Chapter 2

As soon as I settled into the passenger seat, I noticed a cartoon sticker on the dashboard labeled "Girlfriend Exclusive." Gavin, usually meticulous and minimalist, wasn’t one for flashy car decorations. It was obvious who had put the sticker there. Gavin glanced at me, seeming to anticipate my reaction. In the past, whenever I brought up details related to Paloma, it always ended in frustration. This time, I chose silence.

Ten minutes later, Gavin suddenly hit the steering wheel with his hand and snapped, "What's the matter? Are you losing your voice or something? If you've got questions, just spit them out."

I looked at him, genuinely confused. "There's nothing I want to ask."

Gavin fumed silently, his anger bubbling under the surface. After a long pause, he said, stiffly, "Paloma put that sticker there. I figured I’d just leave it since I’ll be getting the car cleaned soon."

He continued with strained patience, "There's nothing between her and me; you need to stop being so suspicious and jealous."

I nodded slightly, indifferent to the drama surrounding them. Gavin glanced at me again and kept explaining, "When the big snowstorm hit, I stayed at her place because she's young and was in a tough spot. I thought I'd help keep her company."

"But really, I only see her like a sister. Don't jump to conclusions."

I nodded again, understanding his point. "You guys have known each other forever. I get it, nothing's going on."

Back when their tangled relationship fueled my jealousy, Gavin would always offer this explanation to calm things down. Now, using his own words to show understanding, he was still angry. He glared and burst out, "What's with your sarcastic tone?"

"I've explained everything. What more do you want? Are you trying to push it too far?"

I sighed, exasperated, "No, I'm just saying I really don't think you're doing anything wrong..."

Before I could finish, Gavin suddenly slammed on the brakes and shouted, "Get out! Just get out!"

Feeling bewildered, I opened the door and stepped outside. After walking a short distance, I heard Gavin shouting my name, but I didn’t look back. I picked up my pace, still confused by his sudden anger. If I worried about him and Paloma, he'd call me insecure; if I didn’t, he was still upset. He was impossible to figure out.

With about a mile left to the office, I decided to walk. Today’s main goal was to resign. I had stayed in this city for Gavin, refusing to take charge of the family business, and cut ties with my parents to be here.

Then came three days ago, during the heavy snowstorm. I had asked Gavin to pick me up from work, but he left me hanging. Walking home through the snow-blocked roads, I slipped on ice and was left sore and sleepless. Then I saw Paloma’s updates flaunting on Instagram and deleted Gavin’s number from WhatsApp. The emotional and physical strain almost broke me, and just then, my parents called.

"Sophia, we saw on the news that there’s a storm over there. Please stay safe indoors." Hearing my parents' concern, emotions welled up inside me, and I broke down in tears. The love I had held onto was nothing but an illusion.

I promised them I would return to manage the family business and had already booked a flight for the day after tomorrow. As for Gavin and me, this was where it ended.