Chapter 2
I was a bit stunned.
"Sure, let's add each other," I said.
I was really curious what Sophie was up to.
After we added each other on WhatsApp, she gave me a challenging smirk.
I didn't show any reaction.
I was not someone who was easily swayed by others.
Seeing that I stayed indifferent, Sophie lost interest.
But throughout the whole dinner, Sophie was chatting with Edward way more than I was.
She seemed more like his actual girlfriend than me.
The other friends were visibly awkward.
When dinner was over, I was hoping Edward would give me a ride home.
"Emily, you should head back on your own. I've got some work to take care of, and it's actually convenient for me to drop Sophie off," Edward said.
I couldn't believe my crush was rejecting me like that. I looked at him, totally stunned.
I knew for a fact my place was right on the way to his office. And yet, he wanted me to call a cab? Seriously?
Honestly, it was just laughable.
"So, you're going to drive someone totally unrelated to you home and just leave me hanging here alone? Seriously, who's your girlfriend? Me or her?" I snapped.
After holding in my frustration all night, I finally couldn't hold it back anymore and let it out.
Edward frowned. "Can you stop being so unreasonable? Nothing is going on between Sophie and me. Why do you always have to overthink everything? I'm giving her a ride home since it's on my way."
Hearing the impatience in his voice, I was genuinely taken aback.
Back then, no matter how far it was, even if it was totally out of his way, he'd always drive me home.
Something was definitely off between us.
I collected my thoughts and kept my cool. "Edward, you haven't been home in ages, and today's my birthday."
Edward's attitude immediately softened when he heard that.
He gave me an apologetic look.
"It's fine, Mr. Grant. You should drop Ms. Lane off first. I'll wait for you here." Sophie was playing the sweet and considerate card.
Edward let out a sigh of relief, gave me a cold look, and got in the car. "Get in. I'll take you home."
I'd never seen him act so indifferent toward me before.
He used to be passionate and gentle, never once showing me this cold side.
He rarely ever got angry with me.
I swallowed my pride and got in the car.
The car was dead silent.
I kept trying to find the right words, but I couldn't figure out what to say.
Edward's words hit me like a bullet to the heart. "Emily, you were out of line tonight.
"Thank god Sophie was mature enough to step back, or you would've made me look bad in front of everyone. Why are you causing so much drama?"
He'd never spoken to me like that before.
"So, you really think I'm just making a fuss?" I asked.
"Isn't that what you're doing?"
"Then there's nothing left to say." I let out a slow, heavy sigh.
When Edward dropped me off, he left me with a parting remark. "You should really take some time to reflect on yourself.
"I've got things to deal with, so I won't be coming home for the next couple of days."
Honestly, it didn't matter anymore. He hadn't been home for a long time anyway.
Whether he came back or not, it didn't really matter to me anymore.
The first thing I did when I got home was take a shower, hoping to wash away the exhaustion that had built up over a lifetime.
Standing there, I couldn't help but remember how things were back when we first started dating.
Every time he saw me, he'd bring me a bouquet of flowers.
He always said I deserved a fresh bouquet every single day.
And he insisted on giving them to me himself, believing it meant more that way.
Sometimes, when he came to pick me up in the morning, he'd always make breakfast for me himself.
He thought breakfast from outside was too oily and unhealthy, so he wanted to make sure I ate healthy.
On every anniversary or holiday, he always made sure I got the first gift.
Back then, he didn't have much money, so he'd give me thoughtful handmade presents.
Later, when he could afford it, he started buying me jewelry.
Every single one was made with so much care.
But ever since his business took off, he barely came home anymore.
The gifts he gave me were never just for me anymore.
The daily flowers stopped coming, and I couldn't even remember when it happened.
Even breakfast was made by the housekeeper.
On most anniversaries or special days, he'd rush home to have a quick meal with me before heading out again.
Sometimes, he wouldn't come home at all.
He cared less and less about me as time went on.
Just then, my phone chimed with a message.
I opened it and saw it was from that girl, Sophie. It was a photo.
In the picture, I could clearly see Edward kneeling, gently changing her into a pair of flat shoes.
The hand holding my phone began to tremble slowly.
It felt like a needle was piercing my heart, sharp and intense pain.
After all, I was the one he used to treat with that kind of gentle care.
I knew exactly what was going through Edward's head. He wouldn't do something so tender for another girl unless he really cared.
And I could see right through what Sophie was trying to pull with that photo.
She pretended it was a mistake and deleted the message right away.
But she knew for sure I'd already seen it.
Turns out, all of this was her way of showing who's boss.
It was like Edward was no longer mine.
I'd been through this before. Ever since his company started booming, there were always flirty girls hanging around, hoping for his attention.
But back then, he never tolerated even the slightest hint of flirtation, and he made sure none of those women ever got close to me.
He always kept himself above reproach.
I never felt insecure about any of it.
But at that moment, the confidence I used to take pride in had completely vanished.
And it wasn't because of the special attention he gave Sophie.
It was because, between Sophie and me, he chose to put her first.
Without thinking, I opened Sophie's social feed.
The very first post sent my emotions into overdrive.
It was a picture of her and Edward together.
But what really stung wasn't the photo itself. It was the fact that they were in Tibeland, the place I'd always dreamed of visiting.
Right from the start of our relationship, I told Edward my biggest dream was to travel to Tibeland.
Back then, we were pretty broke, so it was never really an option.
I'd asked him about going to Tibeland several times, but he never agreed.
He always used the excuse that work was too busy.
Eventually, I stopped bringing it up.
But I never saw this coming.
The person I loved ended up going to Tibeland, the place I'd always dreamed of, with someone else.
In that moment, my world completely fell apart.
The love I once took pride in was nothing but sand slipping through my fingers.
The warmth faded into nothing but smoke, slipping away beyond my grasp.
I lay in bed, tossing and turning, still couldn't figure out where things went wrong between Edward and me.
I kept scrolling back to Sophie's post, watching it again and again.
Feeling dazed, I got up and accidentally smashed the glass by my bed.
The sound stabbed right into my ears, making them hurt.
But in that moment, I realized a harsh truth.
There wasn't anything wrong between us. The real issue was Edward himself.
His heart had already turned away from me.
And it belonged somewhere I'd never even known.