Chapter 1
I broke my leg in an accident.
Claire Summers, my girlfriend who'd been dating me in secret for three years, said she'd come take care of me.
I waited at home all day, but she never showed up.
Then I saw her first love, Ryan Cooper, post on Instagram.
The caption read: [Long time no see, my girl. Thank you for always being there for me, no matter when or where.]
Above the text was a photo of him and Claire together.
They stood close together. She was in a sexy red dress, laughing carelessly.
I turned around and posted: [Loving you is like a never-ending heartbreak.]
Less than thirty minutes after I posted it, my phone rang.
I glanced at the caller ID: Claire.
I swiped to answer, but didn't say a word.
Claire's voice carried a hint of panic, though she tried to sound calm. "Ethan.
"What did you mean by that post?
"Are you mad because I didn't show up?
"Listen, I had something urgent at work and couldn't get away. I'll come back as soon as I'm done."
I didn't want to hear her lies, so I cut straight to the point. "Claire, we're done."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and I could hear her breathing quicken.
Then, her voice came through, full of disbelief and a hint of anger. "Done? Why?
"Because I didn't come over to take care of you these past couple of days?
"I really had something urgent. Don't act childish, and don't use breaking up to threaten me.
"I'm not falling for that."
I chuckled, the sound tinged with sadness and a bit of self-mockery. "Urgent business? Going on a trip with Ryan?"
Claire went quiet.
She couldn't answer; all she could do was stammer, trying to come up with an excuse. "H-How did you know?"
"That doesn't matter.
"What matters is, when I say we're breaking up, I mean it.
"That's it for us," I said, my voice calm and steady.
I hung up without another word.
Then, I blocked her number and deleted her from WhatsApp.
Everything went down smooth, like muscle memory.
I didn't feel the slightest bit of longing, only pure relief.
Breaking up was way easier than I'd imagined.
*****
Meanwhile, Ryan stood on the hotel terrace overseas.
Holding a glass of red wine, he watched Claire, who seemed unsettled.
He gently touched her arm and asked in a soft voice, "Claire, are you okay?
"Who called you? Why do you look so shaken?"
Claire quickly hid the panic in her eyes, forced a smile, and pulled away from his touch.
"It's nothing, just a colleague from the TV station," she said.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, a shadow flickering in his eyes, but he didn't press her.
He held out his glass to her, his voice low and suggestive. "Don't let those bad thoughts get to you. Have a drink with me.
"Consider this a little reward for coming all this way to cheer me up after you heard about my divorce."
Claire shook her head and stepped back. "No, I've got something I need to do."
She turned away, hurried over to the side, and dialed her bestie, Sophia Lane.
The moment Sophia picked up, Claire's voice turned pleading. "Sophia, can you help me out?"
Sophia's voice was lazy and a little puzzled. "What's going on, Claire?
"Is there something even Ethan can't fix for you, and you have to beg me for help?"
Claire bit her lip, not daring to tell the truth.
She could only mumble a vague excuse. "Ethan broke his leg and he's all alone at home. I can't stop worrying about him.
"But I'm tied up right now. Could you look in on him for me?"
Sophia was surprised, her tone turning serious. "What could be more important than taking care of your boyfriend with a broken leg?
"With how good Ethan is in the kitchen, you have no idea how many girls are crushing on him. Don't push your luck, okay?
"If he really leaves, you'll be crying.
"And then I won't get to enjoy his cooking anymore."
Claire's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly came up with an excuse. "I'm stuck overseas because something urgent came up, and I can't make it back anytime soon."
Sophia was silent for a few seconds, her tone turning cold. "Got it.
"But are you sure you want me to look after him? Just the two of us alone... Don't you think that's a little inappropriate?"
Claire let out a sigh of relief, her voice light and cheerful. "We're besties. I trust you.
"And you're the only one who knows about me and Ethan being together. I don't trust anyone else with this."
"Alright!"
Before Claire could say anything else, Sophia hung up.
Still, Claire felt uneasy, so she sent Sophia a text. [If he's really mad, tell him I'll marry him, out in the open, as soon as I'm back.]
After sending that message, Claire finally felt at ease.
She picked up the wine glass on the table and sipped it slowly.