My mind wandered back to our first encounter during our freshman year. Chris wore a simple white shirt, its hem tucked neatly into his trousers. His short hair shone in the sunlight, and his youthful gaze held a captivating innocence.I had been instantly enamored, irresistibly drawn to him. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I boldly declared, "Chris, no matter what the future holds, even if the sky falls or the world turns upside down, I'll always love you."Back then, I naively believed that my love alone would be enough. I thought that my devotion would eventually touch his heart and make him love me in return.However, I didn't know then that love itself was a consumable resource. If one didn't nurture it and let it grow, it would inevitably dwindle and fade away.No matter how deep the love was, it could never escape this fate.I gave a faint smile. "Well, Chris, I once thought I could warm your heart. But I overestimated myself and underestimated how cold your heart cou
Chris sat there in silence. Perhaps he had never considered this question. Or, more likely, he never thought it was an issue at all.I continued, "Or perhaps you enjoy having me as a convenient stand-in for the one you truly love. I was there to provide comfort in your moments of loneliness and despair. And when the real deal came back, you could just coldly cast me aside."Chris buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling as if his entire world had crumbled around him.Once upon a time, the mere sight of his pain would've been unbearable to me. But now, as his suffering lay bare before me, my heart remained untouched. It was then that I realized how stark the line between love and indifference could be."Stop saying you love me. It sounds painfully ironic. Your love is something I no longer need or desire. Have you seen my new home? It's small and modest, and with my meager salary, it'll take years to afford a house of my own. "Despite this, I find solace in the know
The next day, I officially reported to the police station and started my new life serving the people from dawn till dusk.Three days later, I began to understand what Chris meant by not giving up.Every evening, he would wait for me at the entrance of the police station, his eyes lighting up with a peculiar gleam as soon as he saw me—like a dog seeing a bone.I refused to speak to him and wouldn't even spare him a glance as I walked past. I remained steadfast in my resolve, treating him as a complete stranger.Despite my cold treatment, Chris was undeterred in his mission to pick me up from work every day. He would bring a bouquet of flowers every other day, usually red roses, but occasionally sunflowers or baby's breath.I would pass by him without a glance, and he would shove the flowers into my arms like a nervous teenager before running off.Chris even hand-washed all the clothes I had left at our old place and gave me a few pieces every day, asking me to take them home.He
I didn't look at Chris' reaction and walked straight to the designated street for my ride. Lulu and Queenie were waiting for me, and we had plans for a leisurely shopping spree and a carefree dinner.Chris, who once occupied a position above everyone else in my life, had finally relinquished his place, giving way to the people I truly loved and valued.All this happened because of the wrong choices I made and the misplaced trust I gave. Thankfully, everything was back on track.I even felt a strange gratitude toward Faye. If it weren't for her calculated interference, Chris and I might have continued our toxic entanglement for a while longer, which would have been truly terrifying for me.The car soon arrived. It was a white Haval driven by a young woman. I got into the back seat and saw Chris sitting on a bench, opening the round box and staring blankly at the birthday cake inside. Tears streamed down my face.Goodbye, the man I loved for five years.Goodbye, my false ideal of a
Winston was an acquaintance, so I thought hearing him out was fine."What is it? Go on," I said.Winston's eyes lit up with excitement. He took off the bag he had slung over his shoulder, unzipped it, and pulled out an old, slightly yellowed photo. He handed it to me, gesturing for me to look at it.I took the photo and scrutinized it for a while but couldn't make out anything significant. The photo showed more than a dozen men and women. Four children squatted in the front row, grinning from ear to ear.It seemed to be a family portrait, but everyone in it was unfamiliar to me."Why do you want me to look at this?" I asked, though what I really wanted to say was that I didn't recognize a single person, and asking me to look at this made me wonder if he was crazy.Winston remained silent and handed me another photo.The background of this one looked like a park, with many children in the frame. The kid grinning at the front had a missing tooth. The boy behind him looked older an
I finally snapped back to reality and blurted, "Winston, I'm a good friend of Luna. Don't joke with me like this."He grabbed the phone from my hand, scanned my WhatsApp QR code with his phone, added himself in one swift motion, and then placed my phone back into my hand.Winston said, "With God as my witness, I swear that every word I've said is true, and none of it is a joke. Consider this a heads-up. Go home, adjust your mindset, and I'll begin my pursuit tomorrow. I hope you'll take it seriously."I regretted not setting a password for my phone. Winston wouldn't have been able to add himself so easily if I had.After finishing his declaration, Winston slung his backpack over his shoulder, smiled at me, and walked away with a casual swagger. When he was about ten yards away, he turned back and waved vigorously. "Go home now. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."Although I was indeed a foodie, I couldn't believe Winston's plan to pursue me was to highlight my love for food right
Being with Chris for so many years, I knew I liked him. But surprisingly, I had never felt this kind of shyness with him, no matter what we did together.Perhaps it was because I never felt valued. Chris never gave me the chance or the right to feel shy, so naturally, I never experienced that feeling.I fidgeted, unable to decide which foot to move first. I stood at the door for two whole minutes, my face flushing red.Winston chuckled, his eyes twinkling like stars. He jogged up to me with a cheeky smile on his face. "What's wrong? Are you so happy to see me that you've forgotten how to walk? Were you up all night hoping I'd come? Oh, Zara, you're so adorable. I'm so happy!"Here, I got you breakfast. It's your favorite coffee and doughnuts, and they're still warm."It was no wonder Winston was crossing his arms. It turned out he was indeed holding something. I was touched. After all, for five years, I was the one bringing breakfast to someone who never said a kind word but acc
"Zara, what's your take on Winston? If you're sure there's no chance you'll like him, just tell him clearly and don't keep him hanging. With his good looks and family background, plenty of girls are interested in him. Yet, you don't seem to care about him at all," Lulu remarked.Lulu's words echoed my biggest worry. In terms of wealth and status, Winston was the legitimate heir to the Moyer family and mostly mingled with the upper echelons of society.As a woman from an ordinary family who was much older than him, I felt utterly unworthy of him.This insecurity gnawed at me. If someone like Chris could cheat, there was no way I could believe that a young and promising man like Winston would remain faithful.Life was long, and in such a tempting world, there probably weren't many couples who could genuinely support each other until the very end.As the saying goes, "Once bitten, twice shy." Moreover, I was putting myself at risk of being bitten by the kin of the same being again.