Chapter 2

　　I moved my fingertips slightly and decisively left the group without hesitation.

　　Not a single ripple stirred within me anymore.

　　Eliza Ahmed. Her name used to sit pinned at the top of Tristen's chat list.

　　At that time, Tristen lied and said she was his sister, and I didn't ask any further.

　　We had known each other for nearly ten years, and for the first time, I came to know that he was also very loyal.

　　Along the way, the nauseating feeling churning in my stomach suppressed a lot of sadness. The moment I got out of the car, I blacked out.

　　When I woke up in the hospital, I learned that it was the kind-hearted driver who had brought me here.

　　One night passed.

　　The phone held nothing but Tristen's message: "The apartment is yours. 33,000 dollars wired to your account. Reach out if you need anything."

　　The TV blared with Tristen and Eliza's lavish engagement ceremony, dominating every channel.

　　It was said that the engagement banquet cost millions of dollars.

　　He had waited for Eliza for so many years, so naturally, he had to give her the best.

　　I shifted my gaze away from the television, closed my eyes, trying to suppress the bitterness in my heart, and checked out of the hospital alone.

　　As the New Year approached, even the hospital exuded a sense of joy.

　　I was the only one, feeling cold and lonely all by myself.

　　***

　　Returning to the apartment and looking at our room, I knew that Tristen had not come back.

　　I wondered, "Of course, he's clinging to Eliza 24/7 now. Zero chance he's returning."

　　When I left, I only took a few garments and threw the ring I had worn for five years into the trash.

　　The bank card he once used to fund my education and the apartment key lay abandoned on the table where we used to share breakfast.

　　Perhaps he would never set foot here in his lifetime, but at least I had a clear conscience.

　　Lugging my suitcase, I strode into the velvet night and headed straight for Wardburg, the city that had shimmered in my college dorm daydreams.

　　Almost all of my friends went to Wardburg after graduation.

　　On the plane, I dreamt of the time when I graduated from college. Tristen was holding a bouquet of roses and smiled at me.

　　"Stay, Aubrey. My company needs you."

　　In the midst of my strong surprise, I did not notice the difference in this sentence.

　　Because of his words, I gave up the idea of finding a job in Wardburg with my friends and stayed by Tristen's side.

　　When he saved me from danger, told me not to cry while holding me in his arms, and promised to support me to finish college, I fell in love with him.

　　In the past five years, I helped him make the Sterling Group bigger as his assistant.

　　As his girlfriend, I used to wake up at 5 o'clock every morning to make oatmeal for him, because he had a stomachache.

　　The man who used to have stomachaches whenever he drank alcohol now became a president, who had no scruples.

　　All debts and devotions dissolved when I walked out of that apartment.

　　I thought I didn't owe Tristen anything.

　　***

　　As soon as we got off the plane, my friends who had been waiting at the airport dropped off their luggage and immediately took me to a bar.

　　After a few drinks, the lingering effects of alcohol made me quickly run to the bathroom to wash my face, and my drowsy head became slightly clearer.

　　I read the message my mother had sent ten minutes ago, feeling helpless.

　　"Aubrey, it's almost New Year. Don't forget to bring your boyfriend home! If you dare to deceive us, you'll be in big trouble!"

　　I helplessly rubbed my throbbing forehead. We had already broken up, so how could I bring him home?

　　I put away my phone and walked unsteadily towards the exit. Accidentally, I bumped into someone and quickly apologized.