'm just upset that he got married without me knowing. If I'd known earlier that he had someone else, I wouldn't have been sending him random messages trying to start a conversation."

Isabella Hsueh patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't waste your time on that guy, Grace Li. You're amazing, you deserve better."

"Yeah, I deserve better." Grace Li clinked her beer can with Isabella Hsueh's and took a big gulp.

"By the way, you mentioned that young guy. What does he look like?"

Grace Li turned her head and teased, "What, you interested?"

"Just curious."

Grace Li pulled out her phone and scrolled through photos from their company outing. She found a group photo with Aiden and showed it to Isabella Hsueh. Isabella Hsueh immediately pointed at the photo and asked, "Is that the guy in the black shirt?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"Wow, he's so handsome!"

"Definitely. I was blown away when I first saw him."

Isabella Hsueh said excitedly, "He's a hundred times better than Daniel Chou. Grace Li, go for him!"

Grace Li smiled, "But the kid's got some strange ideas."

Isabella Hsueh's first reaction was, "He's a bad guy?"

"No, not really." Grace Li explained, "He's a decent guy, but his family used to be wealthy and fell on hard times. Now he's all about finding a rich woman to take care of him."

"Figures, those pretty boy types usually want to take shortcuts." Isabella Hsueh sized Grace Li up again, "But hey, if he's looking for a rich woman, you're basically a perfect match."

Grace Li almost spit out her beer, "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm serious." Isabella Hsueh said with a straight face, "Look at you. You make twice as much as me and you even bought a house in New York. If I were a guy, I'd be after you."

"I can't afford to support anyone."

"Don't be modest. You totally could."

For some reason, both of them couldn't help but laugh.