Chapter 3

I grabbed the invitation. “This is mine. You have no right to give it to someone else.”

When Nancy saw the increasingly tense atmosphere between us, she hurried over to play the mediator. “Zephyr, I can wait for you outside. I don’t have to come in. I’ll be happy if you just go out and tell me about it. Don’t fight because of me, okay?”

She swung his arm like she was acting all cutesy.

Just as I expected, Zephyr calmed down. He gave me a cold look. “I suppose I’ve finally come to realize you’re this sort of person, Dew.”

I did not have the energy to continue arguing with him. I just went upstairs, but when I reached the second floor, my tears fell.

I knew it; the one who fell in love harder always lost.

I was already twenty-seven years old. I should stop clinging to certain delusions.

I lay in bed and sank into my thoughts. Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard someone knocking on my door. “Dew, can I borrow one of your pajamas? I came in a hurry and forgot to bring it.”

I did not answer. I thought that Nancy would have the sense to leave, but she opened the door and stood in front of me.

While she looked down at me, my expression sank. “Miss Kingston, coming in without permission is not something a normal person would do.”

Nancy intentionally rubbed her finger against the ring she wore. It was a normal ring, but it made my heart sink again.

“Dew, Zephyr has already given me this ring. He also promised to bring me to the art festival to share the moment he wins the award.”

“I see. If you have nothing else to say, leave.”

Zephyr came over and saw me staring at the ring Nancy wore.

Guilt and regret flashed in his eyes. That ring was the token of our love. Even though it was not made of expensive material, it was filled with our love.

“Nancy, it’s late. You should go back and rest.”

For the first time ever, Zephyr sent Nancy away.

She glared at me indignantly, but she still left.

Zephyr got in bed tentatively. “Dew, I gave Nancy the ring when she got her reward last time. I—”

I knew that he would not be able to come up with a good excuse, and I interrupted him. “You don’t have to give me an excuse. I don’t mind.”

Perhaps he saw that my expression was off, but he held my hand. “Dew, I didn’t do what I did in the art exhibition on purpose. Are you still mad?”

It was one of the few times he decided to apologize, but it was already too late.

When he saw that I was giving him no reaction, he placed his arm around my waist and caressed it as he breathed into my ear, “Dew, I still love you. But why didn’t you tell me about the invitation? Don’t you know how much I’ve worked to fulfill my teacher’s wish of giving Nancy an invitation?”

He always had all sorts of excuses for his actions. His teacher only had two students and wanted them to share their achievements together and support each other.

But no teacher would wish to destroy a couple’s relationship.

I scoffed. I felt my stomach churn in disgust. Their dirty pictures kept appearing in my head, and I flung Zephyr’s arm away before I pushed him aside.

“You disgust me, Zephyr. You touched Nancy the same way this morning, didn’t you? You’re so dirty!”

Zephyr was furious. His face turned red with rage, and his glare was so cold that he looked like he wanted to kill me. “Dew, we’re already adults, and you’re much older than I am. You must have been with as many men as I did with women. Why are you being so fussy?!”

In the end, the decision I made when I was young and ignorant came biting me in the butt. When my friends learned that I was dating someone younger, they had tried to persuade me to break up by telling me that no good would come out of doing so.

But I had refused to believe it. I thought that love would trump all odds.

Yet I was defeated in the end.

Zephyr leveled me a disdainful look, and I was stunned. Then, I flew into a rage.

“You don’t like it that I’m older than you, huh? Leave, then!” I removed my ring and threw it at him.

Zephyr wanted to say something else, but I pushed him out.

“Let’s break up,” I said firmly with the door between us.