Chapter 4
Lily sent me another photo.
In it, she had her legs casually thrown over Alex's lap, looking all cozy with him, while he peeled an orange for her with a smile. On his wrist was the bracelet I prayed for and given him.
Suddenly, the whole thing felt so ironic to me.
I dialed the number I knew by heart.
Maybe my hands were just too cold, I kept missing the button, pressing it several times before I finally got it right.
The phone rang for what felt like forever before someone finally picked up.
"Babe, I'm in a meeting. Can we talk later?" Alex said.
Before I could even get a word out, he hung up on me.
Refusing to give up, I stubbornly kept calling, but no one answered.
So I started texting him instead.
I sent: [Lily brought her boyfriend home today. When are you coming back with me?]
Alex replied: [The company won't let me go. Didn't I already tell you that?]
Me: [Can't you even take a day off? Is your company really going to collapse without you?]
Alex: [Can't you try to understand me? I'm working overtime for you, you know. Do you realize how exhausting it is to be your boyfriend? How hard it is to keep up with you? Can you stop making a scene?]
I felt like I had been plunged into icy water, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.
So being with me really made Alex that miserable.
I sniffled and sent him one last message.
I sent: [Alex, let's call it quits here.]
Then, holding back the pain, I erased every trace of him from my phone.
Right at that moment, my boss called.
He said, "Bella, I'm asking you one last time; do you want to head up the branch office? Do you have any idea how many people are scrambling for this position?"
"Yes," I cut him off without hesitation.
He was clearly caught off guard, but when he heard my voice all stuffed up, he instantly got what was going on.
The offer was handed to me first, and I turned it down without a second thought.
I didn't want to be long-distance with Alex anymore. And the faster I got promoted, the more insecure he became, the harder he tried to prove he was good enough for me, and the more he kept putting off meeting my parents.
Back then, I was dead set on marrying him, even if it meant giving up my career and focusing on family. But I didn't feel that way anymore.
I booked an early flight back so I could pack up my stuff.
When I arrived, I ran right into Alex, who was hurrying back, dragging his suitcase behind him.
His eyes widened in surprise, but then he snapped out of it and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Babe, I totally lost it that day. I was just so wiped out. But as soon as I saw your message, I felt awful. I begged my boss for some time off and came straight back to find you," he said.
I broke free from his arms and stared him right in the eyes. The worry and regret I saw there weren't fake.
But the way he was beaming in that photo Lily posted on her account yesterday wasn't fake either.
So what was actually real?
How could he just accept love from both of us and not feel bad about it?
"Why are you here?" I asked.
I was surprised at how calm my voice sounded.
"When I got to the airport, I realized I didn't even know your address. And since you'd blocked me everywhere, I had no choice but to wait for you to come back," Alex said.
Alex looked a bit rattled, but when he realized I wasn't making a fuss, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he frowned as soon as he noticed the big suitcase by my side.
"Babe, you just got back; where are you off to now? And why do you need such a huge suitcase?" Alex asked.
"I'm going on a business trip," I replied.
I thought back to Lily's post from yesterday.
It read: [Got a gift from my soon-to-be mother-in-law.]
My hand tightened around the suitcase handle, and I managed a polite smile.
"Did your mom like the shawl I got her?" I asked.
Alex avoided my gaze for a second, then nodded.
"Oh, I just realized I haven't sent your mom greetings yet. Let's give her a call now," I said.
Alex bit his lip and held my hand tight.
"Babe, my mom's already asleep at this hour. Let's wait until you're back from your trip to call her," he said.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a message. It was 8:35 PM.
We had been dating for seven years, and Alex still hadn't properly introduced me to his family.
I tried to add his mom's WhatsApp more than once, but he always brushed it off.
"My mom's from a remote town. She doesn't really know how to talk to people, and she's always nosy, asking all sorts of questions. You're so busy with work, just forget it," he said before.
But Lily had only known him for less than a year, and she had already gotten in with his family, just like that.
I let out a wry laugh and brushed his hand aside.
"Fine," I said.
"Let me see you off," Alex said.
"No, it's fine. My ride's already downstairs," I replied.
I quietly avoided his hand and gave one last glance at the room I lived in for years.