Chapter 2

I refused to hide the truth from my parents. Rather than letting them worry and speculate, I laid everything out.

Mom's eyes welled with angry tears. "How could he treat you like that?

"When he had nothing, you sacrificed everything for him. You lived in a damp basement, ate dry bread, and poured every cent of your savings into his startup."

Dad, his eyes rimmed with red, comforted her. "Look at the bright side. It's better to see his true colors now than to marry him and end up in a divorce court."

*****

During the three-day holiday, I stayed home with my parents and didn't call Alex once.

Of course, I didn't get a single call or message from him either.

Meanwhile, Julia's Instagram was a non-stop broadcast of their getaway.

When a selfie of them cuddling by the ocean popped up, I scrolled past without any feelings.

*****

I returned to my apartment on the final day of the holiday.

I was in the middle of dinner when Alex walked through the door.

His clothes were rumpled, and dark shadows hung under his eyes.

Since launching his company, Alex had never driven for more than two hours.

He always insisted that driving was a mental drain, arguing his energy was better spent closing deals and winning over clients.

For our fifth anniversary, I wanted to check out a scenic spot in the next city. I ended up driving the whole way myself; he didn't bother to touch the wheel.

For our trip home this time, he claimed he needed to rest, forcing me to book train tickets.

Yet, for Julia's convenience, he gladly drove 2050 miles round-trip.

He sat down at the table, glanced around, and realized there was nothing for him.

He looked at me, confused. "Lilianna, what's going on? I walk through the door and you don't offer to help me with my bags? There isn't any food saved for me either?"

I took a bite of my pickles. "I didn't expect you home for dinner, so I didn't cook for two."

He frowned. "I was away with Julia for a few days. Not like that's a big problem. Why are you acting so petty?"

His eyes landed on a plate of pretzels. He grabbed one, taking a bite. "Did your mom mail these pretzels?"

My mother made these by hand; they were a family specialty I couldn't buy in any store. She always mailed me some every Thanksgiving.

"No. I went home and brought them back," I replied.

He mumbled an acknowledgment and kept eating. Halfway through, he froze, looking up at me. "Wait, we were supposed to visit your parents this Thanksgiving, right?"

So he hadn't deliberately skipped out on my family. He had simply forgotten.

I had spent an entire month reminding him, yet my words never registered.

The room suddenly fell silent.

Alex frowned. "Why didn't you remind me this morning?"

No explanation, no apology. His immediate reaction was to pin the blame on me.

But I did remind him this morning. I told him not to forget the train time before he left.

But nothing I ever said or did could compete with whatever random whim Julia had.

"I did remind you," I said calmly. "Right before you walked out the door."

He shifted uncomfortably, his expression faltering. "Julia said there was a strange man loitering outside her apartment. She was terrified. I had to go make sure she was safe.

"Besides, when it was time for the train, why didn't you call me?"

I looked at him. "I called you. You never picked up. And you blocked me on WhatsApp."

Alex looked uncomfortable.

He couldn't force down the last bite of the pretzel.

"Julia was crying. It was the anniversary of her parents' death, and she was having a breakdown. She asked me to block everyone so we wouldn't be disturbed." He pulled out his phone, his thumbs flying across the screen. "There. I unblocked you."

For a whole year, he had blocked my number repeatedly, and I was always the one begging him to let me back in.

This was the first time he had ever unblocked me voluntarily. But I had no intention of sending another message.

"Let's drop it, okay?" Alex said. "Julia's depression is severe right now, and she's incredibly sensitive. I promise I'll make it up to your parents next time."

Next time again. Since Julia entered our lives, I had heard that promise a thousand times.

Julia always took priority, no matter what.

"No. Alex, we're done. Let's break up."