Chapter 2

I stood frozen, rubbing my eyes hard, but my hands kept trembling uncontrollably.

I always said that the tear mole at the corner of Alex's eye was incredibly alluring.

He used to comfort me, saying that if I really couldn't trust him, he would have it removed.

But now, that mole was so glaring, I couldn't ignore it.

And that down jacket he was wearing? I bought it for him with my year-end bonus.

He always said I was wasting money and that he had no occasion to wear it.

I couldn't possibly be mistaken.

"Hey, are your eyes okay?" Lily asked.

Lily noticed my silence, gave me a gentle tap, and angled her phone toward me.

I scrambled up from the couch, trying to dodge the camera, which made Lily jump in surprise.

She hurriedly hung up and asked, "What happened?"

I tried to keep my voice from shaking.

"Lily, how long have you two known each other?" I asked.

Lily replied, "It'll be exactly a year on the fourth of next month. I remember it so well. That day, I posted about my day out, and he commented underneath, saying he was jealous of me and that his days were always so tiring."

I was in shock, my fingers unconsciously curling into my palm.

That day was our anniversary. I remembered every detail.

I got home early to set up the room.

But Alex didn't look happy at all. Like he was just checking off a box, he pulled the gift from his bag, handed it to me with a totally blank expression, and said, "Happy anniversary," without a hint of emotion.

Then, almost like a robot, he grabbed the broom and swept away the rose petals I painstakingly arranged, not even blinking.

I knew he was tired, so I wrapped my arms around him, feeling sorry for him, and told him he didn't have to work himself to the bone.

Alex's arms went stiff for a second, then he just kissed my forehead like nothing had happened.

He said, "I still have work to do. You should get some sleep."

I figured Alex was in the study working, so I left him alone.

I never realized the rift between us had already begun that day.

"We started sharing everything about our daily lives. Before I knew it, he was telling me everything, big stuff like his job, little things like what he had for breakfast. And that's when we got together," Lily said.

Suddenly, I remembered how he was always away on business trips back then. Our conversations dwindled to just good morning and good night, and eventually, there was nothing at all.

I honestly believed he was so swamped that he couldn't even text me back.

Turned out, he was giving all his warmth to someone else, and that was why I was left out in the cold.

"But you guys have only been together for a little while. How come he's already ready to meet your family?" I asked.

"He said he wanted to give me a sense of security," Lily replied.

Lily's cheeks turned pink, the kind of look one only saw on a girl with a crush, which only made me look even more pale.

Alex and I had been together for seven years, and every time I brought up meeting my parents, he kept dodging it.

He said he wanted me to have the life I deserved.

Alex wanted to wait until he had a decent job, a steady income, and a place where I would always feel safe and protected before he would feel confident enough to meet my family.

But when he finally had it all, he just said he was too busy and told me to wait until he wasn't so swamped.

This year, he finally agreed, but then he stood me up.

So in the end, every reason he gave was just an excuse.