Chapter 5
I moved from Northbridge to Southport.
It was 1,300 miles away, and even by plane, it took over three hours.
I shed my heavy winter coat and slipped into colorful dresses.
With years of savings, I bought a studio apartment near my office and started living alone.
At night, when everything was quiet, I would sit by the window, lost in thought, and all I could think about was Alex.
He was a year ahead of me in college, and we met during a debate competition.
Alex said I was so quick-witted, and I commented that he was incredibly eloquent.
Before one competition, I had a fever, and there was no way to find a replacement at the last minute.
Half-delirious, I noticed the margins of my script were crammed with tiny notes, patching up all the holes in my logic.
As expected, we won.
While my teammates were cheering and celebrating, I instinctively searched for Alex, caught his gaze, and his ears were burning red.
His teammates saw it and called him a traitor, jokingly.
Of course, we ended up together.
We used to be so happy together. How did things get so messed up?
That night, at my lowest, with empty bottles scattered all over the floor, I still couldn't stop myself from turning on the camera at home.
Lily just moved in like she owned the place.
On the screen, she stepped out of the shower, threw her arms around Alex's neck, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
My heart felt like it was being crushed in a giant fist. I couldn't bear to watch any longer, so I shut off my phone. The liquor burned, but somehow it tasted bitter and salty.
Before I drifted off, I told myself I had to forget him, once and for all.
Alex got a notification that someone had logged into his account from another city. He suddenly pushed Lily away, who was still all over him.
Alex rubbed his eyes, feeling a wave of panic. He had no clue what I might have seen.
He checked our chat and realized I had been away on a business trip for more than two weeks, but I hadn't sent him a single message.
At first, he figured I was just busy, but once Lily moved in, it just slipped his mind.
He quickly typed out a message.
Alex sent: [Honey, when are you coming back?]
But the fact that I had blocked him hit him like a sucker punch.
Alex remembered that big suitcase. When he opened the closet, only his and Lily's clothes were left; not a single trace of mine remained, even the skincare products on the dresser had vanished.
Alex racked his brain, trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.
It turned out he had forgotten about the shipping address saved on his shopping app.
When I saw Alex, my mind was a bit foggy.
He looked like he hadn't slept for days, with dark circles under his eyes, and his gaze was rimmed with red, pure exhaustion.
"Honey, I finally found you," he said.
I wasn't surprised he managed to find me. In this age of the internet, if he set his mind to it, nothing was impossible for him.
"Don't call me that. We're not together anymore," I said, my voice cold.
He held my hand tight, trying to explain.
"I lied. I didn't come to see you that day because I was scared. You were getting ahead so fast, and I was afraid I couldn't keep up with you. I was also worried your parents wouldn't accept me," he said.
I pulled my hand away.
"It doesn't matter. We're already over," I said.
"So just because I didn't go back with you, you're really going to walk away from everything we've had all these years?" Alex said, his voice full of frustration and disbelief.
His brows were knit together, clearly upset.
I just stared at him, totally unfazed.
"My cousin brought her boyfriend home after dating for less than a year..." I said.
"Bella, why do you always have to compare yourself to your cousin? We've waited so many years; what's a few more days? I told you, once I land this project and get promoted, I'll go back with you..." Alex said.
He interrupted me, his words coming out in an almost desperate growl.
"Because Lily is my cousin," I said calmly.
"Wait, what?" Alex stared at me, stunned.