Chapter 7

　　“You and him… You sold your kidney for him, worked yourself to exhaustion, and yet this is not love, but self-sacrificial devotion.”

　　“This way, not only does he feel pressured, but he will also look down on you.”

　　“Alice, you should give everything for yourself, not for others. You need to learn to love yourself.”

　　Time seemed to stop.

　　I lowered my head, tears spilling from my eyes.

　　I had indeed forgotten myself for Ted.

　　I remembered what he liked to eat, what types of movies he liked, but I never knew what I wanted.

　　When I was with him, all I thought about was how to treat him well because he was my lover.

　　“I thought he loved me the same way,” I murmured, as if talking to myself.

　　May sighed.

　　He seemed to be sighing a lot today.

　　Suddenly, he reached out and ruffled my hair, like comforting a wounded little beast.

　　This gesture made my body stiffen.

　　“It’s okay, he doesn’t like you, and that’s his mistake.” His voice was gentle but firm.