ManyWriters

At a department gathering, my boyfriend placed a piece of fish in my bowl.
"Sapphire, have some fish."
Jack's face turned awkward before he could finish his sentence.
Because I never eat fish. I'm allergic to it.
And my name isn't Sapphire.
Sapphire is his young apprentice.
The party finally ended.
I calmly dialed a number:
"Professor Smith, I've made my decision. I'd like to be your research assistant."

My Boyfriend Called Me By the Wrong Name At a Party

We've grown accustomed to each other, but for Jack, nothing's more intriguing than something fresh and new.


Standing at the bathroom sink, I splashed cold water on my face.


Emily sidled up next to me, intentionally flashing a bracelet on her wrist. "Doctor Frost, where did you get this bracelet? It's quite eye-catching."


I recognized that bracelet in an instant.


It was the first gift I'd ever bought for Jack. Though it had seen better days, our names were still engraved on it in capital letters.


A while back, I'd noticed his bracelet was missing and asked him about it. "Jack, where's that bracelet I gave you?"


His face had been a mask of confusion, his brow furrowed as he tried to play it cool, fidgeting with his wrist. "I might've lost it when changing for surgery. Been so swamped lately, I didn't even notice. You know how old that thing was – probably just fell apart."


At the time, I'd been worried he'd be upset, so I rushed to comfort him. "If it's gone, it's gone. Your birthday's coming up – I'll pick out something even better!"


The sudden flood of memories was overwhelming. I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers to my temples as I leaned against the sink. Emily dangled the bracelet in front of me, swinging it back and forth.


Perhaps seeing my lack of reaction, she found it boring and finally left, albeit reluctantly.


After a while, the cold wind sobered me up a bit, and I returned to the private room.


As soon as I pushed open the door, I saw Jack and Emily giggling and playfully roughhousing.


Maybe it was because I'd splashed some cold water on my face and been out in the chilly air, but my complexion didn't look great, which a colleague noticed.


"Olivia, you don't look so good. Should we ask Jack to take you home early?"


It wasn't until then that Jack, sitting next to me, noticed my pale face.


He tried to grab my hand, but I dodged it discreetly.


"It's nothing serious, just didn't sleep well. Let's all leave together when this is over."


Seeing my refusal, my colleague, still concerned, said a few more words.


Jack, on the other hand, didn't say anything and turned back to play games with Emily.


He probably didn't want to take me home either.


After all, if we went home, he'd be left with just me, someone he's long grown tired of. How could that compare to the joy of fooling around with his little protégé?


By the end of the dinner, everyone had been drinking.


All our coworkers knew Jack and I were a couple, so they assigned him the task of escorting me home. Emily was the only one who clung to Jack softly, "Mentor, it's so late and I'm scared to go alone. Would you mind walking me home?"


Chapter 2