Chapter 3

We'd been together for three years. He knew exactly how bad my chili allergy was.

When we were filming that scene for Cold Case, I ate a bowl of noodles with chili and wound up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach.

He spent the whole night outside my hospital room, never leaving.

When I woke up, the first thing he said was, "From now on, if anyone tries to make you eat spicy food, smash the bowl at them."

Back then, I thought that was love. But now, the whole table was covered in spicy, oily dishes. Every single dish was something Sophie loved.

Andrew served a piece of food into Sophie's bowl. "Try this. It's their signature dish," Andrew said.

Sophie smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling as she glanced at me. "Lily, you should have some, too."

I stared at the chili oil swirling in my bowl, and suddenly, it didn't sting as much anymore.

It wasn't that the food had lost its heat. The truth was, Andrew didn't matter to me anymore.

I sat there in silence for ages, until Andrew started drumming his fingers on the table, clearly annoyed. "Who are you making that face for?" he snapped.

I gave a bitter, self-mocking smile. "No one," I replied. "I just thought the food looked pretty good."

I stood up and headed to the bathroom.

Staring at my reflection, I saw my eyes were puffy and red.

Back then, whenever we went out to eat, Andrew would always sample every dish first, making sure there was no chili before passing it to me.

But now, I finally understood. I was never the only one he treated with that kind of careful attention.

When I got back and sat down, Andrew had already served Sophie another bowl of soup.

He seemed to remember something and said in a flat tone, "Quit acting all miserable. I'll put some money in your account tomorrow. Buy whatever you want."

It was always the same carrot-and-stick approach.

Back when Sophie and I were still friends, I used to think it was his way of loving me. But later, I realized all those little treats he gave me were the leftovers Sophie didn't want.

Somewhere along the way, without me noticing, Sophie became the one Andrew cherished most.

It wasn't that she snatched it away from me. Andrew was the one who lifted her up and gave her that spot in his heart.

And I kept stupidly thinking I was giving up my place for a little while.

At the table, Sophie flashed me a sweet smile as she picked up a piece of spicy food with her utensils and dropped it onto my plate. "Lily, this place is seriously amazing. Come on. Have a bite."

I shook my head and quickly drew my utensils back.

Andrew shot me an impatient look. "What's the big deal? Eat a little. Don't be such a baby."

Sophie echoed, "Yeah. It's only a bite. I've been eating spicy stuff since I was little. It never bothered me at all."

As she said it, she dumped another spoonful of chili oil right on my food.

I stared at the blinding red, and my stomach twisted instinctively. "I told you, I can't handle spicy food. You both know that," I said.

Andrew scoffed. "It's not like one bite will kill you. Don't be a buzzkill tonight."

Sophie rested her chin in her hand, watching me, a sly smile tugging at her lips."Come on, Lily. You're embarrassing Drew," she said.

I lowered my eyes, picked up a piece, and ate it with resignation.

As soon as the spice hit, it was like my stomach was burning up inside. My face paled, and I clutched my stomach as sweat started to bead on my forehead.

Andrew finally set down his utensils, frowning. "What's wrong?"

I parted my lips, my voice trembling. "My stomach hurts..."

He stood up, pushing his chair back. "I'll take you to the hospital," he said.

All of a sudden, Sophie grabbed onto the table to steady herself, her ankle giving way as she got up.

"Oh no!" She nearly threw herself at Drew, almost falling right into his arms. "Drew, my ankle hurts so bad. I think I twisted it going up the stairs."

Drew reached out to steady her, his voice going soft in an instant. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Sophie curled up against him, but her gaze locked onto mine. "Lily, you're not mad at me, are you? I swear I didn't mean for this to happen."

Drew bent down to check her ankle, his voice softer than I'd ever heard before, almost like he was a different person. "Don't move. I'll take you to the hospital for an X-ray."

I stood by the table, my stomach hurt so bad I couldn't stand up straight.

He picked Sophie up, and as he passed by me, he hesitated for a moment. "Get yourself a cab. I'll text you when I get there," he said.

Then he left the private room without so much as a glance in my direction.

I slowly pushed myself up from the table and walked out of the restaurant. The night breeze hit me, making my eyes water.

I flagged down a cab and slid into the back seat.

The driver asked, "Where to?"

When I gave him the hospital's name, my voice was so hoarse I barely recognized it as my own.

My phone kept buzzing in my bag. Andrew messaged, [Where are you now?]

I didn't reply and turned it off, unwilling to deal with him anymore.

The neon lights outside the window flashed by, one after another.

These past three years felt like I kept running after him, always a step behind, but never able to catch up.

When all was said and done, I was the only one left.